Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, a veteran Israeli intelligence and security expert, has been appointed head of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS), the think tank announced on Tuesday. He succeeds Prof. Efraim Inbar, who founded and led the institute since 2017.
Kuperwasser, formerly head of the research division in the IDF Intelligence Directorate and director-general of the Strategic Affairs Ministry, most recently served as a senior project manager at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, where he specialized in the security dimensions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“I am joining JISS at a critical juncture in the history and trajectory of the State of Israel and the broader region,” Kuperwasser said in a statement.
“Israel’s success in the ongoing conflict has created a unique opportunity to reshape the Middle East alongside the US. We must focus on the two most immediate and pressing threats to Israel’s security and regional stability: defeating terrorism in Gaza and the West Bank and denying Iran the capability to produce nuclear weapons”.
Leading voice in strategic affairs
JISS, an independent research institute focused on security and foreign policy, has become a leading voice in Israeli strategic affairs. Its experts regularly appear in global media and provide briefings to Israeli and international policymakers.
The think tank’s research fellows include Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Yaakov Amidror, a former national security adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Col. (ret.) Dr. Eran Lerman, former deputy director for foreign policy and international affairs at the National Security Council, and Prof. Eytan Gilboa, a leading scholar in international communications.
Outgoing head Inbar praised Kuperwasser’s appointment, saying he was confident in his successor’s leadership. “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 policymaking.”
Dr. Danny Lamm, chairman of JISS, also welcomed the transition. “I’d like to congratulate Yossi Kuperwasser on his appointment as head of JISS. His extensive experience will be invaluable as we tackle Israel’s most pressing security challenges,” he said, also thanking Inbar for his seven years of leadership.
JISS provides strategic counsel to Israel’s Foreign and Defense ministries, intelligence agencies, and the IDF, as well as advising international diplomats and Jewish leaders on security policy. The institute also plays a role in training the next generation of national security experts.