Deborah Housen-CourielDirector, Wexner Israel Fellowship Program
Deborah Housen-Couriel made aliyah in 1982, after completing her university studies. She has been a member of the Israeli Bar since 1987. She served for 12 years in the Legal Bureau and the Bureau of the Director-General in the Ministry of Communications. A specialist in international law, she served as legal adviser for delegations to the World Trade Organization, the International Telecommunication Union, the negotiations on the Oslo Accords, and those for the peace treaty with Jordan. Ms. Housen-Couriel has taught courses at several law faculties in Israel and has published research on a variety of legal and public policy issues, as well as media articles on current issues of Israeli public policy. Throughout 2006 she worked at the Reut Institute, heading up the team responsible for Middle East regional issues.
Ms. Housen-Couriel received her B.A. in History and Anthropology summa cum laude from Wellesley College and the Ecole de Sciences Politiques in Paris; her LL.B. and LL.M. (cum laude) from Hebrew University; and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government as a Wexner Israel Fellow (Class XII).
Ms. Housen-Couriel, her husband Lior and their four children Romy, Noam, Yair and Ely live in Tsur Hadassah, south of Jerusalem. They are active members of Kehillat Tsur Hadassah for Progressive Judaism.