About the Forum

The FSD is a unique vehicle for informal consultations between Europe and Israel's top governmental officials and experts and allows for out-of-the-box problem-solving thinking in the fields of defence, security, foreign affairs and economy. In so doing, the FSD contributes to the development of policy, based on the mutual understanding of European and Israeli strategic environments, needs and common interests.

Mission

Promote dialogue between Israeli and European officials and experts involved in the fields of national security and foreign policy
Enhance mutual understanding and joint interests
Establish professional ties and personal relations between Israeli and European decision-makers involved in policymaking, in order to contribute to the development of common perceptions and perspectives

The first Strategic Dialogue was spearheaded in 2010 between French and Israeli actors. The success of this event led to collaboration with prestigious European and Israeli research centers and governmental institutions, and the establishment of the FSD in 2013 as an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit, and non-partisan organization. Today the FSD hosts annual meetings between Israel and key European countries—France, Germany, the UK and Poland, as well as with the EU. The FSD also hosted in 2014 a NATO-Israel Cooperation Event in partnership with NATO.

Executive Staff

Mr. Eran Etzion - FSD Executive Director

Previously the Head of Policy Planning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; former Deputy Head of the National Security Council; extensive experience in the fields of strategy, policy planning and diplomatic execution across all dimensions of national and international security; led strategic and policy planning dialogues between Israel and its major international allies and counterparts including the US, China, Russia, France, Britain, and Germany; BA (Hons) in Philosophy and Far Eastern Studies from the Hebrew University; and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

Members

Mr. François Heisbourg - France

Chairman, Council of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy; Chairman, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), London; Special Adviser, Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique (FRS), Paris. His career has included senior positions in government: Mr Heisbourg was a member of the French mission to the UN and an international Security Adviser to the Minister of Defence. He has sat on a number of national and international blue-ribbon bodies. Most recently, this included the French Defence and National Security White Paper, the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, the International Commission on the Balkans, and the EU Commission’s group of personalities on security research and development.

Brig. Gen. (ret.) Michael Herzog - Israel

International Fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Over the last decade, General Herzog held senior positions in the office of Israel’s Defence Minister under four different Defense Ministers: Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence (2006 -2009), and Senior Military Aide to the Minister of Defence (2001-2004). He was a Visiting Military Fellow at the Washington Institute (2004-2006). He participated in most of Israel’s negotiations with the Palestinians, Jordanians, and Syrians in recent years. He served as Special Emissary for the Peace Process to Israel’s Prime Minister and Minister of Defence (2009-2010).

Dr. Bruno Tertrais - France

Deputy Director, La Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique (FRS), Paris. In 2007-2008, he was a member of the French presidential commission on the White Paper on Defence and Security, as well as a member of the French ministerial commission on the White Paper on Foreign and European policy. From October 1996 to August 2001, Dr Tertrais was Special Assistant to the Director of Strategic Affairs at the French Ministry of Defence and prior to that, a visiting fellow at the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica. He served as Director of the Civilian Affairs Committee at the NATO Assembly. He holds a Doctorate of Political Science from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris. In 2010, he was awarded the Vauban Prize for his distinguished career.