The Israel Institute is an independent, nonpartisan, and non-advocacy 501(c)(3) organization that advances rigorous teaching, research, and discourse about modern Israel in partnership with academic, research, and cultural institutions. Their founding president, Ambassador Itamar Rabinovich, with the generous help of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, launched the Israel Institute in 2012. They are a compass and catalyst for Israel Studies, says Rabinovich. Thye provide funding and structural opportunities for people and existing institutions interested in deepening the study of modern Israel. Based in Washington, D.C., the Institute also has an office in Tel Aviv.

The Israel Institute enhances knowledge about modern Israel through the expansion of accessible, innovative learning opportunities, on and beyond campus. The Institute's many programs and initiatives advance rigorous teaching, research, and discourse about modern Israel.

The Israel Institute is led by its founding president, Ambassador Itamar Rabinovich. Rabinovich was Israel’s ambassador to the United States and chief negotiator with Syria from 1992 to 1996. He is a renowned scholar on the Middle East, former president of Tel Aviv University, and currently a Distinguished Global Professor at New York University.