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. 


 An ISIS member carries an Islamic State flag in Syria.

Thousands of ISIS-linked women, children still held in Syria’s camps amid escape efforts - analysis

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed and Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani standby prior to signing the Abraham Accords with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, US, September 15, 2020.

Palestinian officials hope UAE can prevent West Bank annexation

Israeli tanks stand on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza, September 2, 2025.

Hamas's war of words seek to pressure Israel ahead of the Gaza City invasion - analysis


Sweida security shake-up highlights Syria’s struggle with Druze autonomy - analysis

Syria reassigns top security commanders in Sweida, aiming to calm Druze tensions as secession fears grow.

Tribal and bedouin fighters deploy in the western neighbourhood of southern Syria's predominantly Druze city of Sweida, amid clashes with Druze gunmen on July 19, 2025.

Gulf countries hold meeting ahead of UNGA that might see declaration of a Palestinian state

Heavyweights such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia are holding meetings and discussions about the region. These have implications for their policy on Israel and Palestinian issues.

 Representatives of the UAE, US, Israel, Bahrain Morocco and Egypt at the Steering Committee of the Negev Forum, June 27, 2022.

Hamas invested heavily in propaganda - will the death of Abu Obeida be a game changer? - analysis

An estimate says that 200 Hamas operatives in the terror group's propaganda arm have been eliminated; however, 1,000 may still remain.

 Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida delivers a speech following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, January 19, 2025

Activists’ Gaza flotilla hampered by wind, lost boats, and slow pace - analysis

Activists’ Sumud flotilla continues its voyage toward Gaza but faces setbacks, including rough weather, lost vessels, and slow speeds as the group sails south from Barcelona.

An activist stands on a sailboat from the Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian expedition as it prepares to set sail for Gaza at the port of Barcelona, Spain, August 30, 2025.

At Gaza crossroads, IDF chief Zamir clashes with Israel’s political echelon - analysis

Six months into renewed fighting, IDF Chief Zamir cautions that the Gaza offensive may leave Israel ruling the Strip without a clear plan for the war’s end or “day after.”

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir in Tulkarm, in the West Bank, August 22, 2025.

Israel’s challenge with the Global Sumud flotilla heading to Gaza - analysis

So far, the weather has been Israel's ally, preventing 20 vessels from departing Spain to join other ships that activists want to use to get to Gaza.

Boats of a humanitarian flotilla with aid and pro-Palestinian activists, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, which was heading to Gaza and has returned to Barcelona due to stormy weather, according to the organisers, are docked, in Barcelona, Spain September 1, 2025.

Iraq to re-open the restored Nuri Mosque in Mosul

Symbol of ISIS defeat and the disaster of the war, the Al-Nuri Mosque has been restored along with Mosul city.

The Great Mosque of al-Nuri destroyed by Islamic State militants in 2017, stands after its reconstruction by UNESCO, with support from the government of the United Arab Emirates, in Mosul, Iraq, August 31, 2025.

China grows presence on global stage, hosting leaders of Russia, Turkey, and India - analysis

"I look forward to working with all countries for a more just and equitable global governance system and advancing toward a community with a shared future for humanity,” Xi said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping take part in a photo ceremony at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, September 1, 2025.

'New world order' awaits results of China-India rapprochement - analysis

This meeting potentially shifted international dynamics between the non-Western superpowers.

Defense ministers from across the world, applaud following a group photo, before the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao, Shandong province, China June 26, 2025.

Druze in Syria consolidate control - but will they seek independence? - analysis

Druze leader Hikmat al-Hijri calls for a separate region in southern Syria, seeking autonomy after sectarian violence, with Israeli support amid rising tensions in the region.

A delegation of 100 Druze leaders from Syria visits northern Israel for the first time since 1973 on March 14, 2025. Israeli Druze proudly wave their own national flag alongside the Israeli flag in festivals and ceremonies, the writer points out.