Ambassador Indyk Speaks to the Upper School
by Malcolm St. Clair
Last week, the Upper School had the honor of hosting Martin Indyk, a former ambassador to Israel, policy advisor to multiple White House administrations, and current executive vice president of the Brookings Institute, a think tank based in Washington, D.C. As an expert on American involvement in the Israel-Palestine conflict, he spoke to the boys about the history of Israel and the numerous wars with its Arab Muslim neighbors that have plagued the region since the creation of the Jewish state in 1948.
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Last week, the Upper School had the honor of hosting Martin Indyk, a former ambassador to Israel, policy advisor to multiple White House administrations, and current executive vice president of the Brookings Institute, a think tank based in Washington, D.C. As an expert on American involvement in the Israel-Palestine conflict, he spoke to the boys about the history of Israel and the numerous wars with its Arab Muslim neighbors that have plagued the region since the creation of the Jewish state in 1948.
Ambassador Indyk grew up in Australia. Being Jewish, he decided as a young man to visit Israel and was deeply affected by the experience. During his visit, the Six Day War broke out between the Israelis and the Egyptians. He determined to study the conflicts between Israel and its neighbors, focusing particularly on American involvement in the Near East, and, after completing his university studies and doctoral work, and starting a think tank in Washington, he found himself as the Near-Eastern policy advisor to Bill Clinton. He spent the following two decades, in a variety of roles, attempting to achieve peace in the region.
Although he and others managed to implement important peace settlements between Israel and surrounding Arab Muslim nations, the question and conflict of Palestinian settlement still continues. The most recent attempt in 2013 to reach a settlement failed, and he does not believe the conflict will be resolved in his lifetime. He shared two lessons with the boys: first, do not give up, no matter how hopeless the situation appears; and second, be aware of the unintended negative consequences of your actions, however good your intentions may be.
Thank you, Ambassador Indyk, for taking the time to share your experience and insight into this complex and protracted crisis.
