הפוסט Brigadier General (Res.) Erez Winner הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

הפוסט Itai Medina הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

During his command, the brigade was awarded the Chief of Military Staff’s Award for outstanding performance. In his last permanent service position, Col. Itzik served as chief of staff over the Pillar of Fire (“Amud HaEsh”) division – a Northern Command division – and during Operation Protective Edge he served in reserve duty as part of the 7th Armored Brigade.

After completing his service with the IDF, Col. Itzik became a research fellow at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, as well as a lecturer on management sciences at the  Academon Intellect College. Later he became a civics and history teacher at the Gaon Ha’yarden high school in Northern Israel, and the director of the Etgarim educational program for the leadership and empowerment of teachers.

Col. Itzik holds a B.A. in economics with honors from the College of Management, and an M.A. from the University of Haifa in Political Science in the field of national security. As part of his doctoral studies, Col. Itzik researched how regular military service impacts social perceptions among the serving youth.

Itzik serves as a senior researcher in the IDSF security research department, specializing in military-social relations.

Academic Degrees:

B.A. in economics from the College of Management; M.A. in political science from the University of Haifa; Hold a Ph.D. in Social Sciences from Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, following the completion of a doctoral research project on the effects of the citizen-soldier military service in the late modern era.

הפוסט Col. (Res.) Dr. Ronen Itzik הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

הפוסט Major (Res.) Ortal Ron הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

הפוסט Brigadier General (Res.) Amir Avivi הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

הפוסט Moshe Davis הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

הפוסט Lieutenant Colonel (Res.) Yaron Buskila הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

Refaeli brings extensive strategic experience, having served as a policy advisor to the Minister for Strategic Affairs and in the National Security Council (NSC). In these roles, he dealt with core issues of national security strategy, the advancement of Israel’s international relations, and the analysis of geopolitical trends in light of the strategic challenges facing the State of Israel in the 21st century.

Combining a deep familiarity with the Haredi world, where he began his path, with practical experience in Israel’s political and security establishment, Refaeli offers a unique strategic perspective. Alongside his research, he lectures globally on national security, Israeli sovereignty, and antisemitism, and hosts the “Journey Through Ideas” podcast, where he engages diplomats and senior public figures in discussions on foreign relations and practical policy analysis.

הפוסט Shimon Refaeli הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

Fought in Gaza, Lebanon and Judea and Samaria.

A family man and lover of the nation, the land of Israel and its people.

With the outbreak of the October 7th War, Tal decided that it was time to engage in our national security affairs and left an advertising career in favor of establishing the National  Security Tourism sector in the association.

Bachelor’s degree in public communication and political science from Bar-Ilan University

Master’s degree in business administration from Bar-Ilan University

הפוסט Lieutenant Colonel (Res.) Tal Nir הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

הפוסט Eden Mandel הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

Or has been publishing extensive research papers on various topics regarding Israel’s security, including a strategic assessment for Israel; Iran’s nuclear program and terrorist activities; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including social media research among Palestinians and plans for the future of Gaza; Disinformation in the Israel-Hamas war; Middle East security developments; the United States and its defense doctrine; and the European Union’s approach to Israel, migration, and geopolitical changes; among others.

He regularly briefs Israeli decision-makers, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Ministers Katz and Gallant, various cabinet ministers, leading figures in the IDF and other agencies of the defense establishment, and members of the Knesset. He also authors papers in response to queries by the above officials.

Or served in the IDF’s Intelligence Corps’ 8200 unit as an intelligence analyst.

Or graduated from Tel Aviv University with a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and Music focusing on piano performance and musicology, and in that capacity performed on stages in Israel, the United States, and around Europe. He was awarded several prizes, including first prizes for piano performance and composition.

He has also graduated from SciencesPo’s Paris School of International Affairs with a Master’s degree in International Security, focusing on the European Union and its defense policy. He worked for several think tanks, including Israel’s INSS and Austria’s AIES.

Or served as a team leader and data analyst in the Israeli high-tech industry, including for the companies Wix, Meidata, and ActiveFence, where he filed extensive reports, lead multilingual teams, and coordinated multiple organizational functions to a cohesive team strategy, action, and reporting.

Or published multiple policy and defense-related articles and analyses in leading publications, including Newsweek, Israel Hayom, Ynet, JNS, the Jerusalem Post; and is regularly interviewed in leading news channels, including CBN, the BBC, Sky News, Israel’s channels 11, 12, 13, 14, and i24news, ILTV, CNews, Bild, RTE, Hungarian Conservative, among others. He also interviewed for local stations and podcasts in the United States.

He hosts the IDSF’s “Security Talk” podcast and was a guest in multiple podcasts in Hebrew, English, and French.

Or lives in Jerusalem and speaks five languages – native Hebrew, native-level proficiency in English, French, Persian, and Arabic.

