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.
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.’

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

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

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

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.