Shimon Shamir (Ph.D. Princeton 1960) is Professor Emeritus of Modern Middle Eastern History at Tel Aviv University. The subjects of his research and publications are found in the following areas: the Ottoman period in the history of Syria and the Land of Israel, the modern history of Egypt and its relations with Israel, the history and thoughts of intellectuals in the Arab and Muslim world, the diplomacy of Israel-Jordan relations, Palestinian society and the Israeli-Arab conflict. Positions at the university: Head of the Department of Middle East and African History, Head of the Shiloh Institute for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (later Dayan Center), Head of the School of History, Member of the Senate Steering Committee, Head of the Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Studies, and Head of the University Institute for Diplomacy and Regional Cooperation Appointments abroad: visiting professor at Harvard, Pennsylvania, Cornell and UCLA universities; distinguished fellow at the United States Peace Institute. Public positions: Member of the Council for Higher Education; Head of the Israeli Academic Center in Cairo; Ambassador to Egypt; First Ambassador to Jordan; Member of the state investigation committee to investigate the clashes between the security forces and Israeli citizen