Einat Wilf

Einat Wilf is an Israeli intellectual, author, and former politician known for her work on Zionism, foreign policy, and education reform. Born in Jerusalem in 1970 and raised in a Labor Zionist family, she served in the Israel Defense Forces as an intelligence officer in Unit 8200, achieving the rank of lieutenant. She later studied at some of the world’s leading academic institutions, earning a BA in Government and Fine Arts from Harvard University, an MBA from INSEAD in France, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Cambridge.

Wilf’s career spans both the public and private sectors. She worked as a foreign policy advisor to Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres, a strategic consultant with McKinsey & Company in New York, and a general partner at Koor Corporate Venture Capital in Israel. In 2010, she became a member of the Knesset, initially with the Labor Party before joining the Independence Party. During her time in parliament, she chaired the Education, Culture, and Sports Committee and served on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

An accomplished writer, Wilf has authored several books addressing critical issues in Israeli society, including education, Zionism, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Her titles include My Israel, Our Generation, Back to Basics: How to Save Israeli Education (at No Additional Cost), Winning the War of Words: Essays on Zionism and Israel, and The War of Return, co-authored in 2020, which critiques the role of UNRWA in perpetuating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Wilf identifies as a Zionist, feminist, and atheist. She was married to German journalist Richard Gutjahr, with whom she has one son. Known for her articulate and principled defense of Israel in the international arena, Wilf continues to engage in public discourse through her writing, lectures, and media appearances.