Why is the Trump administration possibly rolling out the “Deal of the Century” for Israel and the Palestinians now? What’s Netanyahu like in-person, and what did someone who spent dozens of hours with Netanyahu learn about his leadership style? How would the US-Israel relationship change if Israel were to apply sovereignty over large swaths of the West Bank? What was Shapiro's view on the Iran deal? Would he recommend we go back into it under a new president? Finally, what skill is most essential for diplomats?

In this timely interview with Amb. Dan Shapiro, we address these questions and many more. Dan Shapiro served as the United States Ambassador to Israel from 2011-2017, and before that was the senior director for the Middle East and North Africa on the National Security Council. Shapiro was a senior advisor on foreign policy issues and the Jewish outreach coordinator on the 2008 Obama presidential campaign. He is currently a distinguished visiting fellow at Israel’s premier defense think tank, the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv, Israel, and a principal at the geopolitical consultancy firm WestExec Advisors. Shapiro has also worked in senior advisory roles in Congress and holds an M.A. from Harvard.

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Article that Amb. Shapiro wrote in the “Forward” on considering alternatives to Two-States: https://forward.com/opinion/403476/how-to-keep-the-two-state-solution-alive-when-no-one-cares/

Favorite podcast: “The Axe Files” (Specifically the Charles Barkley episode)

Most insightful person to follow on social media: Tamara Cofman Wittes

A book that has most shaped Shapiro’s thinking: “Letters to my Palestinian Neighbor” — Yossi Klein Halevi