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Former Special Council to President Clinton, Lanny J. Davis, Joins The Israel Project as Senior Advisor and Spokesperson
Is Available Immediately for Interviews on Israel/Gaza and More
Other experts available for comment on the Middle East
For those reporting on events in Gaza:
Facts Update: Israel and the Situation in Gaza
UN “Impartiality” in Gaza (courtesy of Jewish Virtual Library)
The NGO front in the Gaza war: Human Rights Watch (courtesy of NGO Monitor)
 Former Special Counsel to President Bill Clinton Lanny J. Davis has joined The Israel Project on a voluntary basis as Senior Advisor and Spokesperson.
According to Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, founder & president of The Israel Project, “Lanny J. Davis has a passion for Middle East peace and security and we are delighted to have him join our team.” Mr. Davis, who will be available to appear on U.S. and international TV, radio, print and Internet outlets on short notice if necessary, will be speaking independently only for himself, as a private citizen, and, like The Israel Project, does not speak on behalf of the Israeli government nor is he (or they) under any instruction or influence by the Israeli government.
"What is needed more than anything in this tragic situation for civilians on both sides is the truth," Mr. Davis said. "The public around the world must have all the facts as to why Israel has been forced to defend itself from terrorist attacks of rockets from Hamas, even while doing its utmost to avoid killing any civilians. They must know that Hamas rockets are continually launched with the intention of killing Israeli innocent civilians. It is undisputed that these rockets have been launched from schools, hospitals and apartment houses, and that Hamas is intentionally using innocent civilians as shields against their terrorist assaults – which, itself, is a war crime.
"I hope to assist The Israel Project in getting all the facts out as soon as possible – to help correct misinformation and misstatements in the media as quickly as possible on TV, radio, in print media and the Internet."
Mr. Davis was Special Counsel to President Clinton from 1996 – 1998 and was spokesperson for the President on matters concerning the campaign finance investigations and other legal issues. Mr. Davis was a member of President Bush's five-member Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board from 2006 - 2007, overseeing classified counter-terrorism programs. Now a Washington, D.C. attorney, Mr. Davis is also a weekly columnist and frequent political analyst on major broadcast and TV cable shows, including NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN and Fox News Channel, and is and op-ed contributor to The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and leading blog sites such as The Huffington Post, TheHill.com and FoxNews.com. Mr. Davis is the author of several books on national politics and media coverage, including a Clinton White House memoir, Truth to Tell: Notes From My White House Education (The Free Press, 1999) and Scandal: How “Gotcha” Politics Is Destroying America (Palgrave Macmillan, 2006).
Mr. Davis came to Washington, D.C. in 1970 after graduating from Yale Law School where he won the prestigious Thurmon Arnold Moot Court prize and served on the Yale Law Journal. A graduate of Yale College, Mr. Davis served as Chairman of the Yale Daily News.
Mr. Davis started as an associate at Patton Boggs in 1975 and became a partner in 1978. He has been featured in articles published in USA Today, Forbes and Fortune magazines, and numerous national and local newspapers concerning his strategic and public policy communications expertise.
To contact Lanny Davis: call Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, Founder and President, The Israel Project at 202-365-0787 (cell) or email jenniferm@theisraelproject.org; or Erin Carr at 202-857-6644 (office), 202-316-4585 (cell) or erinc@theisraelproject.org; or email Mr. Davis lannyjdavis@yahoo.com.
Other experts available for comment
Below please find contact information and bios of individuals who can speak on the following issues:
- Israel's efforts to defend its citizens
- Iran-backed Hamas
- Situation in Gaza and Southern Israel
- Steps to curb the threat of Iran to the world
Israeli-Palestinian peace process and U.S. involvement
Jennifer Laslzo Mizrahi, Founder and President, The Israel Project
To contact: 202-365-0787 (cell) or jenniferm@theisraelproject.org or
Erin Carr at 202-857-6644 (office), 202-316-4585 (cell) or erinc@theisraelproject.org
 Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, an American peace and security activist, is the founder and president of The Israel Project (TIP), an international non-profit organization devoted to educating the press and the public about the Middle East. Mizrahi meets regularly with top Israeli leaders such as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, President Shimon Peres, former Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and Ambassador Sallai Meridor. Mizrahi previously served as a foreign affairs legislative assistant to the U.S. Congress. Mizrahi has worked on projects with the White House, President Clinton, Vice President Gore and dozens of U.S. senators. Mizrahi has been interviewed on "One on One with John McLaughlin," CNN, CNBC, FOX, MSNBC and C-SPAN. The Forward newspaper has twice listed Mizrahi in its "Forward 50" most influential Jews in America.
