The Jefferson Literary and Debating Society welcomes you to a Rotunda conversation with Salam Fayyad, former prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, economist, and Princeton University professor. The discussion is moderated by the Miller Center’s Mara Rudman. Rudman is a James R. Schlesinger Distinguished Professor and Project Director Ripples of Hope and worked closely with Dr. Fayyad and his team during President Obama’s first term. 

Dr. Fayyad was appointed prime minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in June 2007, a position he held until he stepped down in June 2013. Previously he served as PA Finance Minister from June 2002- December 2005. In January 2006 he ran and was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council as part of a slate of candidates, and chaired the PLC Finance Committee, until he was again appointed as Finance Minister in a national unity government in March 2007. Dr. Fayyad’s tenure spanned the administrations of President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama; both administrations had strong relationships with him. Currently, Dr. Fayyad is a Visiting Senior Scholar and Lecturer in Public Policy and Daniella Lipper Coules ’95 Distinguished Visitor in Foreign Affairs at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. He is also a Distinguished Statesman with the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security and a Distinguished Fellow at the Brookings Institution. Dr. Fayyad holds a BSc from the American University of Beirut, an MBA from St. Edward's University, and a PhD in economics from the University of Texas at Austin.

This conversation was recorded and edited by Spectrum Integrators.