DANIEL C. KURTZER1
DANIEL C. KURTZER
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
Princeton University, Princeton, N.J. 08544-1013
(Office) +1 (609) 258-9859 (Cell) +1 (609) 356-2747 (Fax) +1 (609) 258-0019
EDUCATION
Columbia University, New York, NY
Ph.D. in Political Science (Comparative Politics)1976
Dissertation: “Palestine Guerrilla and Israeli Counterinsurgency Warfare: The Radicalization of the Palestine Arab Community to Violence, 1949-1970”
Columbia University, New York, NY
M.Phil in Comparative Politics (Middle East) 1974
Columbia University, Middle East Institute, School of International Affairs, New York, NY
Certificate in Middle East Studies1974
Columbia University, New York, NY
M.A. in Comparative Politics (Middle East)1973
Yeshiva College, Yeshiva University, New York, NY
B.A. in Political Science1971
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Present Position:
Lecturer and S. Daniel Abraham Visiting Professor of Middle East Policy Studies2006-present
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
- Direct graduate policy workshops on “Change in the Middle East: Achieving an Arab-Israeli Peace Settlement”; “Exploring Engagement: U.S. Policy toward Syria and Hamas”; “Alternatives to the Two-State Solution”; “Non-traditional Diplomacy in the Middle East.”
- Teach graduate courses on Jerusalem as a contested city; Arab-Israeli conflict; U.S. policy in the Middle East since World War II
- Teach undergraduate courses on Arab-Israeli conflict; U.S. policy in the Middle East since 1945
- Teach undergraduate policy task force on U.S. policy and the politics of change in the Middle East; Economic and aid implications of the Arab spring; Diplomacy and protracted conflicts..
Previous Positions:
U.S. Foreign Service Officer (retired with the Rank of Career Minister) 1976-2005
U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC and overseas
- 2001-2005U.S. Ambassador to the State of Israel
- 1997-2001U.S. Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt
- 1994-1997Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research
- 1989-1994Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs
- 1987-1989Speechwriter for Secretary of State George P. Shultz and member of the Secretary’s Policy Planning Staff
- 1986-1987Deputy Director of Egyptian Affairs, Department of State
- 1982-1986First Secretary for Political Affairs, American Embassy, Tel Aviv, Israel
- 1979-1982Second Secretary for Political Affairs, American Embassy, Cairo, Egypt
- 1976-1977Rotational Officer, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Department of State
Undergraduate Dean1977-1979
Yeshiva College, Yeshiva University, New York, NY
Provided leadership and administrative supervision for undergraduate academic and non-academic programs, including (in coordination with faculty deans) recruitment of faculty; recruitment and retention of students; planning and scheduling courses; preparing budgets for the College, extra-curricular and athletic programs. Developed and gained New York State accreditation of new undergraduate accounting and business program. Developed and implemented honors program for outstanding students.
HONORS AND AWARDS
- Presidential Distinguished Service Award, 2005
- State Department Distinguished Service Award, 2005
- Henrietta Szold Award for Humanitarian Action, Hadassah, 2005
- U.S. National Intelligence Community Award for Achievement, 1997
- Secretary of State’s Award for Political Reporting, 1986
- State Department Superior Honor Awards (numerous)
PUBLICATIONS
Books
Negotiating Arab-Israeli Peace: American Leadership in the Middle East, with Scott Lasensky (Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press, 2008)
Pathways to Peace: America and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, editor (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012).
The Peace Puzzle: America’s Quest for Arab-Israeli Peace, with William Quandt, Steven Spiegel, Shibley Telhami and Scott Lasensky (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2013)
Reviews
Yael S. Aronoff, “Making the Next Peace Process Succeed,” Israel Studies Review,Volume 29, Issue 1, Summer 2014: 136–141.
Articles, Interviews and Op Eds
“Nothing beats the two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians,” Brookings Institution, January 29, 2016.
Israel”Real Talk On Israeli Settlements: The U.S. Must Match Words With Deeds,” Foreign Affairs, January 13, 2016.
“Dealing With Daesh: Stay the Course,” Hoover Institution, December 2, 2015.
“7 Steps to an Effective U.S. Peace Policy,” The National Interest, November 7, 2015.
