In our ongoing commitment to fostering a nuanced understanding of a complex geopolitical crisis, we are looking forward to the next chapter in our webinar series, this time focusing on the Israel-Gaza Conflict through a key dimension that we have yet to address—the sociopolitical perspective of the Palestinian people writ large and not simply the narrower machination of Hamas. 

Joining us for this conversation will be Ms. Hiba Husseini, head of Husseini & Husseini law firm, who has been a legal adviser to Palestinian delegations in peace negotiations with Israel for nearly 30 years, and Mr. James Prince, President of the Democracy Council, an international nonprofit organization committed to advancing governance, rights, the rule of law, peacebuilding, independent media, and countering disinformation and extremism in emerging countries.

We invite you to be a part of this crucial conversation as we navigate the complexities of this tragic conflict with the help of those  who could actively be engaged in shaping the outcome. Your participation will greatly contribute to the comprehensive dialogue on a topic of global significance.

 

Guest Speakers:

Hiba Husseini, JD is the managing Partner the Law Firm of Husseini and Husseini.  Under her management the Firm serves a large domestic and international client base on a wide range of legal matters.  She practiced law in Washington, DC.  

Ms. Husseini chaired the Legal Committee to Final Status Negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis. She has served as legal advisor to the peace process negotiations since 1994.  Ms. Husseini participates in various meetings that seek to interject innovative thinking to the hard and complex issues involved in the peace process, especially Jerusalem.  She has written widely on the peace process, the rule of law, economic development and Jerusalem. She recently co-authored with Dr. Yossi Beilin,  the Holy Land Confederation, an enabler to the two-state solution.

She serves on the boards of various educational, professional, cultural, business, and non-profit organizations. She served as the Vice Chair of the Palestine Bourse from 1998-2005. She served as a member of the International Advisory Panel of The American Law Institute and contributed in 2015 to the drafting of the Restatement of the Law Fourth the Foreign Relations Law of the United States.  She serves on the Board of Trustees of Al Quds University and the American Board of the Middle East Partnership for Peace Fund (MEPPA).  

Ms. Husseini holds a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University (1992), MA in Political Science from the George Washington University (1986), MSc in Corporate Finance from the University of Sorbonne (2002), BA in Political Science from the University of Tennessee (1982).  She speaks three languages.

Ms. Husseini was recently featured in a Boston Globe Opinion piece.

 

James Prince is a board member and president of the Democracy Council, an international nonprofit organization committed to advancing governance, rights, the rule of law, peacebuilding, independent media, and countering disinformation and extremism in emerging countries. He managed over $150 million in grant-funded operations across 25 countries and is a frequent public commentator and a resource for policymakers.

Jim's work in the Palestinian Authority dates back to 2000. As a consultant for reform in the Palestinian Authority, he is credited with bringing back over $700 million to the PA Treasury. This anti-corruption effort generated regional and international media coverage, including a CBS's 60 Minutes feature. Other regional programming experience includes a U.S. Department of State-funded effort to build the capacity of the American International School in Gaza and several peacebuilding and economic development projects. Jim was a consultant for the Atlantic Council, contributing to advancing regional collaboration and normalization in MENA. He testified about the Middle East Peace Process in front of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and served as a fact witness in several international terrorism cases. 

Jim served as a non-resident fellow for Countering Violent Extremism with Trends Research and Advisory in Abu Dhabi, a new generation fellow with the American Assembly, and an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University. He was appointed to the independent committee investigating corruption within the Los Angeles Police Department. Jim participated in multinational electoral missions in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Guatemala, Iraq, the Palestinian Authority, and South Africa. His articles have appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, Conflict Studies, Journal of Current Affairs, Daily Star, Detroit News, Forbes, Forward, Houston Chronicle, Jerusalem Post, LA Daily News, Newsday, SF Chronicle, Terrorism Violence and Insurgency, The Hill, Times of Israel, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Times.

Before co-founding the Democracy Council, Jim was a Director with PricewaterhouseCoopers and a senior professional staff member for the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Affairs. 

Jim received a B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, and an M.A. in Security Policy Studies from George Washington University. He studied at the American University in Cairo.

Presider:

Dr. Jerrold D. Green is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles. He is concurrently a Research Professor at the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Green was previously a Partner at Best Associates in Dallas, Texas, a privately held merchant banking firm with global operations. He also occupied senior management positions at the RAND Corporation where he served as the Director of International Programs and Development and was awarded the RAND Medal for Excellence. Dr. Green has a B.A. (summa cum laude) from the University of Massachusetts/Boston, as well as an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Chicago. His academic career began at the University of Michigan where he was a professor in the Department of Political Science and the Center for Near Eastern and North African Studies. He subsequently joined the University of Arizona where he became a Professor of Political Science and Sociology and Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Read More.