Steve Israel served in the U.S. Congress between 2001–2017, including 4 years as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (2011–2015). He left Washington – unindicted and undefeated – to pursue new passions. In 2021 he opened a small independent bookshop, Theodore’s Books, in his historic hometown of Oyster Bay, fulfilling a lifelong dream. He also directs the nonpartisan Institute of Politics and Global Affairs at the Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell University, which serves as a platform for civic engagement and bipartisan dialogue. He has written three widely praised novels – most recently, The Einstein Conspiracy, a historic thriller. His other books include The Global War on Morris (2014) and Big Guns (2018).

Israel’s commentary has been featured on CNN and MSNBC, as well as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Atlantic magazine, and others (see featured essays, below). He was profiled on HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and has appeared on CBS’s Sixty Minutes.

Israel’s Little Roundtop Productions is a creative development company that supports film, television and stage projects.

In Congress he created the House Center Aisle Caucus and was recognized as a leader on national security issues and the Middle East.

He lives with his wife Cara in Oyster Bay, Long Island. He has two daughters and three grandchildren.