31, sworn in as a Member of Israel's 20th Knesset, serving on its Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. On August 1, 2016, it was announced that Oren would be appointed as deputy minister in the Prime Minister's office in charge of public diplomacy. Oren decided to forgo running in the elections for Israel's 21st Knesset. Legislation Oren supported the creation of a new Israeli national holiday, Yom HaAliyah (, Aliyah Day) to be celebrated annually on the tenth of the Hebrew month of Nisan (). On 21 June 2016 the Knesset voted in favor of adding Yom HaAliyah to the national calendar. The Yom HaAliyah bill was co-sponsored by Knesset members from different parties in a rare instance of cooperation across the political spectrum. The day chosen for Yom HaAliyah is, according to the biblical narrative, the day Joshua and the Israelites crossed the Jordan River at Gilgal into the Promised Land. It was thus the first documented "mass Aliyah". Published work Swann's War. Dzanc Press (2022) Sand Devil. Toby Press (2000) . Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East. Presidio Press (2002) . Reunion. New York: Plume. (2003) . Power, Faith and Fantasy: The United States in the Middle East, 1776 to 2006. New York: W.W. Norton & Co. (2007) . New Essays on Zionism. Shalem Press. (2007) (editor, with David Hazony and Yoram Hazony). The Origins of the Second Arab-Israeli War. Routledge (2013) . Ally: My Journey Across the American-Israeli Divide. Random House (2015) . The Night Archer and Other Stories. Wicked Son (2020) To All Who Call in Truth. Wicked Son (2021) Swann's War. Dzanc Press (2022) References External links Official website of Michael Oren Ambassador Michael B. Oren Profile feature at New York Times Interview at Uncommon Knowledge (June 23, 2003) Interview at USA Today (May 28, 2005) Article at The Harvard Crimson Feature at The Yale Daily News Program for Jewish Civilization at Georgetown University 1955 births Ambassadors of Israel to the United States American Conservative Jews American emigrants to Israel American essayists American political writers American Zionists Harvard University faculty Academic staff of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Historians of the Middle East Israeli Conservative Jews Israeli essayists Israeli historians Israeli male writers Israeli political writers Israeli soldiers Jewish American historians Jewish American novelists Living people Members of the 20th Knesset (2015–2019) Naturalized citizens of Israel People