Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad is a PhD Candidate in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. His doctoral research examines civil-military and intelligence institutions in Israel and their interaction with political leadership in shaping decisions on regional conflicts. Drawing on civil-military relations theory and strategic studies, his work explores institutional power dynamics, strategic culture, and crisis decision-making within highly securitized democratic systems.

Alongside his academic work, he serves as a Political Advisor to Palestinian Track I officials, providing analysis on regional security and governance. He previously served as Political Spokesperson for Fatah for International Media and as Political Advisor to the Vice President of Fatah in Palestine, engaging with international media and diplomatic actors in Europe and the United States.

He later held senior leadership roles at the Palestinian Ministry of Culture as General Director of the Palestinian Cultural Fund and General Director of Public and International Relations, leading national funding strategies and international partnerships.

He holds an MA in European Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His thesis, titled European Union’s Advancement of its Interests and Values in the Palestinian Authority through Normative Power, examined the EU’s use of normative power in governance and state-building processes. He also holds a BA in International Relations and English Literature.

Research interests

• Civil-military relations
• Intelligence and security institutions
• Strategic culture and military thought
• Conflict decision-making and crisis governance
• Institutional power dynamics in democratic systems
• Governance in divided societies
• Middle East security politics

Research overview

Ziad’s research focuses on the interaction between political leadership and security institutions in contexts of protracted conflict. His doctoral work examines civil-military and intelligence relations in Israel, analysing how institutional structures, strategic culture, and informal power dynamics shape decisions during national security crises. Drawing on theories of civil-military relations, governance studies, and strategic thought, his research explores how highly securitised democratic systems manage internal tensions between elected leaders and security elites.

More broadly, he is interested in institutional behaviour under pressure, the role of intelligence communities in policy formation, and the governance challenges facing divided societies experiencing long-term conflict. His work contributes to debates in War Studies, security studies, and comparative political institutions.