Efraim Halevy

Efraim Halevy is an Israeli intelligence and security expert. Halevy is head of the Shasha Center for Strategic Studies at the Federmann School of Public Policy and Government at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and acts as a consultant to Israeli government ministries and agencies on strategic issues. He serves as chairman of the Israel Intelligence Heritage and Commemoration Center and the Zalman Shazar Center for Jewish History.

He is the former director of the Mossad. The Mossad is Israel's national intelligence agency, responsible for foreign intelligence collection, covert operations, and counterterrorism abroad.

Halevy’s career in Israeli intelligence spans nearly four decades, including roles as deputy head of the Mossad, senior command echelon of the Mossad, and Israel’s ambassador to the European Union. He served as national security advisor to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and acted as a secret envoy for five Israeli prime ministers, contributing to the Jordan-Israel peace treaty—a contribution publicly recognized by Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Halevy has received honors including the President Herzog Prize for contributions to Israel’s security and diplomacy, the Order of Istiqlal (Independence) first class from King Abdullah II of Jordan for advancing Jordan-Israel relations, and the Director’s Award from the director of Central Intelligence of the United States for strengthening Israel-U.S. intelligence cooperation.

Halevy is the author of "Man in the Shadows: Inside the Middle East Crisis with a Man Who Led the Mossad," published in multiple languages. He is a regular contributor to publications such as Yedioth Acharonot and Jerusalem Post, and has written for The New Republic, Time Magazine, and The Economist. Halevy provides insights on intelligence and Middle East affairs on international media outlets including CNN, Al Jazeera, the BBC, and Israeli television. He is recognized as an authority on strategic and security issues and is a speaker at international forums and policy conferences.