Natan Sharansky in Conversation: Russia, Israel, and the World Beyond at Roosevelt House

Natan Sharansky (b Ukraine 1948) earned his degree in computer science from the Physical Technical Institute in Moscow.  After graduating he applied for a visa to emigrate to Israel which was denied for security reasons.  Sharansky became active in with the struggle to allow Soviet Jews freedom to exit Russia and simultaneously became a founding member of Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG).  The MHG was an organization joining dissidents representing various social issues.  Sharansky was charged in Russia in 1977 with collaborating with the CIA.   Despite US denials of any ties between Sharanksy & the CIA, he was convicted and sentence to 13 years in the gulag with hard labor & solitary confinements.  After serving nine years in prison Sharansky emigrated to Israel and reunited with his wife and children.  In Israel, Sharansky became an Israeli politician serving as Deputy Prime Minister.  He published his memoir of his life in prison and is now head of the Jewish Agency which facilitates Jews from all over the world to immigrate to Israel.  Sharansky has received both the US Pres. Medal of Freedom & Congressional Gold Medal.  The most notable comments made by Sharansky:
1.  The time he served in prison was the easiest part of life.  He never gave up his integrity.  Being out in the world, doing what is right and doing enough to fulfill one's obligations is what's most difficult.
2.  Israeli politics is challenging because too many politicians are unwilling to compromise.  Also, with the mass int'l immigration, language barriers are becoming an issue.
3. A peace accord would have been attained had Syrian President Assad not been so greedy.  Israel had been willing to release the Golan Heights.  In retrospect, it's fortunate for Israel not to have given up this territory.  It would have made Israel too vulnerable to a nuclear armed Iran.
4. Obama should have held firm on his threat of force against Assad should he use chemical weapons on his own Syrian people.
5. The Jewish Agency has facilitated 3.5 million Jews to move & integrate into Israel.
6. Putin is the 1st non-anti-Semitic Russian leader.  He's made it easy for the Jews in Russia to leave. (It could be argued he is anti-Semite by purging (albeit peacefully) Russia of its Jewish population.
7. There's hope in finding a peace accord with Mubarak, Gadaffi, Assad (all dictators) but Netanyahu is currently the biggest obstacle.  The major terrorist threats stem from Russia, Iran, Syria and Hezbollah.