Former MK Ofer Shelah Joins INSS as a Senior Research Fellow
June 3, 2021
Former MK Ofer Shelah, who in the Knesset served as a senior member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and related subcommittees, has joined the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) as a senior research fellow. At INSS, Shelah will engage in areas relating to policy and security, led by IDF force buildup; the IDF service model; and Israel-China relations.
Shelah comes to INSS with much experience in security and policy. He has published eight books, four of them on military and security affairs. At the Knesset, he served as a senior member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and chaired the subcommittee on the security concept and force buildup. He was also a member of the subcommittee on intelligence and secret services; the joint committee for the defense budget; and others.
He led legislation on the draft law, including an arrangement for conscription of the ultra-Orthodox and shortened compulsory service of male conscripts to 32 months. He initiated and led legislation on the rights of disabled IDF soldiers and reservists injured during their service.
As a member of the Finance Committee, Shelah led the legislation on the “anti-concentration law,” which reduces concentration across the Israeli economy and nullifies the pyramidal holding structures among existing groups and individuals. In addition, he chaired the Special Committee on Dealing with the Coronavirus, as well as the State Control Committee.
Ofer Shelah: “I am proud to join INSS, a renowned institute in Israel and abroad. I hope to contribute through the knowledge I acquired in my Knesset and journalistic careers, because today, more than ever, Israel needs a place where individuals think, deliberate, and know how to influence on matters of national security. I am grateful to my friend, Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg, and the IDF executive team for this opportunity.”