Norman Podhoretz (January 16, 1930 – December 16, 2025) was an influential American neoconservative political commentator, writer, and intellectual, best known for serving as editor-in-chief of Commentary magazine from 1960 to 1995 and as a key intellectual ally of pro-Israel causes. Under his leadership, Commentary transformed from a liberal Jewish publication focused on New York liberalism into a cornerstone of neoconservative thought emphasizing anti-communism and pro-Israel advocacy. Podhoretz was a founding intellectual of neoconservatism and remained influential as Commentary's editor-at-large, shaping generations of conservative thought through essays on Judaism, ethics, and foreign policy.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, to a working-class Jewish immigrant family from Eastern Europe, he earned degrees from Columbia University (BA, 1950), Harvard University (MA, 1952), and studied briefly at Peterhouse, Cambridge (1953–1954). He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War era (1953–1955). Initially a liberal literary critic aligned with liberal causes, Podhoretz underwent a political shift during the 1960s and 1970s, becoming a key figure in shaping conservative intellectual thought and influencing figures such as Irving Kristol and the Reagan administration. His 1967 memoir Making It marked his break from the left through its candid exploration of ambition.

Podhoretz authored influential works including Making It (1967), Breaking Ranks (1972 or 1979), Why We Were in Vietnam (1982), and World War IV: The Long Struggle Against Islamofascism (2007), defending U.S. interventions, criticizing dovish policies, and portraying America as a force for good. He supported Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush's Iraq War, opposed the Oslo peace process, advocated military action against Iran, defended Sarah Palin, and reluctantly endorsed Donald Trump in 2016 as the "lesser evil," earning admiration from conservatives and criticism from liberals. For his contributions, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 from President George W. Bush.

Podhoretz married Midge Decter in 1956, with whom he had two children, including journalist John Podhoretz, who succeeded him at Commentary. He was also the stepfather of Rachel Decter Abrams. Describing himself as a "paleo-neoconservative" in reference to his ideological evolution, Podhoretz's staunch support for interventions like the Iraq War drew criticism from both the left and right but cemented his legacy as a central figure in American conservative intellectual history.