Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs

The Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA) is an Israeli independent nonprofit research and policy institute based in Jerusalem. It was established in 1976 by political scientist Daniel Elazar under the name Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA). The organization was created to study major political, civic, communal, and strategic questions affecting Israel and the Jewish people. In October 2024, it adopted its current name, reflecting an effort to broaden its identity from a conventional public-affairs think tank into an institution combining policy research, diplomacy, strategic initiatives, and communications. The center's work covers Israeli security, Arab-Israeli relations, international diplomacy, Jewish political life, antisemitism, international law, and the activities of nongovernmental organizations. Its stated approach is apolitical, although outside observers and media reports have commonly characterized it as conservative or strongly pro-Israel in orientation. The center works through research institutes, policy publications, conferences, multilingual media channels, and relationships with research institutions and governments around the world. Its activities also include engagement with Arab countries with which Israel has not historically maintained formal diplomatic relations. JCFA's institutional structure developed from two earlier components. The Center for Jewish Community Studies, founded in 1970, examined the political and communal implications of Jewish life. The Jerusalem Institute for Federal Studies, established in 1976, conducted research related to Arab-Israeli peace and federal political arrangements. These bodies were incorporated into the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, giving the organization a combined focus on Jewish public affairs and regional policy. The institute is associated with several specialized programs. Its Institute for Contemporary Affairs, established jointly with the Wechsler Family Foundation, produces policy material on current Israeli security and diplomatic questions, including Jerusalem Issue Briefs, Jerusalem Viewpoints, and the twice-yearly Strategic Perspectives series. The Institute for Global Jewish Affairs was established in 2008 in response to growing international antisemitism. It has been connected with the Post-Holocaust and Anti-Semitism Project and a related monthly publication. JCFA also publishes the Jewish Political Studies Review, a biannual journal covering Jewish political institutions, political thought, public affairs, and communal behavior. An initiative that originated within the organization was NGO Monitor, founded in 2002 to assess the public reporting and advocacy of international nongovernmental organizations from a pro-Israel perspective. NGO Monitor became institutionally independent from the center in 2007. This relationship remains part of JCFA's organizational history, but NGO Monitor is not the same entity as JCFA. The institute's physical headquarters is Beit Milken in Jerusalem's Greek Colony neighborhood. The historic building previously housed the Embassy of Uruguay. After Uruguay moved its embassy to Tel Aviv in 1980, the building was restored for the center. In 1989, the approximately 1,200-ton structure was moved 16 meters along rails to its present location, an unusual episode in Jerusalem's architectural history. Leadership has included Israeli diplomat Dore Gold, who headed the organization from 2000 to 2015, took a leave of absence to serve as director-general of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and returned as president in October 2016. In 2023, former American diplomat Jason Greenblatt joined the organization as senior director for Arab-Israel diplomacy. Following the 2024 rebranding, Dr. Dan Diker is president, Sagiv Steinberg is director general, and Aviram Bellaish is vice president. The center remains an active producer of policy research and public commentary on Israel's strategic environment, diplomacy, Jewish affairs, and international criticism of Israel.

The Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs began in 1976 as the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, an independent nonprofit institute founded by political scientist Daniel Elazar. Its original purpose was to investigate policy questions affecting Israel and the Jewish people. The organization brought together the Center for Jewish Community Studies, founded in 1970 to examine Jewish political and communal life, and the Jerusalem Institute for Federal Studies, founded in 1976 to study political approaches to Arab-Israeli peace. Elazar personally raised much of the funding needed to operate the organization and restore its Jerusalem headquarters. The center occupies Beit Milken, a historic building in the Greek Colony. The property had housed Uruguay's embassy from 1957 until Uruguay moved its diplomatic mission to Tel Aviv in 1980. In 1989, the roughly 1,200-ton structure was transported 16 meters on rails to its current position, enabling the site to be preserved and adapted. During the 2000s, the institute expanded its research portfolio and international profile. In 2002 it created NGO Monitor, an organization that analyzes the work and public output of international nongovernmental organizations from a pro-Israel perspective. NGO Monitor became independent from the center in 2007. In 2008, the center established the Institute for Global Jewish Affairs in response to increasing international antisemitism. That institute was associated with the Post-Holocaust and Anti-Semitism Project and its monthly publication, which examine antisemitism and related historical and contemporary issues. The Institute for Contemporary Affairs became another major vehicle for the center's work. Created jointly with the Wechsler Family Foundation, it publishes short policy formats and longer studies on current Israeli security and diplomatic questions. Its output has included Jerusalem Issue Briefs, Jerusalem Viewpoints, and the twice-yearly Strategic Perspectives series. The organization also publishes the Jewish Political Studies Review, a biannual journal focused on Jewish political institutions, political thought, public affairs, and communal behavior. Dore Gold led the organization from 2000 until 2015, when he took a leave of absence to become director-general of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He returned as president in October 2016. The institute's public profile during this period was shaped by its emphasis on Israel's security requirements, Jerusalem, international law, antisemitism, and criticism of international organizations. Media coverage has frequently described it as conservative or pro-Israel, while the organization itself has characterized its work as apolitical and internationally engaged. The center drew controversy in 2014 after publishing Joseph Spoerl's essay on Palestinians, Arabs, and the Holocaust. The article presented an academic-style argument that Haj Amin al-Husseini had persuaded Hitler to move from an expulsion policy toward systematic extermination. Critics maintained that the specific causal claim was not supported by direct evidence and connected the publication to a wider political dispute after Benjamin Netanyahu made a similar assertion. The episode became part of public debate about the institute's political orientation and historical interpretation. The organization has also used conferences and diplomatic outreach to engage audiences beyond Israel. A 2014 conference on Europe and Israel addressed economic ties, security, antisemitism, and the BDS movement. According to its leadership, the center seeks contact with Arab states and societies even where formal relations with Israel have been absent. In 2023, former American diplomat Jason Greenblatt joined as senior director for Arab-Israel diplomacy. In October 2024, the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs changed its name to the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs. The rebranding signaled a broader institutional mission centered on policy, diplomacy, strategic communication, and security. The current leadership identified in available reference material consists of President Dr. Dan Diker, Director General Sagiv Steinberg, and Vice President Aviram Bellaish.

