Dror Shalom

Brig. Gen. (Res.) Dror Shalom is a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative. Shalom is a highly distinguished national security expert, with 35 years of senior leadership spanning intelligence, defense strategy, regional policy, and international political-military coordination.

From 2022 to March 2026, Brig. Gen. Shalom served as the Head of the Policy & Political-Military Bureau at the Israeli Ministry of Defense. As the senior professional authority on international relations and defense diplomacy during a period of unprecedented geopolitical shifts, he acted as a hands-on practitioner at the highest levels of decision-making. Working directly under three Ministers of Defense, he was a key interlocutor for Washington – collaborating closely with the Pentagon, the State Department, and the National Security Council (NSC) to handle sensitive strategic issues, safeguard critical defense interests, and maintain Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge (QME). His practical leadership was also instrumental in expanding regional defense frameworks linked to the Abraham Accords and fortifying defense dialogues across Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Prior to his policy leadership, Brig. Gen. Shalom commanded the Research and Analysis Division (RAD) of the Israeli Defense Intelligence from 2016 to 2020. In this role, he was responsible for Israel’s national intelligence assessments, serving as the premier intelligence analyst to the Government and Security Cabinet on critical issues regarding Iran, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestinian affairs. As a transformational leader and seasoned practitioner, he pioneered the integration of big data and advanced analytical technologies into intelligence systems, established the National Intelligence and Data Center, and launched groundbreaking initiatives to integrate neurodiverse populations into intelligence research. Upon his retirement from active duty, he was awarded a special commendation by the IDF Chief of Staff for his exceptional contributions.

Shalom holds an Executive MBA and a BA in Middle Eastern Studies and Israeli History from Tel Aviv University, as well as an LL.B. from Reichman University (IDC).