Lt. Col. (res.) Eyal Dror lives in Kibbutz Dafna, just 1.5 kilometers from Israel’s border with Lebanon, with his wife Michal and their three children. With over 30 years of military service, including 24 years of active duty, Eyal continues to serve as an IDF reserve officer in the Golan Heights. Throughout his career, he held senior command and leadership positions, specializing in security coordination, civil-military relations, and Middle Eastern affairs. Eyal is best known as the founder and commander of Operation Good Neighbor, Israel’s historic humanitarian mission that provided assistance to Syrian civilians during the Syrian Civil War. His unique experience led him to write Embracing the Enemy, a book revealing the remarkable story behind the operation. An experienced international speaker, Eyal has conducted 15 lecture tours, primarily on university campuses across the United States, Canada, and Europe, and has delivered hundreds of lectures and briefings to students, international delegations, organizations, research institutes, and Jewish federations. As an expert on Israeli security, Syrian and Palestinian affairs, and Middle Eastern geopolitics, Eyal regularly contributes to media discussions and is a regular opinion contributor to the Jerusalem News Syndicate (JNS). Beyond his military and academic work, Eyal is actively involved in rebuilding and strengthening communities along Israel’s northern border following their evacuation in the aftermath of October 7, 2023. Eyal is also a PhD candidate at the University of Haifa, researching interorganizational collaboration and learning during crises.