Forum Dvorah Experts

Col. (Res.) Adv. Pnina Sharvit Baruch is a Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Law and National Security Program at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS). 

Pnina retired from the Israel Defense Forces in 2009, after serving in the International Law Department there for twenty years, five of which (2003 - 2009), she was head of the Department. 

In this capacity, Adv. Sharvit Baruch was a senior legal advisor responsible for advising IDF commanders and decision makers at the governmental level on a wide variety of issues relating to international law and administrative law, among them: the laws of armed conflict and occupation of territory; naval law; counter-terrorism; security liaison; border demarcation; and conflict resolution. 

Adv. Sharvit Baruch served as a legal advisor in Israel's delegations to negotiations with the Palestinians, from the early contacts and thereafter. In 2000, she also participated in the negotiations with Syria. 

Following her retirement from the IDF with the rank of colonel, Adv. Sharvit Baruch joined the faculty of the Tel Aviv University Law School, where she taught courses on international law and the Israeli-Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Pnina also taught international law at the National Security College. 

She has also published numerous articles on issues relating to these topics as well as briefing journalists and decision makers in Israel and around the world. 

She is a member of the board of several organizations, including the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists (IJL) and was the chairperson of Forum Dvorah – Women in Foreign Policy and National Security. She also represents this Forum at the Civil Society Advisory Panel (CSAP) to NATO on women, peace and security. She is also a member of the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network (MWMN).

Adv. Sharvit Baruch holds an LL.B. degree (magna cum laude) and an LL.M. degree (magna cum laude), both from Tel Aviv University.