Mr. Pomerantz is Director Emeritus of the Homeland Security Program at JINSA, which brings high ranking American Law Enforcement Executives to Israel to study best practice counterterrorism methodology. He retired from the FBI in June 1995 after a career spanning…
Michael Makovsky since 2013 has been President and CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), a leading Washington, D.C.-based policy and educational organization focused on U.S. defense and national security issues in the Middle East. Makovsky…
Jonathan Ruhe is JINSA’s Fellow for American Strategy. Prior to joining JINSA, he worked at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), where he focused on Middle East and Former Soviet Union security issues. His commentary has appeared in the Wall Street…
Harris Vederman joined JINSA in December 2013 with over a decade of high-level Washington D.C. and national outreach experience. In his role as Vice President of Programs, Harris is responsible for forging strong relationships with military persons, program participants, alumni,…
John Hannah is the Randi & Charles Wax Senior Fellow at JINSA’s Gemunder Center for Defense and Strategy. John served in senior foreign policy positions for both Democratic and Republican administrations, including as former Vice President Dick Cheney’s National Security…
Simcha G. Lyons is the Founder and Chairman of the John C. Danforth Society. He has been a member of the board of directors of Maiden Holdings Ltd., a Bermuda Reinsurance Co., since June 2007. Mr. Lyons currently serves as Chairman…
Meriem is a JINSA researcher and analyst specializing in Middle East security, Islamist movements, and regional political dynamics. With more than ten years of experience spanning journalism and strategic analysis, her work examines the ideological, organizational, and financial ecosystems of…
Hussein Aboubakr Mansour is a Fellow at JINSA’s Gemunder Center, where his work focuses on the intersection of Arab politics, Islamist movements, and regional security architecture. An expert in Arab political thought and shifts within Islamist movements, Mansour analyzes how…
Lidia Bernd serves as a Senior Program & Development Associate at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), supporting the organization’s national security programs and institutional development initiatives. She earned her Master’s in Security Studies with a focus…
Giran Ozcan joined JINSA in December 2025 as Fellow for Kurdish Affairs. Prior to JINSA, Giran was the founding Executive Director of the Kurdish Peace Institute. He has previously worked with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in its overseas representative…