Israel’s position in the Middle East has been tested regularly since its formation in 1948, and particularly in recent years given the populist uprisings that have dominated the region. In her first university visit to South Carolina as Consul General, Ambassador Varnai Shorer will address current threats to Israel, unrest in the surrounding countries, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and Israel’s options in response, as well as how each of these affect Israel’s relationship with the United States and geopolitical standing in the Middle East.

Ambassador Judy Varnai Shorer is a nearly 40-year veteran of the Israeli diplomatic corps. She is a former ambassador to both Hungary and Bosnia-Herzegovina as well as a former minister of congressional affairs at the Israeli Embassy in
Washington, DC. Her most recent post was desk director at the Center for Policy Research. Born in Be’er Sheva, she speaks Hebrew, French, English, and Hungarian.