About Me

I am Michael Koplow, policy director of the Israel Policy Forum and an analyst of Middle Eastern politics and U.S. foreign policy in the region. Before coming to the Israel Policy Forum, I was the founding program director of the Israel Institute from September 2012 through September 2015. I hold a BA in history from Brandeis, a JD from NYU, a masters in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard, and a Ph.D. in political science from Georgetown (yes, I am a sucker for punishment). I have interned at the Council on Foreign Relations, worked at a law firm, trained Foreign Service Officers for the State Department, and managed to avoid a real job for far too long. I also have three amazing and adorable kids. This is a personal blog and nothing that I write here should be considered as speaking on behalf of my current employer. If you’re interested in reading other things that I have written, here you go.