Major Gen. (Ret.) Prof. Isaac Ben-Israel
Isaac Ben-Israel was born in Israel (Tel-Aviv), 1949. He studied Mathematics, Physics and Philosophy at Tel-Aviv University, receiving his Ph.D. in 1988. He joined the Israel Air Force (1967) and has served continuously up to his retirement (2002).
He headed the IAF Operations Research Branch, Analysis and Assessment Division of IAF Intelligence, and was the Head of Military R&D in Israel Defence Forces and Ministry of Defence (1991-1997).
In January 1998 he was promoted to Major General and appointed as Director of Defence R&D Directorate in IMOD. During his service he received twice the Israeli Defence Award.
After retirement from the IDF Isaac Ben Israel joined the University of Tel-Aviv as a professor and was the head of Curiel Centre for International Studies (2002-2004), the head of the Program for Security Studies (2004-2007) and a member of Jaffe Centre for Strategic Studies (2002-2004). In 2002 he founded and headed the Tel-Aviv University Workshop for Science, Technology and Security.
Professor Ben-Israel was a member of the 17th Knesset (Israeli Parliament) between June 2007 and February 2009. During this period he was a member of the Security and Foreign Affairs Committee, the Finance Committee, the Science & Technology committee, the Chairman of the Homeland Security Sub Committee and the Chairman of the Israeli–Indian Parliamentary Friendship Association.
Isaac Ben Israel was a member of the board of directors of IAI (2000-2002), the board of the Israel Corp. (2004-2007) and the R&D advisory board of TEVA (2003-2007) and Chairman of the Technion Entrepreneurial Incubator (2007).
Professor Ben-Israel has written numerous papers on military and security issues. His book Dialogues on Science and Military Intelligence (1989) won the Itzhak-Sade Award for Military Literature. His book on The Philosophy of Military Intelligence had been published by the Broadcast University (1999) and has been translated into French (2004). His book Science, Technology and Security: From Soldiers in Combat up to Outer Space, was published in 2006.
Current Positions
- Chairman of Israel Space Agency (since 2005).
- Head of the Tel-Aviv University Workshop for Science, Technology and Security (since 2002).
- Member of the board of Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies (since 2000)
- Member of the advisory council of Neaman Institute for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology at the Technion (since 2000)
- Member of the Scientific Committee of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Technological Analysis and forecasting at Tel-Aviv University (since 2004)
- Member of the academic council of Afeka - Tel-Aviv Academic College of Engineering (since 2003)
- Member of the Board of Trustees of Ariel University Centre
- Founder and CEO of RAY TOP Technologies (since 2003)
Prizes and Awards
1972 Israel Defence Award, for developing an airborne weapon delivery system for F-4E.
1976 Israel Air Force Award, for developing a C¬¬¬¬4 system.
1984 IDF Director of military Intelligence Prize for Creative Thinking.
1990 Itzhak-Sade Award for Military Literature, for the book Dialogues on Science and Military Intelligence.
2001 Israel Defence Award (Second time), for a project introducing a new concept of future warfare.
2002 Singapore Defence Technology Distinguished Award for his "outstanding contribution to bilateral defence relations between Israel and Singapore".
2008 Lions "Man of Excellence", for his contribution to Israel Security.