Photo credit: Michael Pavia

הפוסט Or Yissachar הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

הפוסט Major General (Res.) Gershon Hacohen הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

הפוסט Major-General (Res.) Yitzhak “Gerry” Gershon הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

הפוסט Maj. Gen. (Res.) Kamil Abu Rokon הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

הפוסט Maj. Gen. (Res.) Yossi Bachar הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

He has an MA in “Islamic Studies” from Trinity Saint David University of Wales and a further specialization in “Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism” from the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism-IICT, Israel.

Giacalone conducted extensive fieldwork on Islamist extremism in Europe and was country coordinator for the Globsec European project “From criminals to terrorists and back”, to analyze the crime-terror nexus among jihadist foreign fighters.

In 2016, he published the book “La Spirale Balcanica”, (The Balkanic Spiral) analyzing the jihadist hotbed in the Balkans.

In 2023, he published the book “The Tablighi Jamaat in Europe” for the UAE-based Trends Research and Advisory; researching the potential presence of radicalizing triggers within the Indian Islamist Movement.

Giacalone has written extensively on the jihadist topic for the media and different study centers, and he has been teaching for years security and terrorism courses to security managers, post-grad students and law enforcers in Italy.

הפוסט Giovanni Giacalone הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

הפוסט Maj. Gen. (Res.) Yosef Mishlev הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

Pozailov is married and has three children. He possesses a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and a master’s degree in behavioral sciences. Additionally, he has successfully completed a senior executive program at Bar Ilan University and the Kellogg-Recanati senior executives’ program at Tel Aviv University, designed for senior executives.

הפוסט Moshe “Puzi” Pozailov, former senior officer in the Israel Security Agency הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

Yifa served as chief of staff to the former Israeli ambassador to the United States, and is currently a senior member of the “Hetz” foundation dedicated to creating a global ecosystem against antisemitism and advocating for Israel She is also the founder and director of Segal Law & Strategy.

Yifa holds a law degree and an MSc in international relations.

הפוסט Advocate Yifa Segal הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

Academic Degrees:

• Bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Bar-Ilan University
• Master’s degree in business administration from Ben-Gurion University
• Doctorate in Disaster and Emergency Management from the Faculty of Health System Management at Ben-Gurion University
• Graduate of the Director’s Course from Tel Aviv University

הפוסט Brigadier General (Res.) Dr. Chilik (Yehiel) Soffer הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

Among his positions, Gabai served as a trustee on behalf of the court for the execution of the IDB Group debt arrangement – one of the largest and most complex debt arrangements ever performed in Israel.

From 2009 to 2011, he served as Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office, a position in which he was in charge of key issues such as the construction of the security fence on the Egyptian border, the construction of the protected emergency room at Barzilai Hospital, and the transfer of the gas pipeline to Haifa Bay. During his time in office, he was considered one of the most influential people in Israel’s economy and earned the nickname “The Arbitrator.”

Gabbay served as the manager of the Israeli branch of an international investment fund, headquartered in Sydney, Australia. In 2002, he was appointed by the Sharon administration as director of the Government Companies Authority – a position in which he worked closely with Prime Minister Sharon, and then Finance Minister Netanyahu and Finance Minister Olmert. In this position, he led important privatizations moves in Israel’s economy, including El Al, Bezeq, the state’s holdings in Zim, and the two refineries in Ashdod and Haifa. He also led structural changes in the Israel Post and the Department of Public Works, and was nicknamed the “National Privatizer” because of his achievements.

In the first years of his career, Gabai served as VP of Business Development at Bezeq International, Director of Economic Affairs at the Prime Minister’s Office, and Senior Advisor to the Minister of Justice, a position in which he coordinated the work of the Shamgar Commission on the methods of appointment and the powers of the Attorney General.

Gabai holds a bachelor’s degree in law (summa laude), a bachelor’s degree in economics (summa laude) and a master’s degree in business administration (summa laude). He completed his legal internship at the Supreme Court under Justice Dalia Dorner.

He did his military service as a [surveillance] balloon officer in Intelligence Corps Unit 8200 and served in the unit’s bases in the Gaza Strip and in the south of the country.

Gabai is married and has five children.

Photo Credit: Inbal Marmari

הפוסט Eyal Gabai הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.

Post-retirement, Dubi Yung has become a distinguished international consultant specializing in domestic security, counterterrorism, and public order. His expertise has been sought globally, making him an invaluable member of NATO think tanks. Additionally, he previously served as a senior official in the emergency array at the Ministry of Internal Security and played a pivotal role in the National Center for Crisis Management (Internal Cell).

In 2020, Dubi Yung co-founded the Israel Defense and Security Forum (IDSF). Beyond his professional accomplishments, he is devoted to family life, being a loving husband and father to five children.

הפוסט Police Brigadier General (Ret.) Dovi Yang הופיע לראשונה ב-IDSF.