Israel must invest in innovation to maintain a technological edge and remain prepared for future threats, former head of Israel’s National Security Council Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror warned on Wednesday.
Amidror’s comments came at the third annual Lev Conference on Science, Technology, and Security, hosted by the Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT).
The conference brought together leading names in Israel’s defense industries, high-tech sector, and academia, underscoring the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in speeding up technological development. Discussion notably centered on mechanisms that help detect and defend against threats before they impact citizens.
Amidror, who is currently a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, focused on Israel’s past as he spoke at the conference. He highlighted how future threats aren’t automatically eliminated, even in moments where Israel claimed major military victories.
“The Six-Day War was our most successful war, yet three months later came the War of Attrition, and six years later came the Yom Kippur War,” he said. “So where was the victory? Where was the deterrence? This is a different reality.”
Israel in a unique position, recent drone attacks show ‘real failure’
Israel, he argued, is in a unique position as a heavily criticized country, underscoring that continued investment in research and innovation is essential to protect Israeli lives and keep defense capabilities sharp.
“Even if we win the hundredth war, the day after it ends, we will have to begin preparing for the hundred-and-first. But if we lose, there won’t be a second chance,” Amidror said.
However, the senior researcher went on to attribute the IDF‘s recent achievements in the war to technological superiority. He soon circled back to criticize Israel’s preparations for drone threats as the US and Iran trade missile strikes.
“This is a real failure. We should have been far better prepared for this threat because we knew about it and understood it long beforehand,” he said.
Addressing the “failure” will require the development and distribution of last-second interception forces and increased general preparedness, Amidror added. Others at the conference echoed the importance of fostering the next generation of scientists and engineers and spotlighting academic research and innovation.
