From Apartheid to Democracy

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The Middle East Policy Forum is pleased to host Michael Omer-Man and Sarah Leah Whitson, authors of From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Israel-Palestine. A decisive break from the failed Oslo Accords, From Apartheid to Democracy outlines an innovative plan to create the foundations for peace and self-determination in Israel-Palestine. The research and advocacy organization DAWN is co-sponsoring the event. 

The authors write that the illusion of a two-state solution under the auspices of the Oslo Accords has allowed Israel to maintain a one-state reality of permanent occupation and apartheid.

Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man and Sarah Leah Whitson challenge this approach, presenting a road map to create a rights-respecting regime for everyone now living under Israeli control. Only once basic safety and legal equality are assured can Jewish Israelis and Palestinians determine their futures—in one, two, or more states if they choose—through an inclusive, democratic process. Breaking with the failures of the past, the plan presented here makes clear that ongoing violations of basic human rights must end before issues of governance can be equitably addressed.

All are invited to hear from authors Michael Omer-Man and Sarah Leah Whitson in this event moderated by Elliott School Professor Nathan Brown. This event is open to the general public and media. For those who are interested in purchasing From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Israel-Palestine, copies will be available for sale at the event.

Speakers:

• Michael Omer-Man is the Director of Israel-Palestine at DAWN. He is an expert on politics and society in the region, with a focus on Israel's policies of occupation and annexation, its civil and human rights record, and the influence of the US-Israel relationship over those areas. Prior to joining DAWN, Michael worked as a journalist in Israel-Palestine for more than 10 years. He served as the editor-in-chief of +972 Magazine for seven years and before that worked as an editor at The Jerusalem Post. In these roles, he closely covered Israeli and Palestinian grassroots movements and civil society campaigns, legislative trends, public opinion, as well as diplomatic and other efforts to strengthen accountability for Israeli abuses and the rule of law. Additionally, he created and produced two successful podcasts. He is regularly interviewed on these topics, and his analyses and reporting have been quoted by the BBC, Al Jazeera, Haaretz, The Daily Beast, NPR, and others. Omer-Man's book with Sarah Leah Whitson, "From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Peace in Israel-Palestine," was published in September 2025 by University of California Press.

   

• Sarah Leah Whitson is a lawyer and author with a focus on human rights, humanitarian law, and U.S. foreign policy. She served as executive director of DAWN, an organization that seeks to reform U.S. policy in the Middle East, from 2020 - 2026 and as executive director of Human Rights Watch's Middle East and North Africa Division from 2004 – 2020, overseeing the work of the division in 19 countries. She currently serves on the boards of the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians, the Artistic Freedom Initiative, ALQST for Human Rights, Action for Hope, the International Observatory for Democracy in Armenia, and the Armenian Bar Association, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Whitson has led dozens of advocacy and investigative missions in the MENA region, focusing on issues of armed conflict, human rights, accountability, and legal and policy reform. She has published widely in international and regional media, including The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, The Los Angeles Times, American Prospect, and CNN and appears regularly as a commentator in global media. Whitson’s book with Michael Omer-Man, “From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Peace in Israel-Palestine,” was published in September 2025 by University of California Press. Previously, Whitson worked in New York for Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley and Harvard Law School and is fluent in English, Arabic and Armenian.

• Dr. Nathan Brown received his B.A. in political science from the University of Chicago and his M.A. and Ph.D. in politics and Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University. He teaches courses on Middle Eastern politics as well as more general courses on comparative politics and international relations. He received the Oscar and Shoshana Trachtenberg Award for Scholarship from George Washington University in 2015 and the Harry Harding teaching award from the Elliott School of International Affairs in 2014. His dissertation received the Malcolm Kerr award from the Middle East Studies Association in 1987. In 2013-2015, Dr. Brown was president of the Middle East Studies Association, the academic association for scholars studying the region. In 2013, he was named a Guggenheim Fellow; four years earlier, he was named a Carnegie Scholar by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For the 2009–2010 academic year, he was a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.  His previous research was funded by the United States Institute of Peace and two Fulbright fellowships. In addition to his academic work, Brown serves on the board of trustees at the American University in Cairo. He is also nonresident senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.  He has previously served as an advisor for the committee drafting the Palestinian constitution, USAID, the United Nations Development Program, and several NGOs. Education.