ELNET International Policy Conference 2019

“Facing security challenges: European and Israeli perspectives”

Join us on November 9-11 in Paris

ELNET’s Second International Policy Conference is a unique opportunity to engage with key opinion leaders and policymakers on the critical issues facing Israel, Europe and the global Jewish community. As the conference nears, we are delighted to announce some of the topics and leading figures who will join us for this unique event on November 9-11 in Paris.

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Don’t miss your chance to join us for what will surely be a groundbreaking event! Register now for the Second ELNET’s Policy Conference in Paris.

2019 KEYNOTES:

Prof. Uzi Arad, ISRAEL

Chair, Technion's Grand Strategy Forum; former National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister

Prof. Uzi Arad is Senior Fellow at the Yuval Ne'eman Workshop for Science, Technology and Security at Tel Aviv University and chairs the Technion's Grand Strategy Forum. He was a Visiting Fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution. Before that, he had served for 30 years with Israel's government. He was national security advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and head of Israel’s National Security Council. During Netanyahu’s first term as Prime Minister, Prof. Arad was his foreign policy advisor. Prior to that, he served with Mossad, holding senior positions in Israel and abroad, the last of which was the director of the Intelligence Division.

MP Aurore Bergé, FRANCE

President, Friendship Group France-Israel, French National Assembly

Before becoming an MP, Aurore Bergé was working in the private sector. She is a permanent member of the Committee on Cultural Affairs and Education, the Chair of the French-Israeli Friendship group, as well as the co-President of the Film and Audiovisual Production Group. Besides that, she is also a member of the Study Group on Republic and Religions and on the Digital Economy of Data, Knowledge and Artificial Intelligence. She very recently took part in the debate on immigration control and asylum.

Elan S. Carr, U.S.

Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, U.S. State Department

As Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, Elan S. Carr advises the Secretary of State and is responsible for directing U.S. policies and projects aimed at countering anti-Semitism throughout the world. Prior to his appointment, he served as a Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County. Special Envoy Carr is an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve, and he has received multiple awards and commendations for his nearly two decades of military service, including in 2003-04 in Iraq.

Hassen Chalghoumi, FRANCE

Imam of the municipal Drancy mosque in Seine-Saint-Denis

Hassen Chalghoumi is the imam of the Drancy municipal mosque in Seine-Saint-Denis, near Paris. In 2009, he founded the «Conference of Imams», an organization tasked withissuing «fatwas» for Muslims living in France. In recent years, Chalghoumi has become a leading moderate Muslim voice in France. Under his leadership, the Conference of Imams has grown to include more than 150 imams across France. TImam Chalghoumi maintains close relations with Jewish organizations in France, despite internal opposition in the Muslim community which has included demonstrations and clashes outside the Drancy mosque.

Senator Philippe Dallier, FRANCE

First Vice-President, Senate; President, Friendship Group France-Israel, French Senate

Philippe Dallier is a French politician. He is Senator of Seine-Saint-Denis (Les Républicains) since 2004. In March 2008, the list he leads in the municipal election in Pavillons-sous-Bois wins the first round. He is reelected in 2014. He is elected Vice-President of the « Métropole du grand paris » on January 2016. Sen. Dallier was appointed First Vice-President of the Senate, in charge of International relations in 2017.

MEP Karoline Edtstadler, E.U.

Chair of the Antisemitism Working Group, European Parliament

Karoline Edstradler was elected MEP in the recent EU elections in May 2019, where she now is Member of the Committee for Civil liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, the Committee for Legal Affairs and the Delegation for relations with South Africa. MEP Edtstadler is Head of the Austrian EPP delegation, Chair of the Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula, Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and designated Chair of the European Parliaments Working Group on Antisemitism. Between 2017-2019 she served as State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Interior under the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.

Adv. Tzahi Gavrieli, ISRAEL

Acting Director-General, Ministry of Strategic Affairs (MSA)

Before Adv. Tzahi Gavrieli’s current role as Director-General at Israel’s Ministry for Strategic Affairs, he served as Advisor to the current Israeli Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu. During his tenure at the Prime Minister’s Office, he served as Advisor to the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the National Management Center during the Second Lebanon War. He was a founding member of the MASA Project – Israel’s flagship program for voluntary and educational experiences – and took a major part in the founding of the Israeli National Information Directorate.

