President Shimon Peres
President Shimon PeresFlash 90

Internationally renowned physicist Stephen Hawking is scheduled to visit Israel this summer for a second time.

His first trip to the Jewish State came at the invitation of the British Embassy, and included a tour of the region during which he spoke with local academics and scientists.

Although completely disabled by ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), the British theoretical physicist is expected to participate in the Fifth Annual Presidential Conference, ‘Facing Tomorrow.’

Hawking’s groundbreaking work in cosmology and theoretical physics has made him an icon in the world of scientific culture, particularly for his ability to make science understandable to the “average Joe.’

He is the author of such books as “A Brief History of Time,” which simplifies concepts such as the complex theory of general relativity, the Big Bang and black holes.

The conference, initiated in 2008 by President Shimon Peres, brings together global leaders, policy makers, scientists and philosophers.

Topics for discussion range the spectrum, and have in the past been addressed by such luminaries as Google founder Sergei Brin, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachov.