The Russia-Ukraine War has captured much of the world’s attention. Israel, which has largely remained neutral, is facing increasing pressure from its greatest ally, the United States, to step up support for Ukraine. However, due to Russia’s importance in Syria and Iran, Israel is wary of how angering Russia would affect its security. Eli investigated whether Israel can find a middle path, increasing support for Ukraine to satisfy the US while avoiding a Russian backlash in Syria and Iran. Eli engaged in vigorous research on Russian foreign policy, the war in Ukraine, American interests in the Middle East, the Israel-Iran rivalry, and other regional powers, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and China. Eli was mentored by Harry Halem at the Yorktown Institute. Eli’s research culminated in an article titled “How U.S. Policy Can Address the Dual Threats of Iran and Russia,” published in RealClearDefense.

Eli Nirenberg, a native of Indiana, graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a BA in Economics and Political Science. There, he was the President of the WashU Israel Public Affairs Committee (WIPAC), a student group promoting the bond between the U.S. and Israel. He has published articles in the Washington University Political Review, Jewish News Syndicate, and the Times of Israel. Prior to the Beren Summer Fellowship, Eli had worked on political campaigns and interned at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Following graduation, Eli attended Shapell’s/Darché Noam, interned at the U.S. House of Representatives, and is now an Associate for Political Research at AIPAC. 

As the United States and China settle into a new Cold War, Israel must balance its burgeoning economic engagement with China and its role as America’s regional security partner. A major area of interest is maritime policy: Chinese involvement in the Haifa Port’s recent expansion makes the port a possible linchpin of the Belt and Road Initiative, potentially compromising American naval presence in the Mediterranean. Jacob’s project situated the port controversy in a comprehensive research exercise. He completed a sweeping curriculum on Chinese strategic thought, maritime strategy, geoeconomics, and China’s relationship with Israel and the Middle East. Jacob also participated in Tikvah’s weekly Israel-China Working Group, a forum for young policy professionals to discuss and analyze the “China issue” through the U.S.-Israel relationship’s lens. Jacob’s project culminated in an article on the U.S.-Israel-China relationship titled “On China, US and Israel Should Talk Tech, not Trade” published in Asia Times.

Jacob Leon graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Washington University in St. Louis, where he received the Arnold J. Lien prize for the outstanding undergraduate in political science. In 2022, he received a National Defense Fellowship from the Ronald Reagan Institute and the Alexander Hamilton Society. Jacob was a Public Interest Fellow and a Policy Analyst at the China Economic and Strategy Initiative, after which he worked in the office of Senator Marco Rubio.

The Trump Administration has opened the door to a Golden Age of U.S.-Israel relations. The Administration has recognized Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, cancelled the JCPOA, and strongly supported Israel in international organizations such as the United Nations. Senator Tom Cotton has recognized that the Trump Administration has presented a window of opportunity to show stronger political solidarity with Israel before a new administration takes over and changes course. Talia investigated what the next step should be in strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship. Talia consulted various commentators, lawyers, policy analysts, and diplomats to create a policy memo for Senator Cotton’s office outlining some policy options his team should consider.

Talia Katz graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in public policy and international studies. While at the University of Michigan, Talia was
a member of the American Enterprise Institute Executive Council and WeListen, a grassroots organization which aims to bridge the political divide by facilitating respectful political discussions. After graduation, she was a Public Interest Fellow, working as a Government Relations Analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). Talia was previously Director of Operations and Deputy Finance Director for Dave McCormick’s campaign for U.S. Senate, and is now a Policy Advisor to Senator McCormick.

Kenneth R. Weinstein is the Walter P. Stern Distinguished Fellow at Hudson Institute. From 2011 through 2020, Dr. Weinstein served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hudson Institute. Previously, Dr. Weinstein chaired the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the oversight body for U.S. Agency for Global Media, and was chair of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. A political theorist by training, his academic work focused on the early Enlightenment. Dr. Weinstein earned his B.A. in General Studies in the Humanities from the University of Chicago, D.E.A. in Soviet and Eastern European studies from Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, and Ph.D. in government from Harvard University. He has taught on the faculty of Georgetown University and Claremont McKenna College.

Michael Doran is a senior fellow and director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute. He specializes in Middle East security issues and co-hosts the Counterbalance podcast. In the administration of President George W. Bush, he served in the White House as a senior director in the National Security Council as well as a senior advisor in the State Department and a deputy assistant secretary of defense in the Pentagon. He was previously a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and held teaching positions at New York University, Princeton University, and the University of Central Florida. He is the author of several books—most recently, Ike’s Gamble— and has published extensively in Foreign Affairs, the American Interest, Commentary, Mosaic, the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.

Carrie Filipetti currently serves as the executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition. Prior to this role, Carrie served as deputy assistant secretary for Cuba and Venezuela in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and the deputy special representative for Venezuela at the U.S. Department of State, for which she received a Superior Honor Award. From 2019-2020, Carrie served as the senior advisor to the Havana Incidents Task Force, where she was responsible for coordinating an inter-agency effort to address the causes of unexplained health incidents affecting U.S. personnel, and identifying proper long-term care mechanisms. Prior to these roles, Carrie served as a senior policy advisor for the United States Mission to the United Nations (USUN), where she advised U.S. Ambassador Nikki R. Haley on issues related to counterterrorism, the Middle East, and the Western Hemisphere. Carrie began her career at The Paul E. Singer Foundation, where she served as director of portfolio management. In her capacity as director of the foundation, Carrie served as a senior advisor and co-founder of Start-Up Nation Central, a Tel-Aviv based non-profit that seeks to connect the world with Israeli innovation.