On Tuesday, January 14, 2014, the Jerusalem Press Club hosted Gadi Baltiansky, the Israel Director of the Geneva Initiative, and Nidal Foqaha, Director of the Palestinian Peace Coalition / Geneva Initiative, who spoke to a full house at the JPC lounge about the vitality of their joint project.
About the speakers:
Gadi Baltiansky is the director general of H.L. Education for Peace— Geneva Initiative. Between 1999 and 2001, he served as Press Secretary to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. In this capacity, he was in charge of the public aspects of Israel’s security and foreign affairs in general and the peace process in particular. He was an official member of the Israeli negotiating teams with Syria and the Palestinians and, as such, participated in numerous international summits. From 1995 to 1998, Baltiansky served as Press Counselor at the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC, prior to which he served as advisor to the Deputy Foreign Minister (1994-5), Vice Consul in Miami, Florida (1991-3) and assistant to the Director General (1990-1). He previously worked as a journalist and editor for the popular Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronot.
Nidal Foqaha is the Executive Director of the Palestinian Peace Coalition – Geneva Initiative. He previously served as a team member on
the Palestinian-Israeli Joint Economic Committee, responsible for negotiating and coordinating economic issues between the Palestinians and Israel, and on the steering committee of the Palestinian-Israeli Peace NGO Forum. Mr. Foqaha co-founded, and served on the board of, Freedom Forum Palestine. Mr. Foqaha holds an MA degree in American Studies from the American Studies Center at Al-Quds University.
The Jerusalem Press Club is positioned to become a world-renowned facility. Already a member of the International Association of Press Clubs and the European Federation of Press Clubs, it is a place where journalists have access to ministers, diplomats, ambassadors and high level officials in Israeli politics and society. It is a hub of journalistic activity where domestic and foreign press have a chance to mingle in a setting fitting for them.
– To read articles published following this event, please visit our Media section.