MP Meyer Habib, FRANCE

Vice-President of the Foreign Affairs Committee, French National Assembly

MP Meyer Habib is the representative of the 8th constituency for French residents overseas (Cyprus, Greece, Vatican, Israel, Italy, Malta, San Marino, and Turkey) at the French National Assembly. He is the Vice-President of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Before his political career, he was a business leader in the luxury industry and Vice-President of the Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF). Meyer Habib was first elected in June 2013 as the center-right party UDI candidate. At France National Assembly, Meyer Habib is closely associated with all parliamentary activity related to security issues, fight against terror and Middle East Affairs.

MP Sharren Haskel, ISRAEL

Member, Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Knesset

Sharren Haskel is currently serving as Knesset Member (Likud) in Israel’s 22nd Knesset. She is a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and the Arrangements Committee. In the 20th Knesset, she also was a member of the Internal Affairs and Environment Committee and the Special Committee on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, as well as chaired the Lobby for Medical Cannabis. She became a Member of Knesset in 2015. Her main focuses as a parliamentarian are environment and animal rights issues, with a focus on water pollution. She supports de-criminalization of Cannabis and is an advocate for medical Cannabis usage.

Senator Roger Karoutchi, FRANCE

French Senator

Senator of Hauts-de-Seine since 1999, former Secretary of State for the relations with the Parliament (2007-2009), former MEP, he was France permanent representative to the OECD. Prior to his political engagement he taught history and economics. He currently seats in the Finances Committee and is Vice-President of the parliamentarian friendship group France-Israel.

MP Yair Lapid, ISRAEL

Co-chairman, Blue and White party; Member of Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Knesset; former Minister

MP Yair Lapid is a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and the Subcommittee for Intelligence. In 2012, he founded the Yesh Atid party, which he heads. In 2013, Yesh Atid became the second largest party in the Knesset with 19 seats. In the elections for the 21st Knesset, Yesh Atid merged with the Israel Resilience and Telem parties to form the Blue and White faction, jointly led by Yair Lapid and former IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz. Blue and White won 35 Knesset seats in the elections and became the largest party in the Opposition. Before entering politics, he was a journalist, television presenter, creator and author for many years, and he was active in numerous social organizations.

Minister Bruno Le Maire, FRANCE

French Minister of Economy and Finance

Minister Bruno Le Maire currently holds the position of Minister for the Economy and Finance in Edouard Philippe’s government under Emmanuel Macron’s presidency. He began his career as Foreign Affairs Adviser at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2002, he became Strategic Affairs Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and then was appointed Adviser to the Minister of Interior in 2004. In 2005, he joined the Prime Minister’s office, first as an advisor, then as the Chief of Staff from 2006 to 2007. In June 2007, he was elected MP of the Eure. In 2008, he was appointed Minister of State for European Affairs before being appointed of Agriculture and Fisheries in June 2009.

Prof. Eviatar Matania, ISRAEL

Founder and former Director General, Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD), Prime minister’s Office

Eviatar Matania is a professor at the School of Political Science, Government and International Affairs at Tel-Aviv University, and the Head of the Security Studies MA program. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government. He was the founder and former Director General of the Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD) in the Israeli Prime Minister office, where he reported directly to the Prime Minister, and was responsible for Israel’s overall cyber strategy, policy and its implementation to defend the civilian sector. He completed his six-year term in 2017. Prior to that, he held professional and leadership roles in Israel’s defense R&D and HighTech communities.

MP Stephan Mayer, GERMANY

Parliamentary State Secretary, German Interior Ministry

MP Stephan Mayer has served as Member of the German Bundestag since 2002. In 2013, he was appointed Spokesman for Home Affairs of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. Since 2018, he has served as the Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of the Interior in charge of federal police, public service, migration, refugees, crisis management, and EU Coordination.

MEP Sven Mikser, E.U.

