event

A Conversation with Efraim Halevy and Ami Ayalon

Wed. December 11th, 2024
Live Online

More than a year into the Israel-Hamas war, the Middle East remains mired in conflict. The war in Gaza drags on with no end in sight; the West Bank continues to seethe; the collapse of the Assad regime has activated Israeli forces along the Syrian border; and while a cease-fire deal has calmed the Israel-Lebanon border, the possibility of a serious escalation between Israel and Iran remains all too real. Meanwhile, uncertainties about U.S. policy abound as the Biden Administration gives way to one headed by President Donald Trump.

Will Israel be able to translate its recent military wins into stable security and political arrangements? What does the future hold for the hostages and the people of Gaza? Is there a diplomatic off-ramp that might preempt or prevent an Iran-Israel confrontation? And what of the future of Iran’s nuclear program?  

Join Aaron David Miller as he sits down with Ami Ayalon, the former head of Shin Bet, and Efraim Halevy, the former head of Mossad, to discuss these and other issues on Carnegie Connects. 

SecurityMiddle EastIsrael
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
event speakers

Aaron David Miller

Senior Fellow, American Statecraft Program

Aaron David Miller is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, focusing on U.S. foreign policy.

Ami Ayalon

Former Director of Shin Bet

Admiral (ret). Ami Ayalon is a former director of the Israeli Security Agency, also known as the Shin Bet, and a former commander of Israel’s navy. Ayalon received the Medal of Valor, the highest Israeli military decoration. He has also served as a cabinet minister and a member of the Knesset.

Efraim Halevy

Former Head of the Mossad

Efraim Halevy was a member of the directorate of the Mossad for twenty-eight years and served as deputy head for five years, leaving in 1995 to become Israel’s ambassador to the European Union from 1996 to 1988. In 1998, he was appointed the ninth head of the Mossad and served under three prime ministers—Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, and Ariel Sharon—until 2002.