Israel Policy Forum (IPF) and the Middle East Institute (MEI) were pleased to to host a joint, on-the-record event examining the Israeli perspective on the recent war between Israel and Iran. The discussion took place at the Middle East Institute on Monday, July 21, 2025, and is the first in a two-part series hosted by MEI, offering regional perspectives on the 12-day war, featuring voices from the heart of the conflict.
Speakers
Sima Shine
Senior Researcher and former Director of the research program "Iran and the Shiite Axis" at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS). Shine served in the Israeli Intelligence Community, including as the Director of the Research & Evaluation Division of the Mossad (2003-2007). After that, Shine served as Deputy Head of Strategic Affairs in Israel's National Security Council (2008-2009) and then (2009-2016) served in the Ministry of Strategic Affairs.
Shira Efron
Research Director and The Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Senior Fellow at the Israel Policy Forum. Dr. Efron has spent over 15 years in US think tanks, including the RAND Corporation, where she founded and led the Israel program in 2016-2022. She was previously a consultant with the UN country team in Jerusalem, where she focused on access and movement issues in Gaza.
Dr. Kenneth M. Pollack (Moderator)
Vice President for Policy at the Middle East Institute. Dr. Pollack began his career as a Persian Gulf military analyst at the CIA and served twice on the National Security Council, first as director for Near East and South Asian affairs and then as director for Persian Gulf affairs.