Col. (Ret.) Guy Itzhaki
Research Fellow, International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT), Reichman University; Former Chief of the Consciousness Department, IDF General Staff; Former Head of the Terrorism Division, IDF Intelligence Directorate
Col. (Res.) Guy Itzhaki is a Research Fellow at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) at Reichman University, specializing in intelligence, national security, counter-terrorism, strategic messaging, and regional security issues, particularly concerning Hezbollah and the broader Middle East.
Col. (Res.) Itzhaki served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for over two decades, holding various leadership positions in intelligence and counter-terrorism. Most recently, he served as the Chief of the Consciousness Department at the IDF General Staff (2021–2024), where he acted as the “CEO” of the division responsible for owning the national and international consciousness to deliver coherent, integrated messaging and narrative strategies. From 2018 to 2020, he headed the Terrorism Division within the Research Department of the Intelligence Directorate at the IDF General Staff, overseeing in-depth analyses of global and regional terrorist threats. Between 2016 and 2018, he served as an Intelligence Division Officer, and from 2014 to 2016, he was Head of the Division at the Intelligence Unit in the Northern Command, where he was in charge of intelligence for Lebanon and Hezbollah. Earlier, from 2012 to 2014, he served as the Intelligence Assistant to the Chief of General Staff, providing critical intelligence support for decision-making at the highest levels.
His areas of specialization include counter-terrorism, intelligence analysis, strategic narrative development, emergency messaging, and national security policy.
Col. (Res.) Itzhaki holds an M.A. in National Security and Public Policy from the University of Haifa as part of his studies at the Israel National Defense College (INDC). He also earned a B.A. in Security, Diplomacy, and Strategy from Reichman University.
Throughout his military and academic career, he completed a range of prestigious professional courses, including the Intelligence Officers Course, Advanced Research Course, Division Commanders Course, National Security Course, Operational Staff Course, and a prestigious course for Lieutenant Colonels in the IDF.
Col. (Res.) Itzhaki is the author of the book Hezbollah: An Organization with a Leader and a State, providing an in-depth analysis of Hezbollah’s unique structure, strategies, and geopolitical role.