Member, Foreign Affairs Committee & Committee on Security and Defence, European Parliament; former Minister

Sven Mikser has been a Member of the European Parliament in the Socialists & Democrats group since July 2019 and he is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee as well as the Committee on Security and Defence. He served as the Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2016 to 2019. Between 2014 to 2015 and 2002 to 2003 Mr Mikser served as the Minister of Defence of Estonia. Sven Mikser has been a long-standing member of the Estonian Parliament throughout 1999-2019 and has been the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the National Defence Committee in the Estonian Parliament. From 2010 to 2015 Sven Mikser was the chairman of the Estonian Social Democratic Party.

Justice Miriam Naor, ISRAEL

Former President of the Supreme Court

From 2015 until 2017, Justice Miriam Naor served as the President of the Supreme Court. In 2003 she was appointed as a permanent Justice of The Supreme Court of Israel and in 2012 was appointed Deputy President of the Supreme Court. She completed law studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and until 1979 worked for the State Attorney Office of Israel. Sworn in as a judge in the Jerusalem Magistrates’ Court in 1980, she was at the time the youngest judge in Israel. Justice Naor is the President of the Zionist Supreme Court of the World Zionist Organization and a Board Member of the Jewish People Policy Institute.

MP Averof Neofytou, CYPRUS

President of the Democratic Rally Party (DISY), Cypriot House of Representatives

Averof Neofytou is the President of the Democratic Rally, the governing party of Cyprus since 2013. A member of the House of Representatives since 1996, he previously served as Minister of Communications and Works and Chairman of the House Standing Committees on Foreign and European Affairs, as well as Financial and Budgetary Affairs.

Hillel Neuer, SWITZERLAND

Director, UN Watch

Lawyer, writer and activist, Hillel Neuer is the director of UN Watch, an organization that fights dictatorships and double standards at the United Nations. Israel's Ma’ariv newspaper named him one of the top 100 most influential Jewish people in the world. The Tribune de Genève described Neuer as a human rights activist who is “feared and dreaded” by the world’s worst regimes.

Zohar Palti, ISRAEL

Director, Policy and Political-Military Bureau, Ministry of Defense (MoD)

Zohar Palti is Director of the Policy and Political-Military Bureau in Israel's Ministry of Defense (MoD). Mr. Palti has had a long and distinguished career in Israel's intelligence community, having held senior positions in the Israel Defense Forces (1982-2006), Mossad (2006-2016) and MoD (since 2017) and having dealt with key strategic issues in the Middle East, including counter-terrorism and counter-proliferation, from both a regional and global perspective. Before his appointment in the MoD, he served as Director of Intelligence of the Mossad, after a tenure as Counter-Terrorism Chief of the Mossad.

Amb. Dennis Ross, U.S.

Distinguished Fellow, The Washington Institute

For more than twelve years, Ambassador Dennis Ross played a leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process, dealing directly with the parties as the U.S. point man on the peace process in both the George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton administrations. He later served two years as special assistant to President Obama and National Security Council senior director for the Central Region, and a year as special advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

MP Christian Schmidt, GERMANY

Member, German Bundestag; former Minister; former Deputy Minister of Defense

MP Christian Schmidt has been a Member of the German Bundestag since 1990. Currently in his eighth term, he is a Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Mr. Schmidt served as Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture and as acting Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. He was appointed Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, after having served as Parliamentary State Secretary to the Minister of Defence.

Katharina von Schnurbein, E.U.

Coordinator on combating Antisemitism, European Commission

Katharina von Schnurbein was appointed the first European Commission Coordinator on combating antisemitism in December 2015. Prior to this, she worked for five years as advisor to President Jose Manuel Barroso.Katharina started working for the European Commission in 2002 as press officer for the EU Delegation in Prague. With enlargement in 2004, she moved to Brussels as spokesperson for the Czech EU Commissioner Vladimir Špidla. Katharina received the B’nai B’rith Europe’s Human Rights Prize in April 2018.

David Wolpe, U.S.

