SHIMON REFAELI

Shimon Refaeli is the deputy chairman of the Institute for Security Policy of the Israel Defense and Security Forum (IDSF). He previously served as a policy adviser to strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer and worked at Israel’s National Security Council. His work focuses on Israel’s foreign relations, modern antisemitism, and global geopolitical transformations. Refaeli is the founder and host of the podcast Journey Through Ideas , which features in-depth conversations on the strategic, political, and cultural challenges facing the State of Israel and the Jewish people in the 21st century.
SUPPORTERS OF Muslim Brotherhood’s presidential candidate Mohamed Morsi celebrate his victory at the election at Tahrir Square in Cairo, in 2012.

June 24, 2012: When Middle Eastern reality changed overnight - opinion

The Middle East teaches time and again that radical forces do not disappear on their own. Sometimes time actually strengthens them. Sometimes it grants them resources, legitimacy, and capabilities

JUNE 24, 2026
Israeli Air Force F-35s seen arriving to an Israeli base, on March 15, 2025

A year ago, Israel shifted from intentions to capabilities in Operation Rising Lion - opinion

On June 13, 2025, Israel returned to one of the most important principles of its security doctrine: never to entrust its existence to an enemy’s intentions.

JUNE 12, 2026
Israeli soldiers driving a tank pass a line of waving civilians on the side of a road while advancing into Syria during the Six Day War, June 1967.

Six Day War: When Israel moved from survival to revival - opinion

The Six Day War demonstrated that when the Jewish people are united, determined, and prepared to defend their sovereignty, they are capable of changing the course of history.

JUNE 6, 2026

May 1964: The day the myth of the ‘occupation’ was born - opinion

The PLO was established three years before the Six Day War, before Israel controlled Judea and Samaria and Gaza. The "occupation" didn't exist yet. So what was the PLO seeking to liberate?

MAY 28, 2026
IDF Soldiers arrive at the Temple Mount during the Six Day War in June of 1967. A few months later, the Arab League met, declaring, ‘No peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with it.’

Diplomatic courage: How Trump’s embassy decision strengthened Israel’s position – opinion

Donald Trump is the first courageous American president to implement the law to move the American embassy to the Jewish capital, thereby strengthening regional stability

MAY 14, 2026
US President Donald Trump speaks to the press as he departs the White House in Washington in May.

Why the future of Gaza will be decided in mosques - opinion

The mistake of the international community in recent decades has been its exclusive focus on the security or economic dimension: But without deep de-radicalization nothing will truly change.

FEBRUARY 21, 2026
PALESTINIANS anti-Israel slogans and lift flags during a demonstration at the Temple Mount’s al-Aqsa Mosque complex, in 2023.

Trump's Board of Peace offers Israel a new alternative to the untrustworthy UN - opinion

If Israel acts wisely and courageously, it can become an architect of a more supportive international reality.

JANUARY 25, 2026
UNITED NATIONS headquarters in New York City.