Shalom Arbel is an expert on Palestinian and Israeli Arab affairs. Raised in the pioneering kibbutz movement, he was a major in the IDF paratrooper reserves and one of the founders of the South Lebanon Army (SLA). He served as an officer in the Civil Administration in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip, and for 25 years in intelligence gathering and operational roles in the General Security Services. He also was senior adviser to the Director General of the Bedouin Affairs Authority.