“Why Iran deal is good for Israel,,” CNN, August 4, 2015.
“Netanyahu's Right of Way: How the Israeli Left Fell Behind” Foreign Affairs, March 26, 2015
“How terrorism helped found Israel,” review of Bruce Hoffman, Anonymous Soldiers: The Struggle for Israel, 1917-1947 in The Washington Post, March 13, 2015.
“Netanyahu Changed Nothing: The Iran talks will go on as before, leaving one to wonder: What was he doing here?” Politico, March 3, 2015.
Book Review: “How terrorism helped found Israel,” The Washington Post, March 13, 2015.
“Netanyahu’s Right of Way: How the Israeli Left Fell Behind,” Foreign Affairs, March 26, 2015.
“The Middle East Peace Process: Deep in a Hole,” The American Interest, December 12, 2014
“Peace in the Middle East will only come with international help,” The Washington Post, August 10, 2014.
“The U.S. must inject life into a moribund peace process,” Haaretz, June 30, 2014.
“Can the Egyptian-American Relationship be Reinvented,” The American Interest, April 8, 2014.
“Releasing Pollard: Don’t Do It, Mr. Secretary,” The American Interest, April 1, 2014.
“Baseball, American Jews, and Repentance,” The Jewish Week, September 17, 2013
“Kerry's next move in the Middle East,” with Gilead Sher, Los Angeles Times, July 30, 2013
“As Egypt Roils, Time for Israel to Pursue Peace Talks,” The Jewish Week, July 9, 2013
“Step Back:Haredi-Secular relations in Israel”, Baltimore Jewish Times, May 17, 2013
“Obama Can’t Go It Alone in Syria”, The New York Times, May 2, 2013
“Obama’s Middle East push must break the mold”, Deutsch Welle – Trans-Atlantic Voices,
May 2, 2013
“Toward a New American Policy”, The Cairo Review of Global Affairs, 8/Winter 2013
“Endgame for Israel and Hamas - but what comes next?”Haaretz, November 22, 2012
“The Peace Process Isn't Dead”, Foreign Policy, November 15, 2012
“U.S. and Israel need mutual diplomacy, not recriminations”, Haaretz, September 13, 2012
“Israel's Illogical Settlement Decision”, The National Interest, July 10, 2012
“Resizing America’s Role”, Bitterlemons, Edition 17 Volume 10 - May 10, 2012
“Reviving the Peace Process” The National Interest, Number 117, Jan/Feb 2012
“Giving Multilateral Diplomacy a Chance” Sh’ma, November 2011
“Is the Egyptian-Israeli Relationship Over?” Foreign Affairs Online, September 18, 2011
“A ‘Win-Win” for Palestine and Israel Is Possible” HuffPost World, August 17, 2011
“The border between reality and politics: What's new and what's not in Obama's stance on '67 border?” New York Daily News, May 22, 2011
“U.S.'s Best Mideast Policy Is Through Israel” Bloomberg.com, February 27, 2011
“With settlement deal, U.S. will be rewarding Israel's bad behavior, Washington Post “Outlook” section, November 21, 2010
“After the flotilla attack, it’s time for a new, kinder Israeli narrative,” Washington Post “Outlook” section, June 6, 2010
“The Petraeus statement: We need to take this seriously,” bitterlemons-international.org., Edition 9, Volume 8, April 15, 2010
“Netanyahu’s Gamble at Home,” New York Post, March 27, 2010
“Proximity talks: prospects for success?” Foreign Policy blog, March 9, 2010
“Behind the Settlements”, The American Interest, Spring (March/April) 2010, Vol. V, No. 4.