Rabbi, Sinai Temple in Los Angeles; Author; Columnist

Named one of the 500 Most Influential People in Los Angeles in 2016 and again in 2017, Most Influential Rabbi in America by Newsweek and one of the 50 Most Influential Jews in the World by The Jerusalem Post, David Wolpe is the Max Webb Senior Rabbi of Sinai Temple. He previously taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York, the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, Hunter College, and UCLA. A columnist for Time.com, he has been published and profiled in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post’s On Faith website, The Huffington Post, and the New York Jewish Week. Rabbi Wolpe is the author of eight books, including the national bestseller Making Loss Matter: Creating Meaning in Difficult Times.

2019 SPEAKERS:

Ron Brummer, ISRAEL

Executive Director of Operations, Ministry of Strategic Affairs (MSA)

Ron Brummer is the Executive Director of Operations at Israel’s Ministry of Strategic Affairs. In his role, he serves as the ministry's point of contact with dozens of pro-Israeli organizations worldwide, creating partnerships aimed at combating the de-legitimization of the State of Israel. Previously, Mr. Brummer served in the Israeli Foreign Service as Deputy Ambassador in Chile and Deputy Consul General to southeastern U.S. He has a master's degree in Diplomacy.

Vincent Chebat, FRANCE

Researcher, NGO Monitor

Vincent made Aliya from France in 2005. He received his MA from Bar Ilan University and his BA from IDC Herzliya. Before joining NGO Monitor, Vincent served for five years in the IDF as an economist, including three years in the Intelligence Corp Research Division.

Jean-François Copé, FRANCE

Former Minister of the Budget of France; Mayor of Meaux; Lawyer at Stehlin law firm

Former Seine-et-Marne’s MP, Jean-François Copé also was a member of Government under President Chirac from 2002 to 2007, notably as Spokesperson of the Government, delegate Minister of the Interior and Minister for the Budget. He became Head of the Parliamentary majority in 2007 and then the President of the UMP party, the main French conservative party (2012-2014). Jean-François Copé graduated from Sciences Po and ENA, and was Associate Professor of Economics at Sciences Po and of Public Finances at Paris VIII University.

Henrique Cymerman, ISRAEL

Journalist; Middle East and International Affairs Expert

Henrique Cymerman is a world-famous journalist for the USA, Latin America, Europe, and Israel. A lecturer who speaks five languages, covered current affairs in the Middle East for 30 years, and has established relationships of trust with chief regional political leaders in Israel, Palestine, the Middle East, and the extended Arab world. He was nominated "Comendador" in his native Portugal and Spain by the King and President, a nobility title, and Pope Francis nominated him his "Angel of Peace" and candidate to Nobel Peace Prize for the "Prayer for Peace" in the Vatican.

Dr. François Delerue, FRANCE

Research Fellow in Cyberdefense and International Law, IRSEM

Dr. François Delerue is a research fellow in cyberdefense and international law at the Insitut de Recherche Stratégique de l’École Militaire and a rapporteur for international law in the EU Cyber Direct project. He is also an associate researcher with the Castex Chair of Cyber Strategy. François’ research concerns cyberdefense and cybersecurity, specifically their legal, policy and strategic dimensions. His research focuses on international law obligations, norms and international cooperation, as well as on the various actors involved in this area, including States, private companies, non-governmental organizations.

Amb. Michel Duclos, FRANCE

Special Advisor, Institut Montaigne; Former Ambassador

Michel Duclos is a French diplomat, advising Institut Montaigne. He is the author of the policy paper “Syria: To End a Never-Ending War”, published by Institut Montaigne in June 2016. From 1984 to 1987 he held the position of Deputy Director of the Centre for Analysis, Planning and Strategy within the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, between 2000 and 2002 he was an Ambassador to the Political and Security Committee in Brussels, following that and until 2006 he was the Deputy Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations. Between 2006 and 2009, Michel Duclos was Ambassador in Syria, and later in Switzerland, from 2012 to 2014.

Dr. Joseph Draznin, ISRAEL

Director General, Ministry of Regional Cooperation

In his capacity as the Director General of the Israeli Ministry for Regional Cooperation, Dr. Joseph Draznin oversees the Ministry's efforts to increase regional economic cooperation between Israel and its neighbors, with a focus on Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority, in partnership with the international community. Previously, he was a senior advisor to Minister Tzachi Hanegbi and served as Assistant Deputy Director General for Foreign Affairs and Arms Control at the Ministry of Defense. He has served at the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C., and taught at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya.

