Raanan Eliaz

Ra'anan Eliaz (born January 1975) is Founding Director of the Europe-Israel Network. From its inception and until 2017, Eliaz led ELNET and the Forum of Strategic Dialogue. Previously, he served on the Israeli National Security Council of Israel, AIPAC in Washington, D.C., and the European Friends of Israel in Brussels. 
Born to a Zionist family, Eliaz’s parents were educated in the Kibbutz movement and volunteered as youth to establish the Hashomer Hatzair kibbutzim: Sha’ar Ha-Golan, Gesher Haziv, and Alumot. As adults, they belonged to the founding nucleus of the Beit Horon settlement. 
Eliaz served as a combat medic in Israeli Air Force Rescue Unit 699 and Nahal Reconnaissance Squadron. He completed a bachelor's degree at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a master's degree at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. In 2002, he published a thesis, "The Role of the European Union in the Resolution of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict."
=== Service in the National Security Council ===
In 2005-2007, Eliaz served as Senior Coordinator for Foreign Policy under National Security Adviser at the time, Maj. Gen. Giora Eiland, reporting to the late Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and later to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Eliaz assisted in preparing the National Security Adviser for strategic dialogues, which inspired him to create the Forum of Strategic Dialogue, a few years later.
=== Establishment and management of the European Leadership Network (ELNET) ===
Eliaz founded ELNET in June 2007, first in Brussels, and later in other European capitals - Madrid, Spain (2008), Paris, France (2010), Berlin, Germany (2013), and Warsaw, Poland (2015). Eliaz also founded ELNET in Israel (2010) and the Forum for Strategic Dialogue (2013) as an offspring of ELNET. Mr. Ofer Bozo, a strategic consultant, accompanied the establishment and development of the network. 
ELNET’s major focus was to encourage civilian political activism, to strengthen Europe's ties with Israel. Eliaz created unique partnerships with the foreign offices and ministries of defense of France, Germany, Spain, and Poland. He initiated establishment of ELNET’s Brussels office in order to enhance and cultivate relations with NATO and the European Parliament; increased the number of delegation visits; and developed a more visible role at the Munich Security Conference, Herzliya Conference, and The Brussels Forum of the German Marshall Fund. 
=== Mobilizing political activists in Europe ===
==== France ====
In the years 2008-2012, Eliaz mobilized French citizens to participate in the political process in favor of then President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, and later to strengthen the position of François Hollande in the race for the leadership of the Socialist Party and subsequently to become the president of France. When Dominique Strauss-Kahn's chances to lead the Socialist Party were severely undermined, it became clear to Eliaz that the Socialist Party could fall into the hands of Martine Aubry. His advocacy work contributed to the impact made by French citizens who, in an unprecedented campaign, rallied to help Hollande win the party’s leadership and later become the President of France.Ra'anan Eliaz and Angela Merkel (Photo taken from a personal collection)
In 2010-2014, consistent work by Eliaz and French activists with the Ministry of Defense and the French Atomic Energy Commission, helped to reinforce France's support for an aggressive sanction policy against Iran and the threat of weapons of mass destruction. According to experts, France's position at the time was even more forceful than the American policy under then U.S. Barack Obama.
In 2014-2015, during the Syrian Civil War, the partnership Eliaz created enabled a coordinated policy toward the rebel factions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
==== Germany ====
Eliaz recruited many leaders from across the German central political spectrum, including Gert Weisskirchen, Sylke Tempel, Christian Schmidt (politician) and Philipp Mißfelder, to promote coordinated policies for Germany and Israel. The emphasis was on creating stable relationships based on concrete, present-day interests, beyond the traditional narrow vision that characterizes Israel's relations with Germany and focuses mainly on the context of the Holocaust.
==== Brussels / EU ====
A series of activities Eliaz led in Brussels supported the EU, for the first time, in differentiating between promoting bilateral relations with Israel and progress in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, a policy which characterized the EU for decades. Mr. Christian Berger, then Director for North Africa, Middle East, Abrabian Peninsula, Iran, and Iraq at the EEAS, admitted in a Strategic Dialogue conducted in Brussels on February 5, 2015, that the automatic linkage the EU has made throughout decades, played against its own interests in the region.
Ra'anan Eliaz and Michel Miraillet (Photo taken from a personal collection)Over 70 delegations to Israel were organized by Eliaz, with over 800 European politicians and leaders visiting, many of whom had never previously visited Israel, for example: members of the French Green Party and the German Left Party Die Linke.Die Linke.
