Oren Setter

Brigadier General (Ret.) Dr. Oren Setter recently retired after a distinguished 30-year career with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), culminating as Deputy Director for Strategy and Negotiations at the Hostages Taskforce. In this capacity, he played a key role in the indirect negotiations with Hamas following the events of October 7th.

Previously, Dr. Setter led the IDF Strategic Planning Division, where he shaped the military’s strategies and policies across all mission domains. He also represented the IDF in high-stakes negotiations, including the Israel-Lebanon maritime border discussions.

A graduate of the IDF’s elite “Talpiot” program, Dr. Setter began his career as a systems analyst in the Israeli Air Force and the Ministry of Defense’s Directorate of Defense R&D, contributing to advanced projects like Iron Dome and the Tactical High Energy Laser. He later held senior leadership positions within Israel’s intelligence community, focusing primarily on Iran and its nuclear program, and is considered one of Israel’s foremost experts on the subject. 

Dr. Setter’s contributions have earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Israel Defense Award.

He holds a BSc in Physics from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem (as part of the Talpiot program), and a PhD in Operations Research from Tel Aviv University, specializing in R&D policy. He has also been a research fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.