Isidore 'Dore' Gold (July 25, 1953 – March 3, 2025) was an American-born Israeli political scientist, diplomat, and strategist renowned for his expertise in Middle Eastern policy, particularly on radical Islam, Saudi Arabia, and Israeli security issues. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, to a Conservative Jewish family, he received early education at the Orthodox Yeshiva of Hartford before earning bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees at Columbia University, specializing in Middle Eastern policy with a thesis on Saudi Arabia. He made aliyah to Israel in 1980, where he immersed himself in Jewish textual studies at Brovender's Yeshiva, blending his scholarly pursuits with diplomatic ambitions. His academic career began as a senior research associate at Tel Aviv University's Moshe Dayan Center for Near East Studies in 1985, with additional roles at the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies. He transitioned into government service as an advisor on U.S. affairs in the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Policy Planning Unit and political advisor at the Israeli Mission to the United Nations. Gold served as Israel's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1997–1999) and later as Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2013–2016). He was a co-founder of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS) and served as president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA), where he authored influential works on global jihadism, Israeli diplomacy, and the ideological roots of Islamist extremism. Gold was known for his close ties to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his hawkish views on security, his ability to bridge American and Israeli perspectives on Middle East affairs, and his focus on Middle East security. His career bridged academia and policy, earning recognition as a visionary scholar-diplomat who zeroed in on emerging threats like terrorism originating from Saudi Arabia, though his uncompromising pro-Israel stances drew criticism from peace advocates. He passed away in 2025, leaving a legacy in academic and governmental circles focused on Israel's national security.