Who is Dr Gerhard Conrad?
From 1990 to 2019, Dr Conrad worked for the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND), where he assumed operational and analytical responsibility for the Middle East. As a mediator on humanitarian issues, he played a key role in talks between Israel, Hizballah and Hamas – also on the direct instructions of UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon (2006-2008).
He served as head of the BND’s senior staff under Presidents Ernst Uhrlau and Gerhard Schindler and as the service’s representative in Damascus and London. From 2016 to 2019, he was the first German to head the EU Intelligence Analysis and Situation Centre (EU INTCEN) in Brussels.
Gerhard Conrad – The man who negotiated with Hamas
Hamas was able to surprise Israel with a devastating attack on 7 October 2023 – despite worldwide recognition for the effectiveness of Israeli intelligence services. But did this attack really come out of nowhere? Dr Gerhard Conrad is one of the few people who can judge that. As a former mediator in the Middle East conflict and a long-standing intelligence expert, he knows the mechanisms behind the scenes.
The Middle East and the world of intelligence services
In his gripping lectures, Conrad shows who could – and should – have known what. He explains how intelligence services need to work in order to provide political decision-makers with reliable information and real options for action.
7 October 2023 marks a profound turning point: hundreds of people were kidnapped by Hamas, over a thousand killed – in just 48 hours. Did intelligence services overlook the escalation? Or were warnings politically ignored?
In times of fake news and hybrid warfare, it is more difficult than ever to distinguish the truth from targeted disinformation. Who, if not Dr Gerhard Conrad, could better explain how intelligence services should proceed in such situations?
As a former BND chief of staff and head of the EU INTCEN, he mediated directly between Hamas, Hizballah, Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and Iran – confidentially, personally and with a high degree of political responsibility. In his lectures, he precisely analyses the methods of modern intelligence services and shows how information is generated and translated into political decisions.
Science and consulting
Dr Gerhard Conrad is currently Visiting Professor of Intelligence Studies at King’s College London. He also teaches on the Master’s programme ‘Intelligence and Security Studies (MISS)’ at the Federal University of Applied Sciences for Public Administration in Berlin and at Sciences Po in Paris.
His research focuses on European intelligence co-operation and the German security architecture. He is also on the board of the German Intelligence Services Discussion Group, where he provides security policy advice.
In recognition of his achievements, Dr. Conrad received the Federal Cross of Merit on Ribbon in 2008.
