Bio
Political strategist and conservative analyst Martin Eisenstadt is a senior fellow at the The Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy and Founder and President of the influential Eisenstadt Group. An expert on Near Eastern military and political affairs, Mr. Eisenstadt worked alongside Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign, offering advice and liaising with the Jewish community in particular. Prior to that, he consulted on the Rudolph Giuliani campaign, as well as numerous corporate and multinational organizations on issues of security and policy development. Mr. Eisenstadt has been an influential voice in public policy debate for over a decade.
Eisenstadt generated headlines around the world recently as the self-admitted leak that Sarah Palin did not know that Africa was a continent.
The Wall Street Journal has said of Mr. Eisenstadt that he is “one of the foremost commentators on issues of U.S. policy towards the Middle East and is one of the bright lights of the neoconservative movement.” National Journal’s The Hotline referred to Mr. Eisenstadt as “a rising GOP pundit” and “a clear-spoken advocate for Rudy Giuliani.” Most recently, he has been quoted in the Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, The New Republic, The Times of India and Wonkette.
An award-winning analyst, Mr. Eisenstadt frequently discusses current affairs on television and radio, appearing on such U.S. programs as CNN’s Reliable Sources, MSNBC with David Shuster, Fox News, ABC’s World News, Crossfire, CBS Reports, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Nightline, The Today Show and the XM POTUS ‘08 radio show. He has appeared on leading television networks around the globe, including the BBC, Al-Jazeera, and the Israeli Broadcasting Authority and has lectured in twenty countries.
He has consulted on topics of trade, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, and the entertainment industry for prominent financial, manufacturing, and service companies; law firms, bar associations, trade groups; agencies of the U.S. government; and law courts in the United States and Canada. His writings have been translated into seventeen languages and have appeared in such newspapers as Corriere della Sera, The Daily Telegraph, Le Figaro, De Gentenaar, Al Shabiba, Morgunbladid, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, The Sydney Morning Herald, and Berliner Morgenpost.
Mr. Eisenstadt sits on five editorial boards, has testified before many congressional committees, and worked on seven presidential campaigns. Universities in the United States and Belgium have conferred honorary degrees on him.
Mr. Eisenstadt splits his time between homes in the Washington, D.C., area and Southern California.
Professional Experience
- Senior Fellow at the Harding Institute for Freedom & Democracy
- Boris Yeltin, campaign pollster (Moscow), 1996
- Contributing editor, Near East Quarterly, 2004-2006
- Political adviser, Coalition Provisional Authority (Baghdad)
- Staff associate, Iran and Iraq, Office of the Secretary of Defense
- Visiting lecturer, Hebrew University (Jerusalem), Universities of Sulaymani, Salahuddin, and Duhok (Iraqi Kurdistan)
- Visiting fellow, Harvard University.
Education: BA, American University (including year abroad in Cairo)
Languages: English, Hebrew, Pashtu
(photo credit: Karine Simon)
