Melanie Robbins is the deputy director of Realign for Palestine with the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Initiative. She drives project strategy, communications, outreach, and engagement. With experience in various peacebuilding tracks and development, Robbins brings a unique and innovative perspective on creating positive US engagement in Israel and Palestine. 

Robbins has previously worked with a Jewish and Palestinian youth education program, publishing a Hebrew-Arabic magazine and later serving as the director of development and international relations for Peace Now. Upon returning to the United States, Robbins joined the Anti-Defamation League as the deputy director for the New York/New Jersey region, where she was responsible for processing thousands of bias complaints, engaging policymakers, civil rights leaders, law enforcement, and communities on how to respond to hate, extremism, and antisemitism. Afterward, Robbins became director of global connections at the Jewish Federation of Greater Metrowest. Before joining the Atlantic Council, Robbins founded Blue Hills Strategy Group, a boutique media and strategy firm serving corporate clients and social organizations in strategic communications, development, and media production. 

Robbins has a BA with honors in political science, Middle East studies, and women and gender studies from Drew University and an MA in security and diplomacy from Tel Aviv University. In 2011, she published her book on peacebuilding and human rights in the West Bank and Gaza. She has also served as a fellow at the Center on Religion, Culture, and Conflict and worked closely with late Egyptian democracy leader Saad Eddin Ibrahim. Robbins is also an advisory board member of the New York-based Muslim Jewish Solidarity Committee.