Israeli Presidential Conference

Shimon Peres established the President's Conference soon after taking office as president in 2008.[1] His ambition was to create what he described as "a sort of mini-Davos" — a forum capable of attracting leading scientists, philosophers, business leaders, and other prominent international figures to Jerusalem.[1] Although the Israeli presidency is largely ceremonial, the conference gave Peres a recurring platform for convening international figures around political, scientific, economic, and cultural questions.[1]

The inaugural edition formed part of Israel's 60th-anniversary celebrations in 2008.[2][3] The official presidency website places the conference among Peres's wider efforts to promote Israeli high-tech, particularly nanotechnology, and to encourage young Israeli scholars and scientists.[4] The annual gathering was compared with the World Economic Forum, and its global guest list was described as having "an extraordinary profile on the world stage."[1]

The inaugural Israeli Presidential Conference was held at the Jerusalem International Convention Center on May 14, 2008, during celebrations of Israel's 60th anniversary.[2][3] A White House photograph identifies U.S. President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Olmert's wife Aliza, President Peres, and First Lady Laura Bush as present.[2]

In his remarks, Bush thanked Peres for his hospitality and said that the attendance of many heads of state and former leaders was "a great tribute to this conference, as well as to Israel."[3] His address discussed Israel's founding, democratic development, security, economy, and relationship with the United States.[3] The official presidency website reports that the 2008 conference attracted more than 5,000 guests from fifty countries.[4]

An Israel Democracy Institute publication dated August 2009 states that it was prepared for presentation at a "President's Conference" at the President's House in Jerusalem and calls that gathering "now in its sixth year."[5] This does not align with another source's description of the Israeli Presidential Conference as having run annually for five years by 2013, and the discrepancy remains unresolved in the available record.[6][5]

On October 20, 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama sent a special video message to the opening session of the Jerusalem conference, titled "Facing Tomorrow." The event was hosted by Peres, and Obama's message addressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while identifying U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice as a participant.[7] Obama connected the agenda to the global economic crisis, climate change, nuclear proliferation, and efforts toward a secure and lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace. He also emphasized cooperation in health, education, clean energy, innovation, and regional partnerships.[7] The Israel Democracy Institute publication addressed Israeli democracy and the social, economic, political, and cultural integration of immigrants from the former Soviet Union.[5]

During the 2009 conference, EU foreign-policy chief Javier Solana told delegates that Israel was "closer to the European Union than any other country in the world outside Europe," citing cultural, historical, and trade ties and Israel's participation in EU research and technology programs. Croatian President Stipe Mesic was also attending.[8]

The Israeli Presidential Conference 2011 was held in June of that year.[9] Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks delivered a speech titled "Looking Towards Tomorrow: Trends, Challenges and Decisions," framed as a strategic examination of the future and of whether major challenges facing the world, the Jewish people, and the State of Israel could be addressed through human decisions.[9] A moderated panel titled "The Future of European Jewry: Thriving or in Decline?" was also held.[9]

Other participants included Abby Joseph-Cohen of Goldman Sachs and Cornell University; Tzipi Livni, then chairperson of the opposition and the Kadima party; historian Niall Ferguson of Harvard University and the London School of Economics; and Major General (res.) Amos Yadlin, former head of Israel's Defense Intelligence Directorate.[9] Israeli television news editor and radio personality David Witzthum served as moderator.[9]

Gabriel Sheffer's essay "Loyalty and Criticism in the Relations between the World Jewry and Israel" was later listed as recommended reading associated with the 2011 conference session "What We Talk About When We Talk About Israel."[10]

By June 2012, the annual gathering was described as being in its fourth year and as a project of President Peres.[11] The 2012 conference, titled "President's Conference: Facing Tomorrow," ran from June 19 to 21 in Jerusalem and drew more than 5,000 attendees from around the world.[12] Its stated objective was to consider how to foster "a better tomorrow for the international community, Israel and the Jewish world." Discussions addressed economics, foreign policy, Israel's strategic relationships, Iran's nuclear program, Europe's debt crisis, and the growing influence of China and India.[12]

