Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, spoke to an audience of 190 South Florida leaders Wednesday at a Knight Foundation-sponsored breakfast in Miami. Oren touched on a wide range of subjects including Iran, the peace talks and the ‘unique spiritual, historical and strategic fabric of the relationship between the United States and Israel.’

‘Our core purpose at Knight Foundation is to promote informed and engaged communities,’ said Knight CEO Alberto Ibargüen in’his welcome remarks. ‘So it is a matter of pride for us,’ he continued, ‘that your visit has caused this gathering to inform ourselves and engage in a discussion to better understand one of the most critical areas of the world.’

Ambassador Oren studied at Princeton and Columbia before emigrating from the U.S. to Israel in 1979. In May of 2009, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed him as Israel’s Ambassador to the United States. Oren served in the Israel Defense Forces, as a paratrooper in the 1982 Lebanon War. Years later, he served as an army spokesman in the IDF Reserves.

Oren has recently published Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East, 1776 to the Present, in which he explores the intricate relationship between the United States and Israel.