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Dr. Meir Elran is a senior research fellow and head of the Homeland Security Program, the research program on the Arab citizens in Israel and the Society–Military Program of INSS. Brig. Gen. (ret.) Elran served in the IDF as a career officer for 24 years in senior command and staff positions, primarily in the Military Intelligence Directorate. His last post was deputy director of Military Intelligence (1987-1989).
Brig. Gen. (ret.) Elran took an active role in the peace talks with Egypt and was an active member of the military delegation to the peace talks with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Following his retirement for the military Elran served as the chief of staff of the Tel Aviv municipality and afterwards as a senior consultant for strategic planning for several government offices, including the Ministry of Defense, Education, Internal Security, and the National Security Council.
Elran's main areas of academic research are homeland security, disaster management, and societal resilience in face of protracted terror. He has published numerous papers on these subjects and edited several memoranda and volumes, among these: The Second Lebanon War: Strategic Perspectives (with Shlomo Brom, published by Yediot Ahronot and INSS in 2007); Societal Resilience (with Alexander McLellan, published in 2012 by the Homeland Security and Analysis Institute in the US); and The IDF Strategy in the Perspective of National Security (with Siboni and Michael, published in 2016 by INSS).
Elran holds BA degree from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in Political Science and Middle East Studies (1965), MA degree from Indiana University in International Relations and Russian Studies (1970), and PhD in Political Science from the Haifa University (2017). Dr. Elran is also the founder and head of the MA program for national security with the department of public policy at the Sapir Academic College and teaches at the University of Chicago in the Committee on International Relations (CIR).
Meir Elran
Senior Research Fellow, head of the Program on Homeland Security and the Program on Socio-Military Relations
meiryelran@gmail.com
03-640-0400050-524-4584
Publications
All publicationsNational Strategic Communications: Lessons from Operation Guardian of the Walls
During the recent operation in Gaza, many problems emerged with regard to Israel’s strategic communications vis-à-vis both domestic and external audiences. What lapses emerged in Operation Guardian of the Walls? How can they be corrected, and how can strategic communications overall be improved before the next campaign? How can the sense within the Israeli public that “the communications campaign failed, yet once more” be prevented?
20/06/2021Ra'am Joins the Government Coalition: Paving a Path to Jewish-Arab Political Partnership?
Beyond the change of power, Israel’s 36th government marks a historic precedent, when for the first time an Arab party joined the coalition. Now the question is, how can the move survive the tests expected of the new government, and facilitate the formation of a strong and real partnership between the sectors in the future?
17/06/2021Operation Guardian of the Walls: Lessons for the Civilian Front
4,360 rockers were launched from Gaza toward Israel during the 11-day operation, but the Israeli public displayed strong societal resilience and the various civilian systems functioned as necessary. At the same time, there are still lapses that must be addressed regarding the preparedness of the civilian front, particularly in advance of a potential campaign in the north, which is likely to be much more difficult than the recent round in Gaza
02/06/2021Jewish-Arab Relations in Israel, April-May 2021
The riots that erupted during Operation Guardian of the Walls in Israel’s mixed Jewish and Arab cities did not emerge in a vacuum, and were, rather, an outgrowth of years of social and political discrimination, deprivation, and inequity. Now that the violence has ebbed, the Arab and Jewish publics, and their leaderships in particular, must act fervently to mitigate the prevailing tensions and repair the existing situation, so that the cycle of violence does not recur
31/05/2021The Disaster on Mount Meron: A Profound Structural Change is Needed in the Israeli System
The deaths of 45 people this year at the annual celebration on Mount Meron – like the Covid-19 crisis – exposed serious lapses in governance in Israel and must be investigated thoroughly. What is important now is not to examine only the specific circumstances that led to the most recent disaster, but to undertake a thorough review that will lead to structural changes in Israel society and government. Only this way will it be possible to avert the next mass disaster
10/05/2021Curtailing the Violence in Israel’s Arab Society: Comparison of the Plans Drafted by the Arab Leadership and the Israeli Government
Violence in Israel’s Arab sector claimed the lives of 113 individuals in 2020. Two plans to tackle the severe problem are on the table, but their implementation is likely to encounter may obstacles. This article proposes steps for the near and medium terms, with the goal of arresting the ongoing bloodshed and cycles of violence
22/02/2021