Shmuel Bar, born December 6, 1954, is an Israeli historian, intelligence expert, and academic specializing in Islamist extremism, terrorism, and Middle Eastern affairs. He served for 31 years in Israel's Military Intelligence Directorate (Aman), rising to the rank of colonel, where he focused on strategic assessments of global jihadist movements, Iran, and Arab politics. Bar is known for his deep expertise in Islamic history and ideology, contributing analyses that have influenced Israeli security policy. After retiring from military service, Bar joined the Institute for Policy and Strategy (IPS) at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya (IDC), where he served as Director of Studies. In this academic role, he oversaw research on counter-terrorism, national security, and international relations, authoring numerous publications and reports on topics such as Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, and Iranian strategy. He has lectured internationally and provided expert commentary to media outlets on global security threats. Bar continues to be a prominent voice in intelligence and strategic studies, with work emphasizing the ideological roots of Islamist terrorism.