=== The Forum of Strategic Dialogue ===
Eliaz established the Forum of Strategic Dialogue in 2013 with the aim of promoting research, and exchange of ideas, as well as “track one-and-a-half diplomacy” and “soft advocacy” on behalf of Israel. The first annual Strategic Dialogue was held between France and Israel in 2010, with Ms. Thérèse Delpech and Amb. Michel Miraillet as the main partners on the French side. Additional Strategic Dialogues were later conducted annually between Israel and Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, the European Union (EEAS), and the NATO Alliance.
* A Special Study of European Political Arena and Contributions Laws / FRANCE
* A Special Study of European Political Arena and Contributions Laws / GERMANY
Conducted privately and published in Washington DC in 2003-4, distributed to selected leaders in Europe and the US. Studies included unprecedented mapping by pro-Israel actors of the European political system, arena and actors at the time, including a special study on campaign/political contribution laws. 
* The Jewish Origins of Candidate for Presidency of France, Nicolas Sarkozy - The study was conducted in a private capacity and was widely quoted at the time. It involved personal meetings between Eliaz and family members of Sarkozy in Europe, the US and Israel, and was eventually presented to Sarkozy, who, as President, visited Thessaloniki, the city of his family origins.
Raanan Eliaz volunteers in a number of public positions:
• Founding member, Europe-Israel Network
• Founding member, MKNV - the Association for the Promotion of Nonviolent Education and Communication in Israel
• Member of the Board of Trustees, Yezreel Valley Academic College
==== Interviews ====
* Nathan Guttman, New European Pro-Israel Group Aims for Low Profile, Forward, June 12, 2008
*Rob Eshman, Non-Partisan Network Works to Bolster Europe-Israel Bonds, Algemeiner, November 7, 2015
* Alina D. Sharon, With U.S.-Israel ties aplenty, ELNET works to bolster Europe-Israel bonds, JNS, November 12, 2015
*Nitzan Horowitz, Foreign Game, The Knesset Channel, July 8, 2019
*Online Event, Europe-Israel Relations: Tapping the Potential, Hanns Seidel Foundation Israel, 11 November, 2020
==== Articles ====
*Raanan Eliaz, Nicolas Sarkozy, new President of France: Past and Future, Tolerance.ca, June 20, 2007
*Raanan Eliaz, The European Union and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
*Raanan Eliaz, Will Sarkozy’s Jewish roots impact France’s policies?, Jewish Journal, 11 May, 2007
*Raanan Eliaz, 2014: A year of opportunity for Israel and Europe, The Times of Israel, 13 January, 2014
*Raanan Eliaz, America, Europe and Israel: Sharing the burden, halving the load, The Times of Israel, 21 August, 2015
*Raanan Eliaz, Critical Choices Ahead for the EU-Israel Alliance, The Times of Israel, 25 February, 2015
*Raanan Eliaz, French Jewry’s fateful political challenge,The Times of Israel, 4 May 2017
*Raanan Eliaz, Something good is happening in Europe, and we better take note,The Times of Israel, 11 July 2017
*Raanan Eliaz, A momentous test for the Germany-Israel alliance, The Jerusalem Post, 10 September 2017
*Raanan Eliaz, EU-Israel ties in 2018 – managing expectations, The Jerusalem Post, 17 December, 2017
*Raanan Eliaz and Dimitri Dombret, Opportunities amidst Crisis in EU-Israel Ties, European Business Review, 2 March, 2018
*Raanan Eliaz, Orban in Jerusalem: Challenging days for Europe-Israel relations, Euractive, 16 July, 2018
*Raanan Eliaz, Israelis, vote! In the European elections, The Times of Israel, 14 February, 2019
*Raanan Eliaz, How Israel and Jews Can Help Europe Welcome a Peaceful Islam, Algemeiner Journal, 23 July, 2019
*Raanan Eliaz, Concern for World Jewry should be Demanded from Top Candidates, The Times of Israel, 26 August, 2019
*Raanan Eliaz, Elections in Israel: Why Should Europe Care? , The Times of Israel, 13 February, 2020
*Raanan Eliaz, Why Europe and Israel Need Each Other, Algemeiner Journal, 13 February, 2020
*Raanan Eliaz, From Mussels to Muscles, The Brussels Times, 7 May, 2020
*Raanan Eliaz, Israel’s Chance to Improve Relations With Europe, Algemeiner Journal, 8 December, 2020.
Category:1975 births
Category:Institute directors
Category:Hebrew University of Jerusalem alumni
Category:Catholic University of Leuven alumni