Background
Berko was born in Jerusalem to Jewish parents who had immigrated to Israel from Iraq, and was the second of six children.
Berko was born in Jerusalem to Jewish parents who had immigrated to Israel from Iraq, and was the second of six children.
After completing her national service, she remained in the Israel Defense Forces, serving for a total of 25 years and reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel. She became a lecturer at the Lauder School of Government at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, and serves as a visiting professor at George Washington University. Her research area includes suicide bombings, and she has interviewed Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin.
Prior to the 2015 Knesset elections she was placed 23rd on the Likud list, a slot reserved for a candidate chosen by Binyamin Netanyahu.
Berko is married to Reuven, an expert on Arab affairs, and has three children.