Aryeh Green Bio & Topics
Aryeh Green Speaker Profile
Contact Info:
Aryeh Green (aryeh.green@gmail.com); Tel. +972-54-648-2344
Former senior advisor to Natan Sharansky and director/co-founder of MediaCentral, a Jerusalem-based project providing support services to foreign journalists based in or visiting Israel. High-tech business consultant and executive; public diplomacy (‘hasbara’) spokesman; regional democracy activist; reserve briefing officer in IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
[See talk on "Re-awakening Zionism" (video) in LA, co-sponsored by the Israeli Consulate, Simon Wiesenthal Center, StandWithUs, Beverly Hills Synagogue and ZOA; see article “Myths and Madness in the Middle East”. More info, videos and articles can be found here and on his YouTube channel.]
Background: Born in Washington, DC into a family whose ancestors came to America in 1690 (some of the first Jews to arrive in the New World); grew up in San Francisco; made Aliya in 1984. Senior policy advisor to Natan Sharansky since late 1990s; served on executive staff of Sharansky’s Yisrael B’Aliya party; was senior member of minister Sharansky’s staff in Israel’s prime minister’s office, responsible for contacts with Palestinian and other Arab & Muslim democracy activists as well as for relations with ‘next generation’ Jewish leaders and coordination of hasbara activities, including on campus.
Over 30 years in business, mostly high-tech, with various executive management positions and consulting work for public and private Israeli companies, including ECI Telecom, Aladdin, Bank HaPoalim, Pfizer, AudioCodes, Moto Guzzi and others. Former managing director of the G3 Associates business consulting firm in Jerusalem. Seven years public sector work in education, including as founder/director of Students For Israel, a Jerusalem seminar center training visiting students in advocacy skills for their return to campuses abroad.
BA in psychology from UC Berkeley, MA in international relations from Hebrew University, MSc in business management from Boston University and Ben Gurion University. Publications include articles in Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post, NY Times, Wall St. Journal, JCPA’s “Academics Against Israel and the Jews”, Jewish Policy Center, Israel21C, Washington Jewish Week, Aspen Times, SF “J”, Israel Insider, and various online forums. Married to Miriam since 2015, with 9 children and 8 grandchildren between them. When not promoting Israel and renewable energy or hiking the Land of Israel, or playing with his grandchildren... Aryeh grows grapes and makes wine.
Topics:
[Detailed description of topics follows]
- 5 Steps to Arab-Israel Peace: A Radical Approach to Resolving Conflict in the Middle East
- My Israel Trail: A Story of Love, Loss and Healing on the Israel National Trail
- Renewable Energy and Israel's Relations with Africa - from King Solomon to the present
- Re-Asserting the Legitimacy of Israel: Indigenous people returning to our ancestral homeland
- Three Myths of the Middle East: Fundamentals in pro-Israel advocacy and argument
- Current events in Israel and the Middle East: An insider’s update on regional developments
- A new approach to Israel’s media relations: embracing journalists rather than attacking them
- Human Rights & Freedom in the Middle East: Natan Sharansky’s approach to peace
- Human Rights in Jewish Sources: Roots of western human rights theory
- The New Anti-Semitism: A “3D” approach to anti-Israel attitudes
- Religious Zionism in Israel vs. Modern Orthodoxy in the West: A unified theory of Judaism
- GeoPolitics of the Middle East: Understanding the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
- “Middle Israel” – Is there a centrist consensus in Israel? (or, The Saga of a Fanatic Moderate)
- A Jewish State? Jewish identity in modern Israel (response to Yoram Hazony’s analysis)
- The View From Here - An American Immigrant’s Perspective
- Crossing the Chasm in Israel - What divides us, what unites us as Israelis
- An Israeli Nokia? Israel as a global high-tech center: what’s missing, what’s needed.
- Welcome to Israel: 3500 years of Jewish history in 35 minutes! (For visiting groups)
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Aryeh Green: Lecture/discussion topics (detail):
5 Steps to Arab-Israel Peace: A Radical Approach to Resolving Conflict in the Middle East.
Applying the lessons learned hiking the Israel National Trail to create a new dynamic for peace in the region - from humility & acceptance to forgiveness & a sense of purpose.