Dr. Frédéric Encel, FRANCE

Professor of Geopolitics

Frédéric Encel is a French writer and scholar of geopolitics. He received his DEA in geopolitics from the Centre de recherches et d’analyses géopolitiques at the University of Paris VIII in 1992. He remained there studying under Yves Lacoste and earned his doctorate in geopolitics in 1997. He teaches international relations at Sciences Po and at the ESG Management School.

MP Claude Goasguen, FRANCE

Member, Foreign Affairs Committee, French National Assembly; former Minister

MP of Paris for the conservative party Les Républicains since 1993. He sits in the Foreign Affairs Committee, is the vice-president of the parliamentarian friendship group with Israel and co-chair of the study group about anti-Semitism. In 1995 served as the Minister of State Reforms, Decentralisation and Citizenship. He is co-reporter of a mission on the role of France in the Middle East in the National Assembly and a recipient of the Legion of Honour.

Benjamin Haddad, FRANCE

Director, Future Europe Initiative, Atlantic Council

Benjamin Haddad is an expert in European politics and transatlantic relations. Before moving to the Atlantic Council, he was a fellow at Hudson Institute in Washington DC. His work has notably advocated for transatlantic unity in the face of Russian aggression, greater European responsibility, and investment on strategic matters. His recent book “Paradise Lost: Europe in the World of Trump” makes the case for greater European unity in a world of new challenges and threats. In 2017, Mr. Haddad was the Washington DC representative of Emmanuel Macron’s movement En Marche.

Maj. Gen. Jamal Hakroosh, ISRAEL

Head, Directorate for the Development of Policing Services for the Arab Israeli Community, Israel National Police

Maj. Gen. Jamal Hakroosh has been the Head of the Directorate for the Development of Policing Services for the Arab Israeli Community at the Israel National Police since 2016. He has over 40 years of consecutive police service. He held many positions including Acting District Commander (2015-2016) and Deputy District Commander (2013-2015) of the Coastal District, among others. He obtained a B.A. in Political Science from Haifa University.

Amos Harel, ISRAEL

Senior Defense Correspondent, Haaretz

Amos Harel is one of Israel's leading media experts on military and defense issues and the senior defense correspondent for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Mr. Harel has covered Israeli security affairs for the last twenty years. He published three books: "The Seventh War" (2004) about the second Intifada and "34 Days" about Israel's second Lebanon War (2009). Both books were written with Avi Issacharoff, and both received the prestigious Chechic award. In 2015, he won the Sokolov award, Israel's most prestigious prize for excellence in journalism.

Dr. Marc Hecker, FRANCE

Director of Publications, French Institute of International Relations (IFRI)

Marc Hecker is Director of publications at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri) and editor-in-chief of Politique étrangère. He holds a PhD in political science from University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and teaches a course on terrorism at Sciences Po. He published several books including "Intifada française?" (Ellipses, 2012) and "War 2.0: Irregular Warfare in the Information Age" (Praeger, 2009 with Thomas Rid).

Brig. Gen. (ret.) Michael Herzog, ISRAEL

Director, Forum of Strategic Dialogue (FSD)

Brig. Gen. (ret.) Michael Herzog is the Director of the Forum of Strategic Dialogue (FSD), an International Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and a Senior Fellow at BICOM and the Jewish People Policy Institute. He retired from active duty in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), after a long and distinguished career. His service included heading the Strategic Planning Division of the IDF and working with four ministers of defense as a senior military aide and chief of staff. Brig. Gen. (ret.) Herzog has actively participated in nearly all of Israel’s peace negotiations with the Palestinian, Syrians, and Jordanians, including in the last round of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

Dr. Karin von Hippel, U.K.

