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.
New border clashes expose Israel’s confused Syria policy as region heats up - analysis
Gaza ceasefire's Catch-22: Hamas delays disarmament as it calls for IDF withdrawal - analysis
Doha Forum draws world leaders, but Gaza war puts negative spotlight on Qatar - analysis
Inside Bashar al-Assad's exile in Moscow, a year since ouster from Syria - analysis
Assad is said to be living a life of reclusion in Moscow, but rumors say he is also doing business, while his brother plots a return.
One year after Assad's fall: New Syrian leadership celebrates, but deep internal rifts persist
Celebrations also appear muted in Suwayda, the Druze region that Israel has pledged to defend from the new government. The Druze historically had a complex relationship with the Assad regime.
Sharaa begins pushing back on Israeli demands, decries Syria's 'dangerous position' - analysis
Ahmed al-Sharaa remained relatively quiet on Israel issues. However, at the annual Doha Forum, he spoke about the challenges from Damascus’ perspective.
Christmas returns to Bethlehem after two years of silent nights
As Christmas returns to the city where it began, Bethlehem moves to reconstruct its tourism industry.
Hezbollah will not disarm without Iranian consent, Lebanon's top diplomat warns
Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji added that Hezbollah's current concern is to "buy time and preserve itself internally in order to regain its power."
Is a consensus on Gaza emerging among Arab states at Doha Forum? - analysis
Officials from various Arab states seem to agree that the Gaza deal must move to the next phase, but are unwilling to send their own personnel to contribute.
What does Trump’s National Security Strategy mean for Israel, Iran, and Gaza? - analysis
Clearly, the White House will not welcome more wars between Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah, or Iran.
Yasser Abu Shabab's killing raises questions about Israel's militia strategy in Gaza - explainer
The Abu Shabab militia is a result of a short-sighted Israeli policy that doesn’t seem to want to see a legitimate and stable Gaza governance emerge.
Drones hit Iraq's Khor Mor gas field, Baghdad deploys air defense in Kurdish region
This reflects a longstanding paradox in Iraq, a country with vast oil reserves that should be able to cover its electricity needs.
Will Israel's new talks with Lebanon prevent another war with Hezbollah? - analysis
Lebanon will need to see if it can move forward with disarming Hezbollah. Israel may also need to explain what it means by “disarmament.”