Shai Tamari was born and raised in Jerusalem and specializes in the history and politics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  He served in the Israeli army between 1994 and 1997, earned his Bachelor's degree in Journalism from the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, in 2004, and earned a Master's in Near and Middle Eastern Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, in 2006.  He is currently a Rotary World Peace Fellow at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, completing a Master's in History, along with Arabic and Conflict Resolution.  He has spoken extensively across the US on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Following his graduation this May, he will begin an intensive summer program in Arabic, as a recipient of the Kathryn Davis Fellowship for Peace.