Director-General, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)

Dr. Karin von Hippel has been the Director-General of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) since 2015. She joined RUSI after serving for nearly 6 years in the U.S. Department of State as a Senior Adviser in the Bureau of Counterterrorism, then as a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, and as Chief of Staff to General John Allen, Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter-ISIL. Prior to that, she worked at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. and was a senior research fellow at the Centre for Defence Studies, King’s College London. She has also worked for the U.N. and the E.U.

MP Ronja Kemmer, GERMANY

Member, Study Commission of Artificial Intelligence, German Bundestag

Ronja Kemmer has been a Member of the German Bundestag since 2014. She is Spokesperson of the CDU/CSU in the Study Commission “Artificial Intelligence – Social Responsibility and Economic, Social and Ecological Potential”. Above that, she serves as Member of the Committee on Education, Research and Technology Assessment as well as the Committee on the Digital Agenda, and as Substitute Member of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Energy. Ms. Kemmer studied economic sciences in Germany, Sweden, and Italy.

Dr. Agnieszka Konkel, POLAND

Policy analyst

Agnieszka Konkel worked for the European Parliament, where she was co-responsible for the negotiations related to cyber security and other issues related to the Digital Single Market. Beforehand, she coordinated preparations to the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU and subsequently, at the Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU, was in charge of information society issues. She worked Global Libraries Programme at the Foundation for Information Society Development. Recently, she held a position of a counsellor to the minister at the Ministry of Digital Affairs.

Pawel Kuglarz, POLAND

Independent Lawyer, Director of the School of Austrian Law at Jagiellonian University, Krakow

As a lawyer, Mr. Kuglarz specializes in restructuring and corporate recovery, real estate and construction, and traditional and alternative dispute resolution. Mr. Kuglarz has worked for a variety of renowned law firms, including Taylor Wessing, Wolf Theiss, Beiten Burkhardt, and Clifford Chance. Apart from his work as a lawyer, Mr. Kuglarz has been the director of the School of Austrian Law at Jagiellonian University, Krakow, since 2003. From 1997-2001, he worked as advisor to the Chairman of the Polish-German Foundation in Warsaw. In 1998, he was one of the founders and supporters of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw.

Brig. Gen. (res.) Yosef Kuperwasser, ISRAEL

Senior Project Manager on Regional Affairs, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA)

Brig. General (res.) Yosef Kuperwasser is a senior project manager on regional affairs at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) and the head of the Institute for the Research of Intelligence Methodology at the Israeli Intelligence Community Commemoration and Heritage Center. He is also one of the founders and directors of leading Israeli nonprofit organizations countering the de-legitimization of Israel internationally. Brig. Gen. Kuperwasser was formerly the Director General of the Ministry of International Affairs and Strategy. In his long career at the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), he served, among others, as Assistant Defense Attaché for Intelligence at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Marek Matusiak, POLAND

Senior Fellow, Centre for Eastern Studies

Marek Matusiak is a Senior Fellow in the Department for Turkey, the Caucasus and Central Asia at the Centre for Eastern Studies in Warsaw. From 2015 - 2018 Mr. Matusiak served in two Polish foreign missions in Tbilisi and Istanbul as political and economic officer. He is a Warsaw University graduate with an M.A. in sociology. He studied also at the Freie Universität Berlin and İstanbul Bilgi University. His research focuses on Turkey and international relations in the Middle East.

Marlene Mazel, ISRAEL

Director, Foreign & Counter-Terrorism Litigation Department, Ministry of Justice

Marlene Mazel serves as the Director of the Foreign & Counter-Terrorism Litigation Department in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General (International Law) in the Ministry of Justice of Israel. She provides legal counsel to the government on litigation in foreign national courts and directs the legal representation of the State in foreign jurisdictions. She also heads an inter-governmental team dealing with Israel's response to politically motivated legal challenges in trade and commerce. Before that, she served as Special Adviser in the Department of International Affairs in the Office of the State Attorney of Israel and she worked in the General Litigation Department of New York.

Dr. Roby Nathanson, ISRAEL

General Director, Macro Center for Political Economics

Dr. Roby Nathanson is currently the General Director of the Macro Center for Political Economics. Dr. Nathanson teaches at the Academic Colleague Tel Aviv and is a member of the board of directors of various companies and economic advisor to decision-makers in Israel and abroad. He served as a macro-economic policy advisor to the Histadrut during Israel's Economic Stabilization Program in the 1980's and participated in the formulation of programs aimed at socio-economic structural reform, as well as negotiations and in strategic planning teams on the future of the economy. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Cologne in Germany.

