Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies

Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies
Name	Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies
Established	1989
Type	Think tank
Headquarters	Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel

Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies

The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies is an Israeli strategic studies institute associated with Bar-Ilan University and located in Ramat Gan. Founded in 1989, the center operates within the contexts of Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Arab–Israeli conflict, and broader Middle Eastern security debates, engaging with policymakers from Israel Defense Forces, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Israel), and international counterparts such as United States Department of Defense, NATO, and European Union. The center hosts conferences and publishes analyses attracting participants from institutions including Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Chatham House, Brookings Institution, and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

History

The center was created in 1989 at Bar-Ilan University during the tenure of Israeli leaders influenced by figures like Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat—after whom the center is named—reflecting the legacy of the Camp David Accords and the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty. Early directors and affiliates included scholars connected to Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, and military analysts from the Israel Defense Forces. Over time the center expanded research scope to cover events such as the First Intifada, Oslo Accords, Second Intifada, 2006 Lebanon War, Arab Spring, Syrian Civil War, and the rise of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The institution cultivated links with policymakers involved in the Madrid Conference of 1991, Annapolis Conference, and NATO Mediterranean Dialogue, while hosting speakers from United Nations envoys, U.S. Congress, and former heads of state like Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and François Hollande.

Mission and Activities

The center states aims to provide strategic analysis relevant to decision-makers in contexts including Israeli security policy, interactions with Palestinian Authority, and regional relations with Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Turkey. Activities encompass policy forums, seminars, war games, and public lectures featuring figures from Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and military academies such as United States Military Academy and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. The center organizes annual symposiums on topics like nuclear proliferation in relation to Iranian nuclear program, ballistic threats exemplified by Scud missile usage, and maritime security in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz with participation from delegations representing Japan, India, China, and Russia.

Research Programs and Publications

Research programs target themes including counterterrorism studies on groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Al-Qaeda, and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, analysis of strategic stability vis-à-vis Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and cyber-security assessments drawing on expertise from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and Weizmann Institute of Science. The center publishes policy papers, monographs, and journals distributed to institutions like RAND Corporation, International Crisis Group, Institute for National Security Studies (Israel), and academic presses at Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. Notable publications analyze incidents including the USS Cole bombing, September 11 attacks, Gaza Wars (2008–2009, 2012, 2014), and diplomatic developments such as the Abraham Accords. Contributors have included academics from Columbia University, University of Oxford, London School of Economics, and practitioners from Israeli Ministry of Defense and the Prime Minister's Office (Israel).

Organizational Structure and Leadership

The center is organizationally embedded in Bar-Ilan University with a board comprising former diplomats, retired military officers, and academics from institutions such as Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Directors and fellows have included individuals with service in the Israel Defense Forces General Staff, alumni of United States Naval War College and National Defense University (United States), and visiting fellows from Harvard Kennedy School and Georgetown University. The administrative framework supports research fellows, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students collaborating with centers like BESA Center for Strategic Studies and think tanks including Council on Foreign Relations and Atlantic Council.

Partnerships and Influence

The center maintains partnerships with international academic and policy institutions including Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, King’s College London, Chatham House, Stimson Center, and regional partners in Cairo University, American University in Cairo, University of Jordan, and Qatar University. Its influence extends into diplomatic channels, having briefed delegations involved in negotiations such as Oslo Accords mediators, observers to the Geneva Initiative, and participants in normalization talks represented by envoys from United States Department of State and the Arab League. The center’s alumni network includes individuals who later served in the Knesset, Israeli National Security Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Israel), and international posts at United Nations missions.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics from organizations like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and analysts at Electronic Intifada and Middle East Monitor have challenged the center’s perspectives on issues involving Gaza Strip operations and settler policy in the West Bank. Controversies have arisen over alleged proximity to political figures tied to Likud and debates involving scholars associated with Revisionist Zionism and critics from Peace Now, B’Tselem, and Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions. Debates have also touched on methodology and funding transparency with comparisons drawn to funding practices at think tanks such as Heritage Foundation and Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Category:Think tanks based in Israel