Shir Hever is a prominent Israeli-Jewish economist, researcher, and political scientist currently based in Germany. He is a board member of Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East (Jüdische Stimme).
Hever’s research focuses on the “political economy of the occupation.” He uses rigorous data analysis to demonstrate how Israel has transformed its military occupation of Palestine into a “high-yield” business model. His seminal works include The Political Economy of Israel’s Occupation and The Privatization of Israeli Security. He exposes how Israel utilizes Palestinian territories as a “laboratory” for its military technology and surveillance equipment, which is then exported globally. As a premier investigative journalist, he is also a senior contributor to The Real News Network.
He is one of the earliest advocates for the BDS movement, with a particular emphasis on arms embargoes against the Israeli military industry. He argues that international economic aid to Palestine inadvertently sustains the status quo, as these funds ultimately circulate back to the occupier through the purchase of Israeli infrastructure and services. Between 2023 and 2026, he has frequently testified in European parliaments and international human rights courts, using economic data to debunk the Israeli government’s arguments for “security necessity” and exposing the underlying profit motives. He remains dedicated to dismantling the narrative that links Jewish identity to the Israeli war machine.
Regarding Germany’s role in the genocide in Gaza, he wrote: Israel’s genocide in Gaza is an industrialized genocide. ……The human cost of this German-enabled efficiency is devastating. German Renk engines power the Merkava tanks that killed 6-year-old Hind Rajab, her family, and the paramedics who came to rescue her on January 29, 2024. These same tanks participated in the Flour Massacre of February 29, 2024, and continue shelling hungry Palestinians at aid distribution centers.