Avi Jorisch

Avi Jorisch is an American-Israeli entrepreneur, policy expert, and author whose work spans national security, Middle East affairs, and global innovation. Over the course of his career, he has moved between government service, academia, and business bringing a practical, real-world perspective to his writing. He has served as a policy advisor in the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence and worked with agencies such as the Department of Defense and Homeland Security. He is also a Senior Fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council and co-founder of the Israel Economic Forum, reflecting his strong engagement in both policy and economic leadership.

Jorisch is the author of several books that fall into two broad areas: security and geopolitics, and innovation and the future. Beacon of Hatred: Inside Hizballah’s al-Manar Television and Iran’s Dirty Banking: How the Islamic Republic Skirts International Financial Sanctions draw directly from his experience in counterterrorism and financial intelligence, offering detailed insights into extremist networks and international security systems. In Thou Shalt Innovate: How Israeli Ingenuity Repairs the World and NEXT: A Brief History of the Future, Jorisch shifts tone from security analysis to a much more hopeful, forward-looking narrative.

Thou Shalt Innovate highlights Israeli innovations that address global challenges like food, water, medicine, and security, inspired by the idea of tikkun olam (repairing the world). This well-known book was adapted to Maltese, bearing the title, Int Se Toħloq Mill-Ġdid. At its core, this book is about innovation as a human responsibility. Jorisch explores how creativity, necessity, and determination have led to groundbreaking solutions especially in Israel to some of the world’s toughest challenges. The book focuses on real-world innovations in areas like, water scarcity (drip irrigation, desalination), healthcare and medicine, agriculture and food production, and technology and security. Rather than presenting abstract theory, Jorisch tells stories of individuals and ideas showing how innovation often comes from urgency, limited resources, and a mindset of problem-solving. NEXT looks ahead, exploring how emerging technologies and human ingenuity may shape the future and solve global crises.

Even in his more optimistic books, there is a consistent underlying belief: that ideas, creativity, and determination can overcome some of the world’s darkest challenges. His work often highlights individuals like scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators rather than abstract systems, giving his writing a human, narrative-driven quality. He is also a global communicator, having written for major outlets like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and lectured internationally, showing his role not just as an author, but as a public intellectual engaged in shaping conversations about the future.

Avi Jorisch is best understood as a policy expert in terrorism and Middle East affairs, an entrepreneur and global thinker and a writer who bridges realism and optimism, moving from analysing threats to highlighting solutions. Jorisch draws inspiration from the concept of repairing the world (often linked to Jewish ethical thought), suggesting that human beings have a role in improving the world through creativity and action.