Shira Efron to Rejoin RAND as Distinguished RAND Israel Policy Chair
For Release
Thursday
August 14, 2025
Shira Efron
Photo by Diane Baldwin/RAND
Shira Efron, a leading expert in Israeli and Middle Eastern affairs, will return to RAND as the new Distinguished RAND Israel Policy Chair, established by The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation and The Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation.
Efron brings two decades of experience in policy analysis and research, having previously led RAND's Israel Program from 2016 to 2022.
Most recently, Efron served as director of research and the Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation senior fellow at the Israel Policy Forum. She has also advised Israel's Ministry of Defense and its National Security Council and cochaired the subgroup on regional cooperation for Israel's president's climate forum. She also held roles at the Center for American Progress, the Middle East Institute, and the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, and was a consultant for the United Nations Country Team in Jerusalem, where she focused on Gaza.
“Shira's return to RAND marks a significant moment for RAND as we work to expand our focus on Israel and the Middle East amid ongoing conflict and change in the region,” said Jason Matheny, president and CEO of RAND. “Her insight and experience will be invaluable as we navigate complex issues affecting U.S. interests in the region and seek fresh solutions to longstanding challenges.”
Efron holds a doctorate and master's degree in policy analysis from the RAND School of Public Policy, a master's degree in international relations and international business from New York University, and a bachelor's degree in biology with a minor in computer science from Tel Aviv University.
She has published widely in leading outlets, including Foreign Affairs and the New York Times, and is regularly quoted in the Washington Post, National Public Radio, and the Wall Street Journal.
“I am excited to return to RAND to spearhead research in and on Israel, as well as the greater Middle East,” said Efron. “As a nonpartisan research institution, with tremendous regional and functional expertise, RAND is uniquely positioned to address the most critical security, political, social, and economic challenges plaguing the region today.”
Efron will rejoin RAND on August 18 and will be based in Tel Aviv.