About
SIGNAL Group
The only think-tank solely dedicated to Israel’s engagement with Asia.
Navigating China and the Indo-Pacific
SIGNAL Group empowers Israel to address the rise of China and the Indo-Pacific on the world stage.
Policy
SIGNAL Group endeavors to develop fresh policy options to fortify Israel’s geopolitical position by providing tools and creating opportunities to manage more effective relations with China & the Indo-Pacific. The policy initiatives are designed to better enable Israel to navigate the U.S.-China rivalry, engage the Indo-Pacific, and dispel misconceptions in China about Israel and the Middle East.
Our Global Israel Initiative (GII) advances an innovative agenda for Israel as a middle power on the global stage to bolster Israel’s agency and strategic autonomy. The GII seeks opportunities for Israel to forge new coalitions and diplomatic initiatives with partners in the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, and Europe. SIGNAL Group’s policy work in China includes hundreds of briefings, dialogues and events engaging Chinese diplomats, experts, and scholars with prominent Israeli peers on topical strategic themes regarding China-Israel and China-Middle East affairs.
Research
SIGNAL Group’s research on China and the Indo-Pacific informs its policy work and contributes to developing actionable insights for Israeli decision-makers. Focusing on China’s role and influence in the Middle East and on Indo-Pacific engagement with Israel and its neighbors, SIGNAL Group’s research taps into its field work and its global network of expertise to augment its findings, policy recommendations, and initiatives.
University Programs
Since 2011, SIGNAL Group has cooperated with Chinese universities to establish its signature model of Israel Studies Programs featuring a semester-long training program in Israel for Chinese university lecturers resulting in a course they develop about Israel to teach back home. More than 75 SIGNAL Group-trained lecturers expose thousands of Chinese students – including future diplomats, business leaders, and Middle East experts – to Israel’s history, society, and regional relations. SIGNAL Group is developing customized programs for university cooperation with countries in the Indo-Pacific.
Engaging Israel’s national security & foreign policy establishment
Infused in all of SIGNAL Group’s work is a focus on enhancing knowledge and insights to support Israel’s decision-making regarding China and the Indo-Pacific. Through its broad and growing range of outputs and deliverables – workshops, conferences, in-person briefings, analysis and research, SIGNAL Group strives to foster greater understanding of Chinese statecraft and the evolving strategic terrain of the Indo-Pacific with a focus on cultural intelligence. To that end, in 2023, SIGNAL Group launched the Goodman Fellowship, an executive training program focusing on experiential learning for mid-level civil service managers responsible for shaping Israel’s China and Indo-Pacific policy. Creating a coterie of expertise across the government, the Goodman Fellowship includes a SIGNAL Group designed and led study tour in Beijing and Tokyo.
Team
Carice Witte
Founder and Executive Director
Tommy Steiner
Policy Director
Guan Yuan (Helen)
China’s Program Coordinator
Julia Rose Cole
Director of Operations and Communications