Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren has offered to return to the University of California, Irvine, and meet with students who last month heckled him and called him a murderer during a lecture on the Middle East.
 

In an open letter to the students published on the campus’ newspaper Web site Monday, Oren offered to meet with the students and exchange views.
 

"I was saddened by the loss of this opportunity to exchange ideas with those who disagreed with me and, at the very least, to introduce them to different perspectives," he wrote.

He added that the incident underscored the importance of dialogue and understanding and stressed that the only way to achieve peace in the Middle East is through dialogue, but emphasized the importance of observing the decorum of free speech and hearing others.
 

At his lecture last month, Oren was constantly interrupted by pro-Palestinians who called him a murderer and war criminal, leading to the arrest of eleven students who were charged with disrupting the event even after they were asked to stop.
 

Following the incident, University President Mark Yudof and campus Chancellor Michale Drake apologized for the students’ behavior.

(AP contributed to this report)