Seth J. Frantzman

Seth J. Frantzman is the senior Middle East Correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post. He has covered the war against Islamic State, several Gaza wars, the conflict in Ukraine, refugee crises in Eastern Europe, and also reported from Iraq, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Senegal, the UAE, Ukraine, and Russia since 2011. He is the author of three books: The October 7 War: Israel's Battle for Security in Gaza (2024), Drone Wars: Pioneers, Killing Machines, Artificial Intelligence, and the Battle for the Future (2021), and After ISIS: America, Iran and the Struggle for the Middle East (2019). He is an adjunct fellow at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).

Born in Maine, he received his Ph.D from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2010. He previously served as a research associate at the Rubin Center for Research in International Affairs at the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya and a lecturer in American Studies at Al-Quds University. He is Executive Director of The Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis and was a Ginsburg/Milstein Writing Fellow at the Middle East Forum. Frantzman has conducted research and worked for the JDC, The Shalem Center, the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies, and as a Post-Doctoral at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was a Congressional intern for Congressman Jim Kolbe while studying at The University of Arizona. 

He is a public speaker and frequent guest on various media as well as a contributor to Defense News, The Hill, The Spectator, and The National Interest, among other publications. His current interests include regional security and geopolitics. 


U.S. President Donald Trump speaks while meeting with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York City, New York, U.S., September 23, 2019.

Egyptian President Sisi invites Trump to signing ceremony if peace deal completed

Members of electoral colleges pose for a photo, on the day they vote for their candidates of the new Syrian Parliament since Bashar al-Assad's government was toppled, in Damascus, Syria, October 5, 2025.

Syria’s first post-Assad elections test path to democracy - analysis

A member of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stands guard as Syrian Kurds attend a protest in solidarity with people in Sweida, on July 17, 2025.

Can Syria prevent a new crisis with Kurds from developing? - analysis


Reporter's Notebook: The landscape of the Gaza Border shifted two years after the Oct. 7 massacre

On October 7, 2023, this road was strewn with burned vehicles, cars full of bullet holes, and dead bodies. On Tuesday, all was quiet.

A memorial ceremony at the Nova festival marking two years since the October 7 massacre when Hamas terrorists infiltrated southern Israel, murdering more than 1200 people. October 07, 2025.

Houthi figures may have connections to Al-Qaeda, other terror groups, UAE media reveals - analysis

Al-Hassan al-Marani is named as “the Houthi man weaving a network of militia connections in terrorism." He oversaw the release of al-Qaeda members after subjecting them to military programs.

Protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, demonstrate to show support to Palestinians in Gaza at Sabeen Square in Sanaa, Yemen August 29, 2025.

Kurdish medical aid reaches Druze in southern Syria

Kurdish-Druze solidarity is growing in post-Assad Syria as Sweida experiences a humanitarian crisis.

 A BEDOUIN fighter walks with a weapon near damaged cars and buildings in Sweida, Syria, this past Saturday. The Druze are under siege once again, the writer asserts.

Palestinian official ‘reveals’ Cairo discussions about post-war cooperation

Multiple Palestinian factions, including Hamas and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, recently met in Egypt to discuss cooperation.

 Members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) carry banners and flags during a march marking the annual al-Quds Day, (Jerusalem Day), at Burj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon April 5, 2024.

Syria moves forward with first post-Assad elections

Syria’s new transitional government doesn’t control all of Syria, meaning that it will be difficult to hold elections in some areas.

Members of electoral colleges pose for a photo, on the day they vote for their candidates of the new Syrian Parliament since Bashar al-Assad's government was toppled, in Damascus, Syria, October 5, 2025.

As Gaza war looms, Israel faces impending crisis on Egyptian border and the West Bank - analysis

The West Bank and the Egyptian border have the potential to boil over if certain threats are not addressed - and the issues are different in each place.

 Israeli security forces seen during a military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, February 25, 2025.

How US President Donald Trump is boxing Israel, Hamas into a Gaza deal - analysis

To get to “yes” on both sides, Trump reached into his toolbox of his concept of dealmaking - as well as his own doctrine about big ideas and peace in the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump in the Oval office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, September 30, 2025

What can we learn from Israel's peaceful interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla? - analysis

In the end, the Israeli Navy appears to have carried out a well coordinated and peaceful interception of the vessels - and this was a complex task.

Israeli Navy vessels escort a vessel from the Global Sumud Flotilla to Ashdod Port, in southern Israel, October 2, 2025.

Iran’s Larijani pushes Hezbollah to rebuild, in warning to Israel and US - analysis

Iran is sending signals that Nasrallah’s passing does not mean that Iran cannot back Hezbollah - instead, new 'Nasrallahs' will arise.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani speaks after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, in Beirut, Lebanon August 13, 2025

Gaza-bound Flotilla estimated to be one day from Gaza, may arrive on Yom Kippur

The Flotilla has grown since it left Spain on September 1. It has around 20 boats that left Spain and 20 from Italy, as well as several from Greece. Most of the vessels are sailboats.

FILE PHOTO: Crew interacts from aboard a boat, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla aiming to reach Gaza and break Israel's naval blockade, as it sails off Koufonisi islet, Greece, September 26, 2025.