Josef Olmert is a Middle East scholar, former Israeli peace negotiator, political insider, published journalist and author, as well as a seasoned public speaker. He is an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina (USC). Josef was a member of the Israeli delegation for talks with Syria in the Madrid Peace Conference and subsequent Washington, DC negotiations. In 1999, he served as policy advisor to the then Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Arens. Josef holds a PhD from the London School of Economics in Middle East History. He is a son of former Knesset member Mordechai Olmert and a brother of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. As an avid football fan, Josef supports Beitar Jerusalem in Israel and Arsenal in the English Premier League.