Meagan Buren, The Israel Project
To contact: 202-230-7389 or meaganb@theisraelproject.org or
Erin Carr at 202-857-6644 (office), 202-316-4585 (cell) or erinc@theisraelproject.org
 Meagan Buren, an American peace and security activist, is research and training director at The Israel Project (TIP), an international non-profit organization devoted to educating the press and the public about the Middle East. Buren meets regularly with Israeli and American leaders and experts working on security and peace. She is an expert on public opinion in the United States and Europe about issues that affect Iran and its proxies Hamas and Hezbollah as well as the peace process. She has lived and studied in Israel and visited earlier this year, where she traveled to Sderot and met with residents living under constant rocket attacks as well as top politicians, diplomats and think-tanks.
Laura Kam, The Israel Project
To contact: 202-374-9717 or laurak@theisraelproject.org or
Erin Carr at 202-857-6644 (office), 202-316-4585 (cell) or erinc@theisraelproject.org
 Laura Kam, an American/Israeli peace and security activist, is senior advisor at The Israel Project (TIP), an international non-profit organization devoted to educating the press and the public about the Middle East. Kam, an Israeli American, meets regularly with top politicians, diplomats and think-tanks across Europe, the United Kingdom, Israel and the United States. A dynamic speaker and innovator, she is an expert on Israel-related issues and threats facing the nation. Kam will be returning to Israel this summer as her son prepares to enter the Israel Defense Forces. Prior to joining TIP, Kam worked for the Anti-Defamation League for 17 years, including as co-director of the ADL's Israel office, where she regularly met with leading Israeli and Middle East officials and policymakers. Kam has expertise on Iran and international terrorism, and has worked as a press officer at the Israeli Consulate in New York.
Mark Regev, Prime Minister of Israel's International Media Advisor
To contact: 011-972-50-620-3264 or Gali.Cohen@it.pmo.gov.il
 Mark Regev currently serves as Prime Minister Olmert's international media advisor. Since 1991, Regev served in various positions at the Foreign Ministry, including Deputy Chief of Mission at the Consulate General in Hong Kong, Spokesman at the Embassy in Beijing and at the Jordan Division at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Jerusalem.
Prior to joining the Foreign Ministry, Regev taught International Relations and Strategy at the Israel Defense Forces' Staff College.
Regev received his bachelor's degree in history and political science at Melbourne University in Australia. Regev holds a mMaster's degree in political science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as well as a master's of science in management from Boston University.
Col. (res.) Miri Eisin
To contact: 011-972-50-552-0646
 Miri Eisin, one of the few female colonels in the IDF, has had a long and distinguished career in the military. She has served in various branches of intelligence in field posts, in the production department and as the assistant to the Director of Military Intelligence.
From April - May 2002, Col. Eisin was assigned as a special spokesperson of the Israeli government during Operation Defensive Shield. For the last two years, she has been at the forefront of presenting Israel’s case to the media, appearing on national and international news stations worldwide. She also participated in the Prime Minister’s mission to Washington following Operation Defensive Shield in May 2002.
Col. Eisin holds a BA from Tel Aviv University in Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies and a MA in Security Studies from Haifa University. She is also a graduate of the Israeli National Defense College and the Staff College.
H.E. Danny Gillerman, Israel's former ambassador to the UN and Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Interim Public Diplomacy Director - Operation Cast Lead
To contact: 011-972-50-688-8777
 The Israeli Mission has, on Amb. Gillerman's watch, had very impressive achievements, culminating in November 2005 when Amb. Gillerman became the first Israeli representative to successfully introduce a resolution to the United Nations General Assembly. In a unanimous decision, the General Assembly designated January 27 as an annual international Holocaust Remembrance day.
