The man who has been chosen to be the next Israeli ambassador to the United States spent part of his Sunday afternoon giving a history lesson.
Historian Michael Oren, who has been a visiting professor at Georgetown University for the past year, was part of a AIPAC policy conference panel on Israel’s neighbors Israel and Jordan, and spent more than a half hour recounting the recent histories of the two countries and their relations with the Jewish state. His new position as ambassador, which had been officially announced earlier that day, was mentioned while he was introduced, but didn’t come up in the discussion or the question-and-answer session that followed. But Oren was beseiged with well-wishers after the program was over.
Oren told reporters he still hadn’t received the official call from the Netanyahu government, but that he was "privileged and honored to serve my country" and excited to take on the "great challenges" ahead.
He demurred on talking too much about policy, but did say that "a country that tears its heart out over Gilad Shalit will not remain passive while a government that’s sworn to wipe Israel off the map acquires the means to do it."
Oren, who was born in and grew up in the United States before making aliyah 30 years ago, said he believes his American background "will be an asset" in his new job.