My Israel Trail: A Story of Love, Loss and Healing on the Israel National Trail.
A fascinating, uplifting story, with photos/videos, of the 700km trek along Shvil Yisrael, with personal growth discoveries and a great deal of humor.
Renewable Energy and Israel's Relations with Africa - from King Solomon to the present.
A historial review of the love affair between Africa and Israel, from the perspective of the Israeli company EnergiyaGlobal, a Jerusalem platform for solar, wind and hydro electricity for Africa.
Re-Asserting the legitimacy of Israel and Zionism: Indigenous people returning to our ancestral homeland.
An illuminating and provocative discussion of Jewish identity; Judaism as more than ‘just a religion’; Zionism as the national liberation movement of the Jewish people; and Jews as a civilization.
Three Myths of the Middle East: Fundamentals in pro-Israel advocacy and argument.
A presentation of three fundamental misperceptions regarding Israel, the Arab and Muslim world, and the nature of the Arab-Israeli conflict, applicable in all realms of advocacy from campus activism to lobbying.
Israel's Challenges in the Media: a Different Approach: Embracing journalists rather than attacking them.
An in-depth look at Israeli ‘hasbara’ (public diplomacy) efforts and how to promote accuracy and fairness in reporting about Israel and the conflict from the region by providing services rather than just information.
Human Rights & Freedom in the Middle East: Natan Sharansky & a “process” for real peace for the region.
A presentation of Sharansky’s call to “take back” the banner of human rights by returning to a traditional definition of the concept and applying it to the Middle East, including promoting democracy and liberty in Palestinian and Arab society.
A presentation of Sharansky’s call to “take back” the banner of human rights by returning to a traditional definition of the concept and applying it to the Middle East, including promoting democracy and liberty in Palestinian and Arab society.
Human Rights in Jewish Sources: An exploration of the roots of western human rights theory.
From Aristotle through St. Augustine and Grotius to Jefferson, an exploration of the most basic principles of “human rights” from a Jewish perspective. Based on sources beginning with Breishit (man’s creation “in the image of God”), continuing through the Mishna, Gemara, Rambam and others, and including modern Jewish philosophers and jurists.
The New Anti-Semitism: A “3D” approach to anti-Israel attitudes
An exploration of traditional themes of anti-Semitism and how they have been now used to justify anti-Zionism and anti-Israel propaganda. Delegitimization, Demonization and Discrimination of Jews has now morphed into vilification of the Jewish State. Comparison of legitimate criticism of Israeli policies versus denial of the State of Israel the right to exist.
Religious Zionism in Israel vs. Modern Orthodoxy in the Western world: A unified theory of Judaism.
An exploration of the three main streams of Jewish life – Modernity, Torah, and Zionism – how they interact and conflict, who the personalities are and were in their development, and how they can come together to create a “whole” Jew.
GeoPolitics of the Middle East: Understanding the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
A look at the geography of the region from a historical perspective, including the creation of historical boundaries and the physical realities which relate to efforts at resolving the conflict.
A Jewish State? An answer and a prescription for Yoram Hazony.
Analysis of the conclusions of Hazony’s book “The Jewish State”, prescriptions for improvement, and discussion of the balance between Israel’s democracy and Jewish identity, including recent examples relating to the withdrawal from Gaza, state land ownership and the IDF.
“Middle Israel” – Is there a centrist consensus in Israel? (or, The Saga of a Fanatic Moderate)
A presentation of the real consensus in Israel on various topics, as not normally presented by the media or by interested partisans. Subjects include the Gaza war against Hamas, a Palestinian state, the Jewish identity of the State of Israel, economic liberalism, and many others.
The View From Here - An American Immigrant’s Perspective
Personal anecdotes and review of the immigrant experience, from thirty+ years as an “oleh”. Perceptions of the pleasures and pains of Aliya; a celebration of western Aliya with a lot of humor.
