Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg Announces He Will End his Tenure as Executive Director of the INSS; Maj. Gen. (res). Tamir Hayman will be appointed as the next Executive Director
January 24, 2024
Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg, Executive Director of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), announced yesterday that he will end his tenure as head of the Institute on May 1, 2024, at the close of a three-year appointment. He will be succeeded by Maj. Gen. (res.) Tamir Hayman, who today serves as Managing Director of INSS. Before joining INSS, Maj. Gen. (res.) Hayman served in the IDF for 34 years. In his last post he served as head of the Intelligence Directorate, and before that served as commander of the National Defense College and commander of the Northern Corps. During most of his career Hayman served as a soldier and commander in the Armored Corps.
The decision was accepted today, Wednesday, January 24, 2024, by the INSS Board of Directors.
Prof. Trajtenberg led a major expansion of INSS activity – in the scope of research, accessibility to wider audiences, and influence on decision makers. Trajtenberg brought to the Institute a broad concept of what constitutes national security, whereby the fields of political-cognitive power and societal resilience join traditional regional and military dimensions. These and additional elements have proven to be of utmost importance in light of the security challenges Israel has confronted in the past three years, including Operation Guardian of the Walls, rising crime in Arab society, the judicial overhaul and its security-related implications, and the current war in Gaza.
Sir Frank Lowy, Chairman of the INSS Board of Directors, stated: “Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg will end an impressive term as Executive Director of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) on May 1, 2024. In the course of his tenure, he built a new organizational and administrative structure at the Institute, expanded the research fields studied at INSS, and recruited renowned experts to join the INSS team. I am grateful to Manuel for his major contribution to the Institute’s reorganization. I met Tamir Hayman when he joined INSS and have been impressed by him, his military background, and his expansive knowledge, all of which are critical to the Institute at the present time. I am proud of the period at INSS during which Tamir served as Managing Director, and upon Prof. Trajtenberg’s departure, Tamir Hayman is a natural successor.”
INSS Executive Director Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg expressed his thanks to the Board of Directors, chaired by Sir Frank Lowy: “It has been a privilege to serve as Executive Director of INSS, the most important and influential think tank in Israel dealing with issues that are critical to our lives here. The Institute can be proud of its superb researchers, among them senior establishment figures and leading academicians; its independence, intellectual rigor, and non-partisanship; and its connections with the security and government establishments. I am deeply grateful to INSS Chairman of the Board Sir Frank Lowy for the opportunity to head the Institute in such a challenging period, his confidence in my leadership, and his broad support of the Institute. I am pleased that Tamir Hayman, whom I had the pleasure of bringing to INSS as Managing Director upon his retirement from the IDF, will be appointed as Executive Director. I have no doubt that he is the right person in the right place at the right time, particularly in light of the major challenges that we face. I will continue to dedicate my energies to the State of Israel and to the common good in every possible way.”
In the years that Prof. Trajtenberg served as Executive Director of INSS, a range of special research programs and fields were given particular attention, including Iran; the Palestinian issue; Arab states; Israel-China relations; relations between the United States and Israel; and societal resilience. Related subjects include Jewish-Arab relations in Israel; climate change, supply chains, and national security; economics and security; socio-military relations; crime in the Arab sector; the security budget; and models of mandatory and reserve service in the IDF.
Maj. Gen. (res.) Tamir Hayman thanked INSS Chairman of the Board Sir Frank Lowy and the Board of Directors for the appointment, and said: “The events of October 7 have defined anew the need for a change in priorities in every area and have underscored above all that national security, personal security, societal cohesion, and resilience are critical elements in our ability to confront the intensifying security challenges before us. These and other issues will be at the core of INSS research activity in the coming years.”