In April 2016, Mark Regev became the Israeli Ambassador to the UK. Mr Regev has been in Israel`s Foreign Ministry for twenty five years, has served as the Spokesperson for the Prime Minister, and is one of the most recognised advocates for Israel on international TV. During November, the Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum (CMENAF), a CAMERA supported group, hosted Mr. Regev for a stimulating event at Cambridge University.
On November 7th, Mark Regev joined Cambridge Professor Dr Glen Rangwala for a discussion entitled “Middle East in Crisis: Chaos or Containment” in which the speakers discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as regional developments such as the rise of ISIS. The event was in the format of an interview rather than a speech by each presenter, and it was held in the magnificent location of the Old Divinity School in St. Johns College. The speakers also fielded questions from the students attending, on issues ranging from Israel`s security policies to settlements. The event was followed by drinks. As part of his trip to Cambridge, Mr. Regev was also interviewed by Varsity, the student newspaper at Cambridge, where he described Israel`s vibrant democracy and freedom of press.
CMENAF is a new and exciting student organisation at Cambridge, one of the most prestigious Universities in the world. It aims to bring informative speakers to enrich the debate regarding countries and conflicts around the Middle East and North Africa in general, and naturally this includes debate and discussion around Israel. CAMERA is proud to support CMENAF, and hopes that this new student organisation leads to a deeper and more nuanced understanding of a complicated area of the world.
Contributed by Aron White, CAMERA intern