Human capital formation as a key component in Europe’s defence build-up
Manuel Trajtenberg
Special Publication, May 14, 2025
Government spending on defence, particularly defence R&D, can have significant economic spillovers. This column argues that the forthcoming European defence build-up must include a long-term strategy to develop high-quality human capital. Military human capital development serves a dual-purpose role: it is crucial for the modern (largely non-combat) battlefield, and also valuable for long-run productivity growth. Israel provides a good example of how military service can become a driver of innovation, by giving recruits intensive...
Iran-Russia Nuclear Cooperation
Arkady Mil-Man,
Special publication in collaboration between INSS and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom
Russia has a long history of nuclear energy cooperation with Iran. Until recently, it maintained a constructive position on international efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Russia balanced the benefits of its nuclear energy cooperation with Iran alongside its relationships with the United States and its commitment to the robust nonproliferation regime. However, recent developments may have affected Russia’s position on the Iranian nuclear program and could help Iran obtain nuclear weapons.
The Joint...
Influence Operations Against Israeli Economic and Security Interests Abroad
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A special joint publication by the Institute for National Security Studies and the Institute for the Research of the Methodology of Intelligence at the Israel Intelligence Heritage and Commemoration Center, February 2025
This article discusses influence operations aimed at harming Israeli economic and security interests in the international arena, with a focus on two case studies in the United Kingdom and Japan. In both cases, Elbit Systems was targeted for economic and strategic influence and damage. The article describes the operational methods used in the influence operations on social networks, which include coordinating between activist organizations and coordinated inauthentic behavior networks on social media. In addition, it proposes initial...
So Far So Good? The Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Is Largely Holding
Assaf Orion
Special Publication, January 29, 2025
The agreement’s implementation phase is going surprisingly well and has been extended, but maintaining the ceasefire will require officials to resolve the issues in dispute and address Hezbollah’s threats.
Foreign Interference and Iranian Influence on Social Networks in Israel
, David Siman-Tov
A Special Publication in cooperation between INSS and the Institute for the Study of Intelligence Methodology at the Israel Intelligence Heritage Commemoration Center (IICC), November 13, 2024
This article addresses the phenomenon of Iranian foreign interference in social media platforms in Israel during the years 2020–2022. Its aim is to examine and characterize the phenomenon, discuss its consequences, and propose policy addressing it. The study reveals that agents of foreign interference in the discourse on Israeli social networks do not favor a certain group or agenda in Israeli society; rather, they aim to deepen the rifts in Israeli society and weaken it. The article begins with a description of the main operations...
Iranian Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference During the Swords of Iron War
, Danny Citrinowicz
A Special Publication in cooperation between INSS and the Institute for the Study of Intelligence Methodology at the Israel Intelligence Heritage Commemoration Center (IICC), November 12, 2024
In recent years, Iranian actors have carried out a range of hostile influence operations as part of the Israeli public discourse, aiming to expand social and political rifts, create political tension and chaos, and encourage demonstrations and distrust of the government and its democratic institutions. Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the Iranian influence operations have focused on issues related to the war and the attempt to sow distrust and demoralization, incite violence against Arab citizens, and deeply penetrate the...
Arabic and English Antisemitism on Social Media Platforms Post-October 7: Analysis on Discourse and Prevention
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Special Publication, November 4, 2024
As the events of Hamas’s attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, unfolded on the ground and across social media, CyberWell’s monitoring technology quickly began to detect a surge of antisemitic content. In the 25 days following October 7, there was an 86% increase compared to the previous 25 days. Alarmingly, CyberWell’s technology also identified a significant shift in the Arabic discourse, moving from promoting traditional stereotypes of Jews, such as secret cabals controlling the world, to advocating for and justifying direct...
Last year, as the Israel-Hamas war unfolded, pro-Palestinian protests, encampments, building occupations, and votes on Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) resolutions spread across hundreds of US university campuses. Over the last several weeks, three major studies timed for the start of the academic year provide the first systematic evidence of the breadth and impact of the protest movement. Protesters achieved some, but not all, of their aims and created an environment that many Jewish students perceived as hostile. Still, the...
Clausewitz Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
Special Publication, September 26, 2024
The Israel–Hamas war of 2023–2024, known in Israel as the “Swords of Iron” war, has revived the famous adage of Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz—that “war is a continuation of politics by other means.” This saying has become a basis for criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has so far refrained from adopting a political strategy to end the war in the Gaza Strip and address the “day after.”
Meanwhile, a growing number of voices claim that prolonging the war is Netanyahu’s strategy, particularly given his legal...
Sleeping with Boots On and Winning Barefoot
Special Publication, September 15, 2024
On October 7, in the Gaza Division, they didn’t sleep in their boots. Had they slept in their boots, as is customary in field units along the borders, the division’s forces would have gone on alert at dawn and would have been prepared for battle with the Nukhba terrorists.
In contrast, Israel’s athletes at the Paris Olympics won barefoot: Seven Olympic medals were awarded to Israeli athletes in sailing, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, and the floor exercise. It turns out that total victory in competitive sports is possible—even without...
Russian Influence in Israel During the War in Gaza
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A Special Publication in cooperation between INSS and the Institute for the Study of Intelligence Methodology at the Israel Intelligence Heritage Commemoration Center (IICC), September 5, 2024
Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, Russian agents have been carrying out hostile influence activities against the Israeli public, aimed to undermine public confidence in the actions of the Israeli army and harm the strategic alliance between Israel and the United States. These activities are part of a long-term information warfare that Russia is waging around the world, with the intent of strengthening its standing in the international arena at the expense of the United States and its allies. Russian agents have conducted...
Moving Beyond Cyber-Enabled Influence Operations
A Special Publication in cooperation between INSS and the Institute for the Study of Intelligence Methodology at the Israel Intelligence Heritage Commemoration Center (IICC), August 22, 2024
The emergence of the internet and the rise of cyberspace have led to the development of new methods of projecting power and exerting strategic influence, one of which is offensive cyber operations. This article examines the use of offensive cyber for influence operations in incidents in two case studies in Israel and Albania, which were attributed to Iran. The article includes a theoretical analysis of key concepts in offensive cyber operations and influence operations through cyberspace. It shows how ransomware operations can be...
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