A June 20 panel examined Chinese and Indian influence in the Middle East. It featured Indian journalist Kapil Komireddi, Hebrew University scholar Yuri Pines, Peking University professor Wu Zhipan, Claremont McKenna College professor Minxin Pei, and moderator Tatiana Hoffman of Israel's Channel 2.[12] A separate plenary on Europe's economic crisis was moderated by Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer. Niall Ferguson warned that a future crash could make the 2010 flash crash appear minor, while New Zealand Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard said the European Union would continue to "muddle through" its debt challenges.[12]

The 2012 edition also used live online video, social media, and interactive web applications to enable participation outside the Jerusalem venue. An interactive project by Israeli startup Interlude used more than four hours of recorded footage of Peres to simulate a private conversation in which users could select topics including Middle East politics, Iran, and the Palestinians. Other tools included the Bizzabo networking application and LiveU internet broadcasting equipment.[11]

The fifth annual conference, commonly styled "Facing Tomorrow 2013," took place from June 18 to 20 at Jerusalem's International Convention Center and was organized in partnership with Hebrew University.[13] Another contemporary account called it the "Tomorrow 2013 Israeli Presidential Conference" and confirmed the dates.[6] The gathering opened with celebrations of Peres's 90th birthday before turning to its conference program.[13][14] At the opening ceremony, Peres described the event as an effort to make "the dream of tomorrow — today's agenda" and called for an Israel that welcomed different opinions, rejected discrimination, respected vulnerable people, and showed zero tolerance for violence, corruption, and bullying.[15]

Political guests included Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Mikhail Gorbachev, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Rahm Emanuel.[1][6] Entertainment and cultural figures included Barbra Streisand, Robert De Niro, and Sharon Stone.[1][6] Other participants included Nobel Prize-winning behavioral economist Daniel Kahneman, tech executive John Chambers, and activist Ayaan Hirsi-Ali.[6] Ynetnews reported approximately 5,000 attendees from twenty countries.[14]

Session topics ranged from brain technology and the science of decision-making to geopolitics, economics, society, the environment, culture, identity, education, and new media.[6] The conference also showcased Israeli technology developed at the Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University, and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.[6] A session titled "Tomorrow's Wars — No Longer Science Fiction" featured Yair Cohen, a former commander of Unit 8200 — the Israel Defense Forces' central military intelligence and cyber unit — who was then heading the intelligence and cyber solutions division at Elbit Systems.[16]

At the conference, Peres presented Clinton with the Presidential Medal of Distinction, described as Israel's highest civilian honor.[17] Peres praised Clinton's support for Israel and the Jewish people and his role in the Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty. Clinton called Peres "my personal friend and a global treasure" and spoke about peace, reconciliation, and a shared future.[17]

On June 20, Netanyahu addressed the conference and framed Israel's desired future around three goals — security, prosperity, and peace. He stated that "in order for there to be 'tomorrow' we must be strong in the present and in the future" and discussed Iran's nuclear program, economic reform, technology, infrastructure, and Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.[18]

By 2013, the conference was strongly identified with Peres personally. An Associated Press profile published as he turned 90 noted that he had one year remaining in his presidency and described the mini-Davos project as an ambition difficult to imagine under a successor.[1] The assessment reflected how closely the gathering's international profile was tied to its founder.

During its documented editions, the conference paired high-level political and economic debate with Israeli scientific and technological achievement. The 2013 program showcased research from three major Israeli universities, while the digital participation tools used in 2012 sought to connect audiences outside Jerusalem.[6][11]

The conference attracted criticism over reported extravagant spending, including a reported fee of US$500,000 for Clinton's appearance at the 2013 edition.[1] Israeli Cabinet minister Yuval Steinitz also accused Peres of stretching the presidency's apolitical role, saying: "I didn't know that Peres became the government spokesman."[1]

At the 2008 conference, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert asserted that real progress had been made in talks with the Palestinian Authority, declaring that "understandings and agreements regarding highly important matters have been achieved, though some issues are still outstanding."[19] The claim was politically contested and is attributable to Olmert rather than an independently established negotiating outcome. The 2009 conference likewise addressed politically sensitive questions, with Obama's message discussing Israeli-Palestinian peace alongside nuclear proliferation and climate change.[7]

A critical commentary on the 2008 conference noted that its celebration of Israel's 60th anniversary coincided with the Palestinian observance of Nakba Day and presented the surrounding historical context as politically and morally contested.[20]