Phyllis Bennis (born January 19, 1951) is an American writer, activist, and political commentator. Focusing mainly on issues related to the Middle East and the United Nations. She is a strong critic of Israel and the United States and a leading advocate of Palestinian rights. In 2001 she helped found and remains active with the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation. She directs the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies. She is also a fellow of the Transnational Institute in Amsterdam. She has served as an informal adviser to several top UN officials on Middle East and UN democratization issues. Phyllis has written and edited eleven books. Among them are her new Understanding ISIS & the New Global War on Terror: A Primer, the 6th updated edition of her popular Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, as well as Before & After: US Foreign Policy and the War on Terror and Challenging Empire: How People, Governments and the UN Defy U.S. Power.