Steven J. Rosen, a hawkish supporter of Israel and former director of foreign policy issues for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), has died at the age of 82. Rosen's career was derailed when he was charged with leaking government secrets, a case that was later dropped. He was known for his hard-charging advocacy and his ability to forge ties with officials in the State Department and the White House to promote American support for Israel. Rosen worked for AIPAC for 23 years and played a key role in expanding the group's influence. He was fired by AIPAC in 2005 after being charged with sharing classified information with journalists and the Israeli Embassy, but all charges were dropped in 2009. Rosen's death was due to complications of Alzheimer's disease.