MP Natalia Pouzyreff, FRANCE

Member, Defense Committee, French National Assembly

MP Natalia Pouzyreff was elected as a Member of Parliament in the French National Assembly for the political party “La République En Marche” (LaREM) in 2017 and was appointed a member of the Defense Committee. She is also deeply involved in the industrial strategy, and civil nuclear sector. Trained as a professional engineer, followed by many years working in the defence and aerospace sector, Natalia was employed by Thales and Airbus Group, and as the general representative for Eurocopter in China between 2006-2009.

Dr. Emmanuel Navon, ISRAEL

School of Political Science, Government and International Affairs, Tel-Aviv University; Fellow, Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security

Dr. Emmanuel Navon is an International Relations expert who lectures at Tel-Aviv University (TAU) and at the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), serves as a fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS) and at the Kohelet Policy Forum, and is a commentator for i24news. He was previously chair of the Political Science and Communications Department at the Jerusalem Orthodox College, partner with the Navon-Levy Group, CEO of BNIC, and consultant with Arttic. His areas of expertise include Israeli foreign policy, European politics, and the geopolitics of energy. He has authored three books. His forthcoming book is The Star and the Scepter: A Diplomatic History of Israel.

Pierre Rehov, FRANCE

Filmmaker, Journalist and Novelist

Pierre Rehov is the pseudonym of a French–Israeli documentary filmmaker, director and novelist, most known for his movies about the Arab–Israeli conflict and Israeli–Palestinian conflict, its treatment in the media, and about terrorism. Born in Algeria in 1952, he moved to France in 1961. Since the uprising of the second Intifada, he has been working as an independent producer and director.In 2008, he was the only French journalist embedded in Iraq in the US army. In 18 years, he has produced and directed 14 documentaries about the Middle East conflict.

Dr. Jean-Loup Samaan, FRANCE

Associate professor in strategic studies, United Arab Emirates (UAE) National Defense College

Dr. Jean-Loup Samaan's research focuses on Middle Eastern strategic affairs, in particular Israel-Hezbollah conflict, and the evolution of the Gulf security system. Prior to his position in the UAE, he was a researcher for the Middle East Faculty at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Defense College in Rome. Previously, he was a policy advisor at the French Ministry of Defense, and a visiting scholar at Duke University, as well as a researcher at the RAND Corporation in Washington, DC.

Chief Superintendent Eran Shaked, ISRAEL

Head, Partnership and Community Section, Dir. for the Development of Policing Services for the Arab Israeli Population, Israel Police

Chief Superintendent Eran Shaked is the Head of the Partnership and Community Section of the Directory for the Development of policing services for the Arab Israeli community, which is a section engaged in developing a trust system between minorities (Arab community) and the police. Chief Superintendent Shaked is an organizational consultant in his education and a graduate of psychology and political science, has been involved in police activities in the community for over two decades and was a partner in the implementation of the community police method in the mid-1990s.

MP Ofer Shelah, ISRAEL

Member, Knesset

Member of Parliament Ofer Shelah is a member of the Knesset in the Blue and White party. His political career began in 2013, when he became the head of the Yesh Atid faction and was a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense and the Finance committees. Before that he worked as a journalist since 1988 at both "Maariv" and "Yediot Ahronot" newspapers and in Ynet. He also worked as a commentator for the Israeli Sport Channel and co-hosted news and investigative shows. He wrote columns and articles on security, political and state military relations for twenty years and has published eight books. He served in the Paratrooper Corps of the IDF.

James Sorene, U.K.

Chief Executive Officer, Britain-Israel communications and research centre (BICOM)

James Sorene is the CEO of the Britain-Israel communications and research centre (BICOM), a UK think tank producing research about Israel and Middle East issues. Before joining BICOM, he was Deputy Director of UK Government communications and Official Spokesman for Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg from 2011-15. Before that, he held senior positions at the Department of Health and the Home Office, where he worked on counterterrorism. Mr. Sorene has a Master’s degree in Middle East politics and history from the School of Oriental and African Studies and a law degree from Queen Mary College, University of London.

