The Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, an independent think tank for policy research in the field of Israeli foreign and security policy, has named IDF Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser its new head.
Kuperwasser will succeed professor Efraim Inbar, who founded and led the institute since 2017, JISS announced in a press release on Wednesday.
Kuperwasser will join the JISS from the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, where he worked as a senior project manager, specializing in the security dimensions of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Kuperwasser previously also served as the head of the Israel Defense Forces’ Intelligence Directorate’s Research Division, as well as the director-general of Israel’s Strategic Affairs Ministry.
“I am joining JISS at a critical juncture in the history and trajectory of the State of Israel and the broader region,” he stated. “Israel’s success in the ongoing conflict has created a unique opportunity to reshape the Middle East, alongside the United States. We must focus on the two most immediate and pressing threats to Israel’s security and regional stability: defeating terrorism in Gaza and Judea and Samaria, and denying Iran the capability to produce nuclear weapons.”
Kuperwasser continued, “I am honored to work alongside JISS’s research fellows, which include some of the foremost security, military, intelligence, diplomacy and legal experts, whose insights are rooted in professionalism, experience and commitment to Israel’s security.”
Inbar, the outgoing JISS chief, said, “I am very happy that Gen. Yossi Kuperwasser is assuming the leadership position at JISS. From what I know of his illustrious career, I am confident that under his stewardship JISS will become a more influential force in articulating realistic positions in Israel’s debates over national security issues and more influential on policy making.”
“I’d like to congratulate Yossi Kuperwasser on his appointment,” said JISS chairman Danny Lamm. “His extensive experience will be invaluable as we tackle Israel’s most pressing security challenges. I also want to thank professor Efraim Inbar for his exceptional leadership over the past seven years, which has played a vital role in the institute’s success. We look forward to continuing the important work ahead.”
JISS advises Israel’s foreign and defense ministries, intelligence agencies and the IDF, ambassadors and defense attaches as well as world Jewish leaders. The institute also trains the next generation of national security experts and educates foreign leaders about Jerusalem’s security policies.