“The Missing Peaces: Old City, New Regime”, with Michael D. Bell, Foreign Affairs, Vol. 88, no. 2, March/April 2009
“Do Settlements Matter: An American Perspective”, Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs, III:2 (2009)
“The Settlements Facts”, Washington Post, June 14, 2009
“Obama’s Comprehensive Approach to the Middle East”, Interview with Middle East Progress, June 5, 2009 (
“Middle East Peace Efforts Still Alive, Although Situation in Region ‘Looks Pretty Dreary’” Interview with Council on Foreign Relations, April 23, 2009 (
“Despite Paralysis in Israeli Politics, U.S. Peace Efforts Crucial” Interview with Council on Foreign Relations, February 11, 2009 (
“Where is Egypt Headed?” Foreign Policy Research Institute E-Notes, December 2008
“Crisis Guide: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict – Diplomatic Efforts, Chapter III” Council on Foreign Relations, Interactive and Multimedia Teaching Guide (
“Shortsighted Statecraft: Washington’s Muddled Middle East Policy”, Foreign Affairs, Vol. 87, no. 4, July/August 2008
“Next U.S. President Must Give Priority to Arab-Israeli Talks” Interview with Council on Foreign Relations, April 16, 2008 (
“Looking at process in the Arab-Israeli negotiations”, The Daily Star – Beirut,February 05, 2008
“Study the Past”, Bitterlemons-international.org, Edition 5, Vol. 6, January 31, 2008
“Israeli Foreign Policy: Challenges, Risks, Choices and Opportunities”, Questions international, November 2007
“How Rice Can Improve Her Odds,” with Scott Lasensky, International Herald Tribune, November 20, 2007
“Middle East Summit: A Recipe for Failure? International Herald Tribune, October 9, 2007
“The U.S. Must Get Tough in Promoting Arab-Israeli Peace Efforts”, Palestine-Israel Journal of Politics, Economics and Culture, Vol. 13, no.4 (2007)
“Multiple Interests, Few Options”, Bitterlemons-international.org, Ed. 27, Vol. 5, July 12, 2007
“Washington Reassessing its Role”, Bitterlemons-international.org, Ed. 19, Vol. 5, May 17, 2007
“An Arab Initiative That Can Work”, with Rosemary Hollis, International Herald Tribune, March 21, 2007
“Intifada III: Coming Soon to a TV Screen New You”, The American Interest, Winter (January/February 2007)
“Get Out of Iraq. Now”, International Herald Tribune, September 6, 2006
“U.S., Israel and West Should Be Ready to Deal with New Palestinian Government If Headed by Non-Hamas 'Independent'” Interview with Council on Foreign Relations, February 10, 2006 (
Papers and Lectures (selection)
“Diplomacy as an Asset of National Power,” U.S. Army War College, June 18, 2014
“Israel in a Troubled Region,” State University of New York – Stonybrook, March 30, 2014
“Middle East Peace Process,” International Institute of Strategic Studies, Washington, DC, March 19, 2014
“American Diplomacy and Arab-Israeli Peace,” Brigham Young University, January 23, 2014
“Pathways to Peace in the Middle East,” University of California Santa Barbara, October 20, 2013
“Egypt and Regional Implications,” Harvard University, October 18, 2013
“Revolutions and Change in the Middle East,” Temple Israel, Boston, October 10, 2013
“Middle East: Crises and Outcomes,” Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, London, October 1, 2013
“Egypt and Syria,” WWS ‘Up to the Minute’ September 16, 2013
“Middle East Peace: Prospects and Problems,” Carnegie Endowment, September 12, 2013
“Pathways to Peace,” George Washington University, September 11, 2013
“Development of U.S.-Egyptian Strategic Relations, “Institute for National Security Studies, Tel Aviv University, September 10, 2013
“Making Sense of the Middle East,” WWS/MPP Program, August 28, 2013
“Peace Prospects in the Middle East,” Track II Conference, Prague, August 16, 2013
“Egypt Update”, U.S. Army Foreign Affairs Officers Program, Washington, DC, August 12, 2013
“Egypt in Crisis,” Hearing before the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Washington, DC, July 25, 2013
“Diplomacy as an Instrument of National Power,” U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, June 24, 2013
“The United States and Middle East Peace,” Peres Presidential Conference, Jerusalem, June 19, 2013
“U.S.-Israel Relations,” The Knesset Caucus on U.S. Relations, Jerusalem, June 18, 2013
