The Rockland Public Library will host veteran diplomat Norman Olsen on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, at 6 p.m., for a Camden Conference community event examining the shifting prospects for Middle East peace. Drawing on 34 years of personal experience in the region, Olsen will share insights from his distinguished 26-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service, including nine years serving in Israel and the Gaza Strip during pivotal moments in Israeli-Palestinian relations.

This is an in-person and virtual event. To receive the Zoom link, please email elewis@rocklandmaine.gov

A Cape Elizabeth native, Olsen's firsthand observations span critical historical periods including the First and Second Intifadas, the Madrid talks, the secret Oslo negotiations, the establishment of the Palestinian Authority, and the 2006 Hamas electoral victory. His reporting as a Gaza reporting officer and USAID representative earned him a National Human Intelligence Reporting Award from the U.S. intelligence community.

During his second tour as chief of the embassy political section, Olsen witnessed the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the efforts of Quartet negotiator James Wolfensohn, and the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war. Since retiring as a Senior Foreign Service Officer in 2008, he has remained actively engaged in Israeli and Palestinian affairs from his home in Cherryfield, Maine.

Norman Olsen's presentation is hosted by the Rockland Public Library as a free community event in anticipation of the 2026 Camden Conference, Today's Middle East: Power, Politics and Players, February 20-22, live at the Camden Opera House and livestreamed to the Strand Theatre in Rockland and Lunt Auditorium in Falmouth, and to homes and classrooms worldwide. For more information about the Camden Conference and upcoming events, visit www.camdenconference.org.