As the eyes of the world turn to the 2016 U.S. presidential election, ESRA will play a prominent role in the national political conversation when it co-hosts a Presidential Debate in Israel on Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at 7:30pm for a start time of 8:00pm. It will take place at Kehillat Raanan, 94 Pardess Meshutaf Street, Raanana. The Times of Israel and Overseas Vote Foundation will co-host with ESRA. 

Hosting a presidential debate provides a unique opportunity for Americans living in Israel to see democracy up close. What are the Republican and Democratic parties' platforms regarding issues that impact us - Israel, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, USA and Israeli relationship, FATCA, FBAR, and the global economy.

We have a dynamic duo of debaters who are very experienced and will enlighten you.

Speaking for the Republican party is Marc Zell from Republican Overseas, Co-chair of Republicans Overseas Israel and Vice President of Republicans Overseas International. He was born in Washington and is currently based in Israel.

Zell speaks eight languages: English, Hebrew, French, German, Italian, Russian, Dutch and Yiddish. As an attorney, his areas of professional concentration are corporate law and finance, securities law, intellectual property law and high-tech, internet and computer law, government procurement law and competition law.

Sheldon Schorer represents Democrats Abroad He is an attorney who practices in Israel and New York and is the counsel and spokesperson of the Israeli branch of the American Democratic Party. He has served Democrats Abroad in Israel since 1988 in the capacities of Counsel and Chairman, and has served the Democratic Party Committee Abroad as its International Counsel.

Haviv Gur will be our moderator for the evening. Mr. Gur is an Israeli journalist who serves as the political correspondent and analyst for The Times of Israel. From 2010 to 2012, he served as the Director of Communications for the Jewish Agency. Before that, he was the Jewish world correspondent for The Jerusalem Post.

He was born in Jerusalem to American-born parents. He lived in the United States from 1989 to 1999, returning to Israel in 1999 to serve in the Israel Defense Forces as a combat medic. Upon completing his military service, Gur studied history and Jewish thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

M.C for the event will be Steve Kramer.

Steve Kramer and his family moved from New Jersey to Israel in 1991 and settled in Alfe Menashe the following year. Steve has been an opinion journalist for 20 years; he has written about 1,000 articles on Israel's politics, history and geography. He blogs at Israelseen.com and elsewhere.
An inveterate exerciser, Steve tries to be a good example of fitness to his peers. For the last decade, Steve has been a volunteer for ESRA and the Forgotten People Fund of Netanya.

For your voting questions, you can reach ESRA member, Andee Goldman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or for your Absentee Ballot Request go to https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org. Since 2008, Andee Goldman has helped Americans living in Israel to vote. She is an active volunteer for Overseas Vote Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan public charity incorporated in Delaware.

Don't miss out on this timely event which has limited seating. Contact ESRA office for registration 09 748 2957.