Lt. Col. (Res.) Adv. Avi Kalo
Fellow, International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT), Reichman University; Chief Terror Negotiator & Regional Lead, Aerospace & Defense, Frost & Sullivan; Former Head of MIA Dept., IDF Intelligence
LTC (Res.) Avi Kalo, is an Associate Fellow at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT), Reichman University, Herzliya. He has retired from active service in the IDF after 25 years operating at the core of the collection, operation and Analysis hub of the Israeli Intelligence Community in numerous management and command positions. LTC Adv. Kalo is a Legal Counter-terrorism expert and negotiation and Crisis Management specialist with over 20 years of experience at consulting in Conflict resolution.
In his prior position as Head of MIA (Missing in Action), a Department at the IDF intelligence branch, LTC Adv. Kalo was initiated and led the Historic and, highly complicated Operation to locate and repatriate the remains of SSG Zachary Baumel, a Missing IDF soldier from the First Lebanon war (1982). This operation has led six year later to the historic repatriation of another missing soldier from the exact same battle, 42 years later, SSG Zvi Feldman.
Due to his skills and unique knowledge, LTC Adv. Kalo was heading the National negotiating MIA Team vis-à-vis Hamas, working closely as Deputy to the PM’s Coordinator for MIA. Also, LTC Adv. Kalo was the Legal Pivot for this sensitive Campaign in Israel and abroad. Before that time, LTC Adv. Kalo was involved in numerous successful high-profile hostage negotiations (2000-2010) confronting Hezbullah.
LTC Adv. Kalo holds knowledge and practical know-how in International Law, due to his service as Legal Advisor to the IDF Southern Command and to the Military Intelligence Branch. He is a former Member at the prestigious International Law Department at the IDF Military Judge Advocate Command (JAG). In that post, LTC Adv. Kalo has set the established a methodology and practice legal of providing legal Advising advice for warfare practices during Operation “Cast Lead” (2009) in Gaza, for the first time at IDF history. In addition, he is one of the pioneers in establishing a Multi-national Counter-Terrorism Law apparatus, in collaboration with relevant agencies at the U.S and Europe and holds vast legal experience and practice with regard to public international law. This experience encompasses regional border agreements and security arrangements, including in the Palestinian arena.
LTC Adv. Kalo’s outstanding military-legal career included legal support to the U.S. Department of Justice in the successful flagship prosecution of a senior Hamas figures in from the “Holy Land Foundation” case, who was all of whom were convicted from providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, among other terrorism related violations.
Currently, LTC Adv. Kalo plays key-role in the American growth consulting and advisory firm, Frost & Sullivan, as a Director at Global Aerospace & Defense Practice. As such, LTC Adv. Kalo holds a has vast business experience and expertise with regard to defense markets, business models and particular military technological domains, as he engages leading defense OEMs globally and regionally, following the Abraham Accords era. LTC Adv. Kalo is deeply involved in the local Israeli defense-tech scene. Among other engagements, LTC Adv. Kalo is mentoring startups at IAI accelerator program, facilitated by Starburst.
LTC Adv. Kalo appears regularly on Israeli media, as an Op-ed columnist in the leading newspaper Yediot Aharonot and its Ynet website, and appears as a commentator at Channel 12 News for national security matters.
In the early stages of the unprecedented hostage crisis in Gaza, LTC Adv. Kalo has joined the negotiation experts’ team at the Civilian Hostage Families HQ in Tel Aviv, advising on strategic planning, public messaging, and operational aspects, while engaging key-decision-makers in Israel and abroad on behalf of the families. As such and as part of his media activities, LTC Adv. Kalo was deeply involved in setting the public tone and the narrative for the swift return of hostages back home.
LTC Adv. Kalo holds a bachelor’s degree in law (LLB) and business administration (BA) from Reichman University and Master’s degree in law (LLM, Cum Laude) from UC Berkeley, California, in collaboration with Tel Aviv University. He has also graduated the with an Executive MBA degree (Recanati Program) from Tel Aviv University.
