FDD Welcomes Oren Kessler as New Deputy Director of Research

Washington, D.C. – The Foundation for Defense of Democracies welcomed Oren Kessler this week as its newest Deputy Director of Research. Kessler will play a pivotal role in FDD’s demand-driven research, while also helping to shape the output of FDD’s senior fellows and research staff. Kessler will also produce published work on Egyptian politics and extremism in the Sinai Peninsula. 

 “We are very excited to have Oren join our team. His skills will help us maximize output from our team of experts, while also contributing significantly as a scholar in his own right,” said Jonathan Schanzer, FDD’s vice president for research. “Oren brings valuable experience as both a journalist and think tank analyst.”

Prior to joining FDD, Kessler served as a Middle East research fellow at The Henry Jackson Society, a London-based think tank. He was also the Arab affairs correspondent for The Jerusalem Post and a writer, editor, and translator for Haaretz English edition. Kessler’s work has been published in major news outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, Politico, The New Republic, The Weekly Standard, and Middle East Quarterly.  He has also testified before the British and European Union parliaments as an expert on Middle East issues.

Kessler holds a B.A. in history from the University of Toronto and an M.A. in diplomacy and conflict studies from the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel. 

“FDD is a preeminent think tank for research in the Middle East, and we are delighted to have an expert with Oren’s background join the team to ensure FDD maintains the highest standards of scholarship,” said FDD Executive Director Mark Dubowitz.

About the Foundation for Defense of Democracies:
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)3 policy institute focusing on foreign policy and national security. Founded in 2001, FDD combines policy research, democracy and counterterrorism education, strategic communications and investigative journalism in support of its mission to promote pluralism, defend democratic values and fight the ideologies that drive terrorism. Visit our website at www.defenddemocracy.org and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

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