Barukh Binah, Consul General of Israel to the Midwest, will return to Ball State's campus to speak about "The Middle East at the Crossroads" at  3:30 p.m. Feb. 15 in the Fine Arts Building, room 217.

The event - which is free and open to the public - is sponsored by the Zeigler Advisory Committee for Jewish Studies and the Office of the Provost.

Binah last visited Ball State in April 2006 and is returning at the request of Ball State President Jo Ann M. Gora.

A member of Israel's Foreign Service since 1979, he has held various positions in diplomacy, research, policy planning and media relations.

Binah's overseas posts have included appointments as Israel's spokesman and press officer in New York, as well as assignments as Counselor for Congressional Affairs and Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs with the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C.

In 2005, Binah assumed his current position as Consul General of Israel to the Midwest, based in Chicago. He holds degrees from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Haifa University.

In addition to the lecture, Binah will attend several invitation-only functions on campus. The Council of Deans for Academic Affairs will host a luncheon for Binah and his wife at the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center. Afterwards, Binah will answer questions posed by the invited guests.

For more information, contact Francine Friedman, chair of the Zeigler Advisory Committee for Jewish Studies, at (765) 285-8788 or ffriedma@bsu.edu.