“Middle East Overview,” Australia Center for Strategic Studies (video-conference), May 21, 2013
“Middle East Update,” WWS, May 3, 2013
“The United States and the Middle East,” NYU, April 14, 2013
“Lessons from U.S> Diplomacy in the Middle East,” University of Maryland, April 9, 2013
“Middle East Peace Prospects,” Monmouth University, March 5, 2013
“The United States and the Peace Process,” United States Institute of Peace, Washington, DC, February 19, 2013
“Challenges of Change,” WWS, February 18, 2013
“Middle East Challenges and Opportunities,“ Jackson Hole, WY, February 6, 2013
“U.S. Policy in Transition, Wilton Park, UK, January 30, 2013
“Middle East and the United States,” Aspen Institute Congressional Briefing, Washington, DC, December 13, 2012
“Up to the Minute,” WWS, December 11, 2012
“Pathways to Middle East Peace,” Carnegie Endowment, Washington, DC, November 26, 2012
“Israeli Elections,” WWS, November 15, 2012
“Egypt in Transition,” Middle East Institute Annual Conference, Washington, DC, November 14, 2012
“Rightsizing American Diplomacy,” NES luncheon talk, November 5, 2012
“Middle East in Transition,” NYU, October 19, 2012
“Politics in Israel,” Colgate, October 17, 2013
“Is the Peace process in Danger?” Harvard, October 12. 2013
“Middle East in Transition,” WWS/MPP, August 29, 2012
“Lebanon,” United States Institute of Peace, Washington, DC, July 30, 2012
“Peace Process Lessons Learned,” Wilson Center, Washington, DC, June 28, 2012
“Diplomacy as an Instrument of National Power,” U.S> Army War College, Carlisle, June 21, 2012
“U.S. Policy toward Egypt and Israel,” U.S. Army Foreign Affairs Officers Program, Washington, DC, June 18, 2012
“Israeli Politics,” Middlebury College, April 17, 2012
“Middle East in Transition,” Michigan State University (video-conference), April 5, 2012
“Prospects for Peace in the Middle East,” San Diego State University, March 22, 2012
“Politics and Security Challenges in the Middle East, West Point, February 29, 2012
“Middle East Peace Process,” Chatham House, UK, February 24, 2012
“Is Peace Possible?” WWS, February 6, 2012
“Revolutions and Repression in the Middle East,” University of Toronto, January 25, 2012
“Madrid: twenty Years Later,” Center for Peace, Madrid, December 2, 2011
“Middle East peace Process, WWS, November 22, 2011
“The United States and the Middle East,” MEDAYS Conference, Tangier, Morocco, November 19, 2011
“Arab Spring,” Middle East Institute, Washington, DC, November 17, 2011
“The United States and the Middle East,” U.S.-Russia Consultations, National Academy of Science, Moscow, November 9, 2011
“Peace Process,” Class of ’57, Princeton University, October 27, 2011
“Prospects and Problems in the Peace Process,” University of Connecticut, October 26, 2011
“Revolutions and Change,” Yale, October 5, 2011
“The United States and Israel,” University of California Berkeley, August 30, 2011
“Middle East in Transition,” WWS/MPP Program, August 17, 2011
“Preventing Violent Conflicts,” United States Institute of Peace, Washington, DC, June 1, 2011
“Middle East Update,” WWS, May 19, 2011
“Upheaval in Egypt: What’s Next,” Smith College, March 7, 2011
“U.S. Policy in the Middle East,” Whig Society, Princeton, March 2, 2011
“Briefing on U.S. Policy in the Middle East,” Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Department of State, Washington, DC, February 23, 2011
“Change in the Middle East: Implications for U.S. Policy,” Feinberg Lecture, Whittier College, February 19, 2011
“Obama Administration and the Middle East: Challenges and Opportunities,” Le Cercle, January 13, 2011
“Israel, the Peace Process and the Middle East Periphery, “Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, February 16, 2010
“A Black Swan Hovers over the Middle East,” University of Sydney, October 13, 2010
“Lebanon Update, “ Council on Foreign Relations, September 15, 2010
“Ethical Considerations in the Formulation and Execution of National Security Policy,” University of Pennsylvania, November 18, 2009
“Middle East Peace Prospects,” Middle East Institute Annual Conference, Washington, DC, November 10, 2009
“Negotiating Arab-Israeli Peace: American Leadership in the Middle East,” University of Connecticut, Stamford Campus, October 14, 2009
