Raz Zimmt
Israeli Iran specialist; head of the Iran and the Shiite Axis programme at INSS
| Raz Zimmt
| |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Occupation | Director, "Iran and the Shiite Axis" research programme, Institute for National Security Studies |
| Known for | Iran research; co-editor of Strategic Assessment; his INSS mailbox was leaked by Handala in 2026 |
| Education | BA, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; MA and PhD, Tel Aviv University |
Raz Zimmt is an Israeli researcher on Iran. He is Director of the "Iran and the Shiite Axis" research programme at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv and co-editor of its journal Strategic Assessment.[1] INSS says he worked on Iran in the Israel Defense Forces for more than two decades.[1]
In March 2026 more than 55,000 emails and documents said to come from his INSS account were released by the hacking group Handala and published by Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets).[2] According to these documents, which have not been independently verified, INSS's Iran programme worked on government-linked public diplomacy and "soft power" projects (see below).
Career
Zimmt took a BA in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1989–1992), then an MA (1997–2001) and a PhD (2005–2011) in Middle Eastern history at Tel Aviv University. His doctorate was on Iranian policy towards Nasserism and Arab radicalism, 1954–1967.[3] From June 2015 he was researcher and editor of the bi-weekly "Spotlight on Iran" at the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, and he became a research fellow at INSS in January 2017.[3] His Hebrew book Iran From Within was published in 2022.[1]
| Organisation | Post | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center | Researcher; editor of "Spotlight on Iran" | June 2015 – |
| Dayan Center, Tel Aviv University | Researcher | June 2015 – January 2020 |
| Institute for National Security Studies | Research fellow; later Director, "Iran and the Shiite Axis" programme | January 2017 – |
Leaked INSS mailbox (2026)
DDoSecrets describes the release as "allegedly from the account of Raz Zimmt". It says that a large part overlaps with the "Tamir Hayman emails", which Handala also released after it allegedly compromised INSS. DDoSecrets says Handala "is believed to have ties to Iranian intelligence". The dataset carries the site's Cyberwar disclaimer, which warns of "an increased chance of ... altered or implanted data".[2][4] The documents are Handala's PDF renderings, not native emails. None of the following has been independently verified.
According to these leaked documents:
- A draft INSS letter dated 2 December 2025 (Handala file 15691) said: "Although not a 'hasbara' organization, INSS is working closely with the government to draw attention to and provide recommendations on how Israel should contend with challenges stemming from Chat GPT language, Wikipedia, TikTok, and other social media platforms". It mentioned "the project we are leading to repair Israel's deteriorating image" with Ambassador Akiva Tor.[2]
- Between August and September 2025 (files 17471, 17523, 17525) the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs discussed a "soft power" project with INSS Iran-programme researchers (Sima Shine and Danny Citrinowicz) and the private intelligence firm Maisha Group. The emails were forwarded to Zimmt. No decision on funding appears in the set.[2]
- In January 2025 (files 1799–1802) an employee of LDRS Group told Zimmt he had worked on hasbara "in cooperation with" the National Public Diplomacy Directorate. He was making a video "combining deepfake technologies" and asked Zimmt to check figures. Zimmt replied that no reliable data existed.[2]
See also
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Institute for National Security Studies, Dr. Raz Zimmt INSS, accessed 22 October 2026. INSS-side.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Distributed Denial of Secrets, Raz Zimmt emails DDoSecrets, 13 March 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tel Aviv University, Alliance Center for Iranian Studies, Dr. Raz Zimmt Tel Aviv University, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ Distributed Denial of Secrets, Tamir Hayman emails DDoSecrets, 13 March 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.