• 2024

  Organization renamed JCFA

  [1]Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairsen.wikipedia.org

  The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs adopted the name Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs to reflect an expanded policy and diplomatic mission.

• 2014

  Europe and Israel conference held

  [1]Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairsen.wikipedia.org

  The center convened a conference on European-Israeli relations, economic issues, security, antisemitism, and the BDS movement.

• 2008

  Institute for Global Jewish Affairs established

  [1]Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairsen.wikipedia.org

  The center created a specialized institute to address international antisemitism and related Jewish affairs issues.

• 2007

  NGO Monitor becomes independent

  [1]Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairsen.wikipedia.org

  NGO Monitor separated institutionally from the center and continued as an independent organization.

• 2002

  NGO Monitor founded

  [1]Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairsen.wikipedia.org

  The organization created NGO Monitor to assess international nongovernmental organizations from a pro-Israel perspective.

• 1989

  Beit Milken moved to its present site

  [1]Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairsen.wikipedia.org

  The historic headquarters building was moved 16 meters on rails as part of its preservation and restoration.

• 1976

  Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs founded

  [1]Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairsen.wikipedia.org

  Daniel Elazar established the independent nonprofit institute to study policy issues affecting Israel and the Jewish people.

• 1970

  Center for Jewish Community Studies established

  [1]Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairsen.wikipedia.org

  The Center for Jewish Community Studies was founded to examine the political, civic, and communal dimensions of Jewish life and later became one of the institutional components of the JCPA.

An Israel-focused, policy-oriented nonprofit institute combining security and foreign-affairs research with Jewish public-affairs analysis, diplomatic engagement, and strategic communications. The center presents itself as apolitical, while external commentary often places it within Israel's conservative or pro-Israel policy ecosystem.

• Academic journal

  Jewish Political Studies Review

  A biannual journal devoted to Jewish political institutions and behavior, Jewish political thought, and Jewish public affairs. It represents the center's longer-form scholarly publishing activity and complements its shorter policy briefs and public commentary.

• Policy brief series

  Jerusalem Issue Briefs

  A policy publication series produced through the Institute for Contemporary Affairs. The briefs address current issues in Israeli security, diplomacy, international law, and regional affairs in a concise format intended for policymakers and informed public audiences.

• Policy publication

  Jerusalem Viewpoints

  A publication format associated with the Institute for Contemporary Affairs that presents analysis and argument on Jerusalem, Israel's foreign relations, security questions, and related international policy debates.

• Strategic research series

  Strategic Perspectives

  A twice-yearly series presenting studies on Israeli security and diplomacy. Contributions are developed through the Institute for Contemporary Affairs and its contributing-editor network.

• Research project · 2008

  Post-Holocaust and Anti-Semitism Project

  A research and publication initiative associated with the Institute for Global Jewish Affairs. It examines historical and contemporary antisemitism, Holocaust-related interpretation, and the international conditions affecting Jewish communities.

• 2014

  Controversy over the Mufti and Holocaust causation article

  Joseph Spoerl published an article through the then-Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs arguing that Haj Amin al-Husseini had decisively influenced Hitler's adoption of the Final Solution. Critics disputed the historical evidence for that specific causal claim and noted its similarity to a statement made by Benjamin Netanyahu. The controversy contributed to debate over the institute's political orientation and historical scholarship.

  Source

Read more

• 2014Europe and Israel: A New Paradigm

  Israel · Europe

  A public conference examining the relationship between Israel and Europe, including economic ties, security, antisemitism, and the BDS movement.

  Outcome. The event attracted substantial attendance and coverage in Israeli and international Jewish and Christian media.

  Source

• 2024

  Rebrand as the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign AffairsStrategy

  Background

  The institute sought to describe a mission extending beyond traditional public-affairs research into security, diplomacy, strategic initiatives, and communications.

  Action taken

  In October 2024, it changed its name from Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs to Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.

  Aftermath

  The organization continued operating under the JCFA name with a broader stated institutional remit.

  Source

• 2007

  Separate NGO Monitor from the centerStrategy

  Background

  NGO Monitor had been created within the organization in 2002 to analyze international nongovernmental organizations.

  Action taken

  The initiative became institutionally independent from JCFA.

  Aftermath

  NGO Monitor continued operating as a separate Jerusalem-based organization.

  Source

1. 1Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs official websitejcfa.org