An Israeli Nokia? Israel as a global high-tech center: what’s missing, what’s needed
An evaluation and discussion of Israeli business management practices, from major multinationals through high-tech start-ups – including issues of culture, ethics and organizational behavior practices.
Welcome to Israel: 3500 years of Jewish history in 35 minutes! (For visiting groups)
An inspiring overview of Jewish history and the modern miracle of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel, reflecting two central themes of connection to the Land and wandering from it.
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Book Talk: Hiking Israel & Meeting Personal Challenges
Lessons for life and love learned on the Israel Trail
Mayim Bialik: “What a fascinating journey Aryeh presents us with and takes us on. It is a beautiful exploration of self and identity; the movement of his body through Israel echoes the movement of his spirit from loneliness and fear to strength and fulfillment. What a metaphor for so many of our journeys in this life!” Mayim Bialik, actress (Big Bang Theory, Blossom); author; activist (Grok Nation); neuroscientist.Aryeh Green, author of My Israel Trail: Finding Peace in the Promised Land, published in May 2018, hiked the entire length and breadth of Israel on Shvil Yisrael – the Israel National Trail – following his devastating divorce. The lessons he learned on the physical trek, enabling the personal growth to move ahead with his life, and his intimate encounter with the Land and people of Israel along
the way, are the uplifting basis of his inspiring talks about his ‘journey’.
the way, are the uplifting basis of his inspiring talks about his ‘journey’.
Aryeh’s success in facing and meeting personal challenges – from an excruciatingly steep ascent to the excruciating loneliness of the trek and of life after divorce – is powerful and captivating. And the lessons learned on the Trail can be applied to the Arab-Israel conflict, offering a new approach to bringing real peace to the region. (5 Steps to Arab-Israel Peace, an article exploring these ideas, can be seen here.)
Aryeh’s talks can focus on the trek itself and the unique perspective it offers on Israel’s history, people and geography; or on the healing process of recovery from personal challenges; or on the application of the five elements to the Arab-Israel conflict… or all three. They will change the way you look at Israel – and at your own beliefs and illusions – and might well change your life to boot.
Contact aryeh.green@gmail.com for more information. (The book was published May 1, 2018 by Plain Sight.)
"In his book about walking the land of Israel, Aryeh Green unabashedly demonstrates his love of the land of Israel, the state of Israel, and the people of Israel. His passion, persistence and curiosity shine through in this user-friendly, engaging new book." Natan Sharanksy, Chairman of the Jewish Agency; former Israeli deputy prime minister and Soviet dissident.
"Walking alone through a beautiful country is conducive to thinking creatively. Aryeh Green's wonderful description of his 42-day hike throughout Israel will make you think hard about the state of the nation-state of the Jewish people at this critical time in its history. It's a worthwhile journey on which to embark." Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law.
"Walking alone through a beautiful country is conducive to thinking creatively. Aryeh Green's wonderful description of his 42-day hike throughout Israel will make you think hard about the state of the nation-state of the Jewish people at this critical time in its history. It's a worthwhile journey on which to embark." Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law.
"Deeply moving and profoundly thoughtful, My Israel Trail is a must for lovers of Israel, nature, and the human spirit. Aryeh Green has done an immense service to us all." Michael Oren, Israeli Deputy Minister & Member of Knesset; former Israeli ambassador to the US; historian and scholar of the Middle East.
Aryeh is planning speaking tours and is available for booking; his speaker profile with other topics and full bio is below. A frequent and popular speaker on campuses and in communities, Aryeh has spoken for AJC, JNF, RJC, Hillel, Hadassah, AIPAC, SWU, ZOA, synagogues of all streams, church groups, Jewish federations, JCRCs, JCCs and Israel’s embassy and consulates. Links to some of his talks and articles are below.
Watch/listen to interviews with Aryeh on CBN TV (filmed on the Trail!), JBS TV (Part 1 on American Jews & Israel, Part 2 on legitimacy of Zionism), i24 TV, The John Batchelor Radio Show, & Israel Radio. See Jerusalem Post book review.
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