The American Jewish Committee tapped Middle East policy official Anne Dreazen on Thursday as vice president and director of its Center for a New Middle East, Jewish Insider has learned. 

Dreazen, whose career spanned 15 years at the Department of Defense in a variety of roles — most recently as principal director for Middle East policy — is slated to begin the Washington DC-based position on Oct. 20. 

The Center for a New Middle East launched in June 2024 to advance the organization’s existing work in Israel and the Gulf. At the time, AJC CEO Ted Deutch told eJewishPhilanthropy that the center will host conferences and business programs in the U.S., Israel and the Gulf, as well as work with emerging leaders in Israel and the Arab world.

“At a time when the Middle East is undergoing profound challenges and transformations, the work of AJC’s Center for a New Middle East has never been more vital,” Dreazen told JI. “I’m honored and excited to join this extraordinary team working to advance the peace and security of Israel and its neighbors, to strengthen diplomatic, economic and civil society partnerships, and to shape a more hopeful future for the region.”

Dreazen oversaw U.S. defense cooperation with partners including Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar while serving as the Pentagon’s principal director for Middle East Policy, under both Democratic and Republican administrations.  

She also served as a national security fellow in the Senate. Prior to that, Dreazen spent seven months on the ground in Iraq’s Anbar Province, facilitating U.S. reconstruction efforts following Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

“Anne brings a wealth of experience in national security and defense policy to this position, and deep familiarity with the priorities and principals guiding regional strategic affairs,” said Jason Isaacson, AJC chief policy and political affairs officer, who was the center’s first director. “After her distinguished career in the U.S. national security establishment, AJC looks forward to her guidance in shaping our efforts to widen the circle of Arab-Israeli peace.”