“The Man Explaining Israel to America”

Chosen for becoming one of the most influential interpreters of Israel and the Jewish world to American audiences: Dan Senor operates in an unusual space where Wall Street, Washington, Israel and Jewish public life intersect. The co-author of Start-Up Nation and The Genius of Israel, Senor is also the host of Call Me Back, which has evolved into a major forum for understanding the political, military and cultural forces shaping Israel and Jews around the world. At Elliott Management, he serves as Chief Public Affairs Officer, partner and member of the firm's Management Committee, overseeing global communications, public policy and geopolitical risk.

Yes, Israel's unpopular. Yes, there's a lot of noise around Israel, but we kind of need Israel.

Dan Senor, July 2026

In 2026, Senor became an increasingly important guide to a dramatically changing Middle East. Through Call Me Back, he brought Israeli journalists, policymakers, historians and American political leaders into extended conversations about Iran, the war in Gaza, Turkey's growing regional ambitions, Israeli politics, antisemitism and the future of American support for Israel. Recent guests have included Amit Segal, Nadav Eyal, Elise Stefanik, Dara Horn and Simon Sebag Montefiore.

But Senor's influence began long before the current war. His 2009 bestseller Start-Up Nation, co-written with Saul Singer and translated into more than 30 languages, helped fundamentally change the way the world talked about Israel, shifting part of the international conversation away from conflict and toward entrepreneurship, technology and innovation. His follow-up, The Genius of Israel, explored the social institutions, sense of service and community that he argues underpin Israeli resilience.

That argument has become even more relevant after October 7. In a 2026 discussion about whether the Start-Up Nation brand still survives, Senor acknowledged Israel's profound reputational challenges while making a harder strategic case: governments and companies may disagree with Israel politically, but many increasingly view its technology, intelligence and military capabilities as indispensable.

Senor has also placed the future of American Jewry increasingly at the center of his work. Call Me Back now explicitly focuses on the dilemmas facing Israelis and Jews around the world, including campus antisemitism, Jewish identity, Zionism and the political pressures confronting American Jews. In March, Senor was a featured guest at the ADL's 2026 Never Is Now summit, which brought together more than 4,000 participants in New York to confront antisemitism.

Few people move as naturally between Israeli security debates, American politics, global finance and Jewish communal life. Senor's influence comes not from holding elected office, but from helping political leaders, investors and an increasingly engaged Jewish public understand what Israel is, why it matters and where the Jewish world is heading.

From defining Israel as the "Start-Up Nation" to helping a new generation make sense of Israel after October 7, Dan Senor has become one of the most consequential voices connecting Israel and American Jewry.

That is why Dan Senor is No. 33 on The 36.