Ravit Baer, Israel deputy consul General for the Pacific Northwest, will speak on “Israel: A Strategic Update” at Congregation Bet Haverim, 1715 Anderson Rd., Davis on Sunday at 3 p.m. in the CBH Social Hall.
The talk is free and open to the public. A question and answer period will follow Baer’s talk, and refreshments will be served.
Baer is scheduled to discuss how Israel remains on the cutting edge of virtually every scientific field from medicine to agriculture to nanocomputers, and shares its technology and expertise with governments, research institutions, and universities around the world — noting that at UC-Davis alone, more than 200 faculty members currently and in recent years have had research and other connections to Israeli faculty and institutions.
Baer has said: “We value the relationships built on innovation, research, and the exchange of ideas, and we look forward to continued and increased partnerships between our faculties in the future.”
Baer will also discuss how Israel deals with the daily Iranian threats to destroy Israel, the Hezbollah and Hamas missile arsenals on Israel’s northern and southern borders, and the current threat from Syria. She will also touch on the myriad of internal issues the country faces. Baer will particularly discuss how the recent American decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move our Embassy there was applauded by Israelis and how those decisions affect the peace process.
Holding law degrees from Hebrew University, Baer is a member of the Israeli Bar Association, and began her professional career as a legal advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office (2003).
She joined the Israeli Foreign Service in 2004, serving as the Deputy Head of Mission to the Israeli Embassy in the Ivory Coast (2005-2007) and to Cyprus (2007-2010). From 2010 to 2015, Ms Baer served at the Department for Multilateral European Organization at the Europe Division. In that position, she was responsible for coordinating Israel’s cooperation with the European Union and NATO.
She assumed the role of Deputy Consul General for the Pacific Northwest in August 2015.
The program is sponsored by the CBH Israel Matters Committee. Its Chairman George Rooks, says that “We are extremely honored to have such a distinguished and dynamic speaker and look forward to her many insights.”