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Assaf Orion

  • Liz and Mony Rueven International Fellow
Also available in:
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Assaf Orion
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Assaf Orion, a retired Israeli brigadier general and defense strategist whose broad research scope ranges from relations with China to Israel’s regional political-military strategy and policy, is the Liz and Mony Rueven International Fellow with The Washington Institute.

During his career in the Israel Defense Forces, General Orion was responsible for strategic policy formulation, international cooperation, and military diplomacy. He also served as a liaison to neighboring militaries and peacekeeping forces in the region. He was most recently the head of the Strategic Division in the Planning Directorate of the IDF General Staff. In this position, he was in charge of communication with UNIFIL and the Lebanese army, led staff meetings with counterparts from the Pentagon and from other Western militaries, took part in the U.S.-Israel security dialogue, and represented the IDF in talks with the Palestinian Authority.

After retiring from the IDF in 2016, General Orion joined the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv where he serves as senior research fellow, head of the countering Boycott, Divestment, and Delegitimization program, and director of its Israel-China program. 

Education

MPA, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government; BA, Tel Aviv University.

Assaf Orion
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Recent Policy Analysis by Assaf Orion

Brief Analysis
The Battle for UNIFIL’s Independence (Part 2): Facts on the Ground
Sep 21, 2023
◆
  • Matthew Levitt
  • Assaf Orion
United Nations headquarters building in New York - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
The Battle for UNIFIL’s Independence (Part 1): Hezbollah at the UN
Sep 21, 2023
◆
  • Assaf Orion
  • Matthew Levitt
Photo showing an Israeli tank and UN peacekeeping forces on the border with Lebanon.
Brief Analysis
Israel-Lebanon Border Tensions: Hezbollah Provocation, IDF Response, and the Potential for Conflict
Aug 25, 2023
◆
  • Hanin Ghaddar
  • Assaf Orion
  • Matthew Levitt
Brief Analysis
Yellow Tents Across the Blue Line: Hezbollah’s New Brinkmanship
Jul 14, 2023
◆
  • Assaf Orion
Brief Analysis
Last Call for UNIFIL? Israel and Hezbollah in a 2006 Deja Vu
Jun 2, 2023
◆
  • Assaf Orion
Israeli Prime Minister meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, 2017 - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
What Is the New Israeli Government’s China Policy?
Jan 3, 2023
◆
  • Assaf Orion
All Policy Analysis by Assaf Orion
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