Veteran Israeli Senior Security Specialist Zohar Palti Joins the Institute
Washington, DC, -- Zohar Palti, who recently retired as the head of the Policy and Political-Military Bureau at Israel’s Ministry of Defense, has joined The Washington Institute for Near East Policy as its International Fellow, the research organization announced today.
“Zohar brings to the Institute a lifetime of experience at the top of Israel’s military and security establishment,” said Institute Executive Director Robert Satloff, the Howard P. Berkowitz Chair in U.S. Middle East Policy. “His knowledge and expertise are priceless; they will greatly enhance the Institute’s work on Israeli and broader Middle East security issues."
Palti began his career in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), eventually serving as deputy head of the Intelligence Corps’ Research Division. He then joined Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, the Mossad, rising to serve as head of its intelligence directorate. Most recently, Palti led the Policy and Political-Military Affairs Bureau at Israel’s Defense Ministry, whose responsibilities include directing defense and security relationships with foreign countries.
In addition to his roles in Israeli military and intelligence, he held several research positions, including senior research fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center and, in 2004, a visiting military fellow with The Washington Institute.
Palti holds a BA and an Executive MA in Middle Eastern studies from Tel Aviv University, with distinction. He is a graduate of the U.S. National Defense University’s advanced management program.
Upon his retirement earlier this spring, Palti was awarded the U.S. Department of Defense medal for Distinguished Public Service “for his major contribution to bolstering U.S.-Israel strategic defense relations.”
Media Contact: Anna Brown, 202-230-9550, email.
About The Washington Institute: The Institute is an independent, nonpartisan research institution funded exclusively by U.S. citizens that seeks to advance a balanced and realistic understanding of American interests in the Middle East and to promote the policies that secure them. Drawing on the research of its fellows and the experience of its policy practitioners, the Institute promotes informed debate and scholarly research on U.S. policy in the region.