Barak Ben-Zur is a visiting fellow at The Washington Institute, specializing in strategic intelligence analysis, counterterrorism, and special operations.
A colonel in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Dr. Ben-Zur served the military intelligence branch from 1991 to 1994 as head of the terrorism section. From 1994 to 1996, he was chief instructor in Israel's National Security College.
In 1996, Dr. Ben-Zur joined the Israel Security Agency (ISA, formerly known as "Shin Bet") as head of the research division, and later, special assistant to the director. In these capacities, he was responsible for intelligence analysis and net assessment of Palestinian and other terror threats to the state of Israel. He served in the ISA until 2006.
Currently, Dr. Ben-Zur is an advisor to Ness Technologies and a lecturer at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzilya, Israel.
Dr. Ben-Zur has a bachelor's degree in Middle East Studies and Arabic from Tel Aviv University, a master's degree in political science, and a doctoral degree in international relations, the latter two from Haifa University.