“Crunch Time in the Middle East: The Obama Administration, Iran and the Arab-Israeli Peace Process,” University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, October 8, 2009
“The Obama Administration and the Peace Process,” Aspen Middle East Study Group, Washington, DC, September 22, 2009
“US-Israel Relations in the Era of Obama and Netanyahu,” Conference on U.S.-Israeli Relations co-sponsored by Yeshiva University and Bar Ilan University, New York, September 14, 2009
“Terrorists, Tyrants, Tycoons and Theocrats: American Policy Challenges in the Middle East,” Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, September 9, 2009
“American Diplomacy in the Middle East: Lessons Learned and Unlearned,” Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel, August 20, 2009
“Jerusalem and American Policy,” Center for American Progress, Washington, DC, June 3, 2009
“From Mumbai to Marrakesh: Obama’s Policy in The Near East,” Conference on Enriching the Economic Future of the Middle East, Doha, Qatar, May 5, 2009
“Iran, Israel and the U.S.: Dissecting the Triangular Relationship,” Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, April 6, 2009
“U.S.-Chinese Interests in the Broader Middle East,” James A. Baker III Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas, April 3, 2009
“Implications of the War in Gaza,” Track II Conference sponsored by UCLA and Turkish Foreign Ministry, Istanbul, Turkey, March 27, 2009
“Egypt and Israel: Thirty Years of Peace,” Institute for National Security Studies, Tel Aviv University, Israel, March 26, 2009
“Middle East Overview,” Bergedorf Stiftung, Beirut, Lebanon, March 22, 2009
“The role of America in the Arab-Israeli Peace Process, Catholic University, Washington, DC, March 18, 2009
“Iran’s Role and Power in the Region and the International System,” Liechtenstein Institute on Self-determination, Triesenberg, Liechtenstein, March 6, 2009
“No End in Sight: The Gaza Crisis and its Consequences for the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,” Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, January 22, 2009
“Where is Egypt Headed?” Foreign Policy Research Institute, Philadelphia, November 20, 2008
“Intelligence and the Needs of Policy Makers,” Intelligence Fellows Program, Wye River, Maryland, August 4, 2008
“Interplay between Security and Economics in the Middle East,” Conference on Enriching the Middle East’s Economic Future Conference, Doha, Qatar, March, 2008
“An Agreement Within A Year: The Role of the United States,” Economic Cooperation Foundation Conference, Tel Aviv, Israel, January 14, 2008
“Middle East’s Multiple Personalities,” Institute for National Security Studies, Tel Aviv University, Israel, January 10, 2008
“Middle East Challenges for the United States,” Claremont McKenna College, November 29, 2007
“Missed Opportunities in the Middle East,” Georgetown University, Washington, DC, November 6, 2007
“What Needs to be done in the Middle East,” Mount Rushmore Institute, October 16, 2007
“U.S. Interests in the Middle East,” University of Toronto and York University, Toronto, Canada, April 11, 2007
“The New – But Not Improved --Middle East: Challenges for U.S. Policy,” Kaller Lecture Tel Aviv University, Israel, March 25, 2007
“Making Peace in the Middle East,” Michigan State University, January 23, 2007
“Coping with the Expected: Israel, the Rise of Hamas and the Strategy of Disengagement,” Association for Israel Studies, May 28, 2006
“Elections in Israel and Palestine: Implications,” Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, May 9, 2006
“Hamas in Power: U.S. Policy Options,” Netanya Academic College, Netanya, Israel, April 5, 2006
“Baseball as an Expression of American Values,” National Baseball Hall of Fame
Cooperstown, N.Y. August 29, 2004
OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES
Public Policy Working Groups
- Member, Senior Working Group on the Middle East, United States Institute of Peace, 2009-2014.
- Member, Middle East Transition Team, Obama Administration, November 2008-January 2009.
- Chair, Middle East Peace Process Study Group, United States Institute of Peace, 2006-present.
- Senior Advisor, Iraq Study Group, Co-chaired by James A. Baker III and Lee Hamilton, 2006-2007.
- Commissioner, Israel Professional Baseball League, 2006-2007.
Business Boards