Amb. Gillerman's appointment as Israel's ambassador to the United Nations on January 1, 2003 marked the first time that Israel had appointed someone from the private sector to this post.
Ambassador Jeremy Issacharoff, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C.
To contact: 202-364-5578 (office), 202-276-3300 (cell) or dcm@israelemb.org
 2005: Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission to Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C.
2003: Asked by United Nation's Secretary-General to serve on his Advisory Board for Disarmament Affairs, consisting of experts in the realm of arms control and disarmament from approximately twenty countries.
2001: Deputy Director-General For Strategic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Overall responsibility for arms control, non-proliferation, counterrrorism, export controls and regional security.
FULL BIO: http://www.israelemb.org/bios/Jeremy_Issacharoff.htm
H.E. Sallai Meridor, Israel's Ambassador to the United States
Contact through Chief of Staff Lior Weintraub at 202-679-1248 (cell) or Emb-mng@washington.mfa.gov.il
 Before becoming Israel’s ambassador to the United States in late 2006, Ambassador Sallai Meridor served as Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel and the World Zionist Organization (WZO) from 1999-2005. Prior to this, Mr. Meridor served as treasurer of the Jewish Agency and the WZO and as head of the Settlement Division of the WZO.
Prior to his work with the Jewish Agency, Mr. Meridor served as an advisor to the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel. In his governmental service, he was involved in the designing of Israel's foreign and defense policies, played a role in the peace process leading to the Madrid Peace Conference, participated in the negotiations that followed as the representative of the Ministry of Defense, and led Israel's Inter-Agency Steering Committee on Arms Control.
Born and educated in Jerusalem Mr. Meridor earned a B.A. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He served as an intelligence officer in the Israel Defense Forces. He is married and has three daughters.
FULL BIO: http://www.israelemb.org/bios/Sallai-Meridor/Sallai-Meridor.html
Amb. Reda Mansour, Israel's Consul General to the Southeastern United States
Contact through Michael Printy Arthur at 404-487-6511 or media@atlanta.mfa.gov.il
 Ambassador Reda Mansour was appointed in August, 2006 to serve as the Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern United States. Prior to this post he served as the Ambassador of Israel to Ecuador, Deputy Ambassador in the Israeli Embassy to Portugal, and Deputy Consul General of Israel to the U.S Pacific Northwest based in San Francisco. Ambassador Mansour is a long time activist in the promotion of dialogue between Arabs and Jews in Israel. In this realm, he served on the board of several civic associations, taking part in many projects aimed at the promotion of co-existence through cultural and religious dialogue.
FULL BIO: http://redamansour.wordpress.com/about/
H.E. Gabriela Shalev, Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations
Contact through spokeswoman Mirit Cohen at 917-488-8820 (cell) or miritc@newyork.mfa.gov.il
 Ambassador Gabriela Shalev is Israel's 14th Permanent Representative to the United Nations. She began her tenure on Sept. 3, 2008, marking the first time a woman was appointed to this post. Ambassador Shalev is a leading expert in Israel in the fields of contract law and procurement contracts. Until her early retirement in 2002, she was a full professor of contract law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and wrote nine books and more than 100 articles about contract law. She was formerly the President of the Academic Council and Rector of Ono Academic College in Israel. Amb. Shalev was also a visiting law professor at universities in the U.S., Europe and Canada, including Harvard Law School, Temple University and Boston College. She has received numerous awards and has served on several prestigious boards.
Maj. Avital Leibovitz, head of IDF International Media Branch
To contact: 011-972-03-608-0238 (office)
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The Israel Project is an international non-profit organization devoted to educating the press and the public about Israel while promoting security, freedom and peace. The Israel Project provides journalists, leaders and opinion-makers accurate information about Israel. The Israel Project is not related to any government or government agency. The Israel Project authorizes and welcomes use of any part or all of this release/statement free of charge and without attribution.
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