Dr. Jonathan Spyer, ISRAEL

Executive Director of the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis (MECRA)

Dr. Jonathan Spyer is the Executive Director of the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis (MECRA). He is also a research fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS), and a fellow at the Middle East Forum. Dr. Spyer is a freelance security analyst for Janes' Intelligence Review and writes the 'Behind the Lines' column at the Jerusalem Post. He is the author of "Days of the Fall: A Reporter’s Journey in the Syria and Iraq Wars," which deals with his experiences of frontline reporting in the Syria and Iraq wars, and "The Transforming Fire: The Rise of the Israel-Islamist Conflict."

Han Ten Broeke, NETHERLANDS

Director of Political Affairs, The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies

Han Ten Broeke is the current Director of Political Affairs at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies. Previously, he served a fourth term as a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for the leading conservative liberal VVD political party and held post as the senior member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and acted as Chair of the Armed Services Committee. Furthermore, he led the Dutch delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Prior to which, he was the VVD’s ranking member on Defence and EU affairs.

Dr. Élie Tenenbaum, FRANCE

Research Fellow, IFRI

Dr. Élie Tenenbaum is a Research Fellow at Ifri's Security Studies Center where he coordinates the Defense Research Unit. He holds a PhD in History and a MA in International Relations, both from Sciences Po, and has been a visiting fellow at Columbia University. He has taught international security at Sciences Po and international contemporary history at the Université de Lorraine. His research focuses on guerrilla and irregular warfare as well as on French defense policy and military operations.

Dr. Bruno Tertrais, FRANCE

Deputy Director, Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique (FRS)

Dr. Bruno Tertrais is Deputy Director of the Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique (FRS), the main French think-tank on international security issues. His areas of expertise include geopolitics and international relations, strategic and military affairs, nuclear deterrence and non-proliferation, US policy and transatlantic relations, security in the Middle East and in Asia. He was previously a Special Assistant to the Director of Strategic Affairs at the Ministry of Defense, and a Director of the Civilian Affairs Committee at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Nadia Al Turki, U.K.

President and Founder, International Academy of Media and Diplomacy (IAMD)

Nadia Al Turki is an international journalist, writer, poet and academic. With a background deeply rooted in the media, she is a seasoned expert who has worked with, among others, Asharq Al-Awsat, Sterling University, Al Arab News, and Saudi Research and Publishing. She is president and founder of the International Academy of Media and Diplomacy (IAMD). She is the executive editor-in-chief and founder of 7Dnews. While head of the political section of the international newspaper Middle East, she conducted interviews with Arab and international personalities in various fields.

MEP Witold Waszczykowski, E.U.

Vice Chair, Committee of Foreign Affairs, European Parliament; former Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs

Before becoming Vice Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the European Parliament in 2019, MEP Witold Waszczykowski served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland between 2015 and 2018, and member of the Polish parliament between 2011 and 2019. Prior to that, he was Deputy Head of the National Security Bureau and served as Poland's Ambassador to Iran.

Dr. Kenneth Weinstein, U.S.

President and CEO of Hudson Institute

Kenneth R. Weinstein is President and CEO of Hudson Institute, which has grown significantly in size and influence under his leadership. He serves as Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the oversight body for U.S. government civilian international media, including the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting. Weinstein previously served by presidential appointment and Senate confirmation on the National Humanities Council and is a regular guest in media.

Dr. Moran Yarchi, ISRAEL

Head of the Public Diplomacy program, Sammy Ofer School of Communications, IDC Herzliya

Dr. Moran Yarchi is a Senior Lecturer at the Sammy Ofer School of Communications, the Head of the Public Diplomacy program, and a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, Israel. Her main area of research is political communication, especially the media’s coverage of conflicts and terror, and public diplomacy. Integrating theories from communication studies, political science, and international relations, Dr. Yarchi's studies are dealing with the Image War – a salient aspect of today’s conflicts.