David Ifshin (1942-1996) was a prominent American Democratic political strategist and consultant whose career spanned from anti-war activism to becoming a key establishment figure within the Democratic Party. As president of the National Student Association in the early 1970s, he gained notoriety for a radio broadcast from North Vietnam, an act that later became a recurring point of political attack against him by Republican opponents, most notably during the 1984 presidential campaign. He gained national recognition as a key advisor on Jewish outreach and foreign policy for Jimmy Carter's 1976 presidential campaign. From 1977 to 1981, he served as executive director of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) under Chairman John White, overseeing party operations and fundraising. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he served as a high-level counsel and advisor to major Democratic presidential campaigns, including those of Walter Mondale and Bill Clinton. Beyond his electoral work, he was an official with the National Welfare Rights Organization and a co-founder of the Israel Policy Forum (IPF), serving as its first president in the 1990s and advocating for pro-peace U.S. policies toward Israel that balanced security support with diplomatic engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Over time, Ifshin shifted toward a neoconservative foreign policy stance, becoming a staunch defender of Israel and a vocal opponent of leftist influence within the Democratic Party. His political evolution from a radical student leader to a pragmatic party strategist made him a central, albeit controversial, figure in the internal ideological battles of the Democratic Party during the late 20th century. Ifshin died on February 21, 1996, at age 53 from AIDS-related complications. His career left a lasting impact on Democratic organizing and moderate pro-Israel advocacy.