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Senior Researcher & Head of the Terrorism Prosecution Desk, International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT), Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), Herzliya, Israel Col.(Ret.) Jonathan Fighel served in various operational and field positions in the Intelligence Gathering and Research Department of the Intelligence Corps of the IDF. Since 1999 Jonathan Fighel is a senior research scholar and Director of the Intelligence Assistance for Terrorism Prosecution Department at ICT, IDC Herzliya-Israel. He is an expert on Palestinian terror organization, counter-terrorism, and Middle East affairs. Col. Fighel holds M.A degree in Middle East Studies from Tel Aviv University and combines academic and operational experience in combating terrorism. He has extensive counter-terrorism experience, expert on the Palestinian Authority, Islamist organizations (Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al-Qaeda) the Palestinian suicide terrorism phenomenon and funding terrorism, the use of the Internet and a tool for propaganda, recruitment fundraising, and as a radicalization catalyst regarding the “homegrown” terrorism phenomenon. He is also a member of the International Academic Counter Terrorism Community (ICTAC). A media commentator on security counter-terrorism, he has lectured in a number of universities and law enforcement agencies around the world, including the US, India, Italy, Singapore, Turkey, Australia, Spain and Germany. Col. Fighel is frequently invited for lectures and orientation courses in IDF, Israel National Police, The Border Police, Israeli Security Agency (ISA), FBI, N.Y Police, TSA, Scotland Yard, London police and NATO- COE-DAT Center of Excellence Defense Against Terrorism in Turkey. The Israeli Defense Minister appoints him as a member of academic and governmental research teams on Palestinian suicide bombers and was a consulting member of the Minister of Transportation’s advisory team.
