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. 


A man looks at the site where a car packed with explosives blew up yesterday, in Hayy al-Shurta, a Shi'ite district in Baghdad, Iraq February 17, 2017.

Sunni candidate killed ahead of Iraq’s November parliamentary elections

 Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends an interview with Reuters at the presidential palace, in Damascus, Syria March 10, 2025.

Syria’s President Sharaa makes historic trip to Russia - analysis

Trucks carry aid for Palestinians, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, October 14, 2025.

Are Arab states already pessimistic about the future of the Gaza deal? - analysis


Will the US-backed SDF integrate with Syria’s new security forces? - analysis

Since the Assad regime fell, Syrian Kurdish-led forces have clashed with the new government's forces.

Armed members of the Syrian Democratic Forces' (SDF) military police take part in a demonstration under the banner “With our will, we will protect our revolution.” in Qamishli, Syria, September 17, 2025.

Hamas initiates reign of terror to assert power in Gaza - analysis

Hamas has launched several attacks on rival clans, killing "collaborators" attempting to challenge Hamas's superiority in post-ceasefire Gaza.

A Palestinian man points a weapon in the air, after US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas agreed on the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire, in the central Gaza Strip October 9, 2025.

Major challenges remain after release of 20 living hostages - analysis

This is not the first time a deal has failed to reach the second stage. The January 2025 deal also didn’t reach the second phase.

IDF tanks in the Gaza Strip. October 11, 2025.

How the Arab and Muslim world is preparing for Trump’s Egypt summit - analysis

"The summit aims to end the genocidal Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, boost efforts toward lasting peace, and usher in a new era of regional security," according to Egyptian media.

A man stands by a poster showing U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at Peace Square, ahead of an international summit on Gaza, held amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, at Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, October 13, 2025.

Peace through strength: Understanding why Trump succeeded where others failed - analysis

Trump doesn't like long wars. His tendency to want results, focus on personal relationships, and transactionalist mindset allowed him to do what no other US president had done before.

A special plenum session in honor of U.S. President Donald Trump at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on October 13, 2025.

Hezbollah MP in Lebanon slams US, Israel

Hezbollah member of parliament Ali Fayyad slammed what he called American “subjugation” of Lebanon and demanded Lebanon not “normalize” with the “enemy,” according to Al-Akhbar media in Lebanon.

Hezbollah Member of Parliament Ali Fayyad stands in Burj al-Muluk, near the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila, where Israeli forces remained on the ground after a deadline for their withdrawal passed as residents sought to return to homes in the border area

Egypt’s influence rises with hosting of peace summits

Egypt boosts its regional role by hosting the Gaza peace summit with US President Donald Trump and 20 world leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh on October 13.

A banner featuring an image of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and reading: "Together to complete the construction process", ahead of an international summit on Gaza, held amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, at Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, October 12, 2025.

Syria’s SDF anti-ISIS fighters look to future after 10 year anniversary

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces mark 10 years as a US-backed anti-ISIS force, signaling plans to integrate with the Syrian army under a new deal.

 Soldiers from the Syrian Democratic Forces stand in front of the detainees before the first exchange operation between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government in Aleppo, Syria, April 3, 2025.

Turkey eyes more influence in Iraq, Syria, Gaza after deal - analysis

Erdogan hopes the deals can pave the way for more Turkish influence in Gaza and around the region.

 Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan reacts during a press conference at a NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands June 25, 2025.

Syria tentatively warms Lebanon relations while keeping Hezbollah at bay - analysis

Israel continues to strike Hezbollah, and this aids Syria by keeping the group in check. However, Lebanon’s government has vowed to disarm Hezbollah and has not completed the task yet.

 Hezbollah and Syrian flags flutter on a military vehicle in Western Qalamoun, Syria August 28, 2017.