Daniel C. Kurtzer

Adjunct Professor, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University; Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel

Ambassador Kurtzer, a Career-Minister in the Senior Foreign Service until his retirement in December 2005, has been intimately involved in Middle East peace negotiations and the formulation of U.S. policy in the Middle East for almost 30 years. His highly distinguished background includes serving as U.S. Ambassador to Egypt, as U.S. Ambassador to Israel, as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, and as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research. During his diplomatic career, Ambassador Kurtzer received several of the U.S. Government’s most prestigious awards, including the President’s Distinguished Service Award, the Department of State Distinguished Service Award, the National Intelligence Community’s Award for Achievement, the Director General of the Foreign Service Award for Political Reporting and numerous Superior Honor Awards. Ambassador Kurtzer currently holds the S. Daniel Abraham Chair in Middle East Policy Studies at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. Ambassador Kurtzer holds a BA degree from Yeshiva University in New York and a PhD from Columbia University.