As President Donald Trump says Washington will end billions of dollars in annual military assistance to Israel, former IAF chief Maj.-Gen (res.) Amikam Norkin says Israel must use its technological capabilities to strengthen international partnerships and reduce its vulnerability to geopolitical shifts.
Israel cannot afford to stand alone in an increasingly unpredictable international environment, former Israel Air Force commander Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amikam Norkin warned, arguing that the country's technological capabilities must become a central instrument of its foreign policy and strategic relationships.
Norkin's remarks come amid growing uncertainty surrounding the future of US military assistance to Israel, after US President Donald Trump announced last week that Washington would stop providing approximately $4 billion in annual aid by the end of the year.
The announcement, which Trump said followed discussions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has raised questions about the future structure of the longstanding US-Israel defense relationship. The existing 10-year memorandum of understanding provides Israel with $38b.in military assistance through September 2028, and it remains unclear how Washington would implement an earlier cutoff.
Netanyahu's office subsequently described a transition "from aid to partnership" as evidence of the strength of the bilateral relationship, without directly denying Trump's announcement. The possibility of restructuring the relationship around joint defense development and weapons production has also been discussed.
The comments were made at the launch of the geo-technology center of the MIND Israel research institute, headed by former Military Intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amos Yadlin. The event brought together senior business leaders, venture capital executives, technology industry figures and former defense establishment officials. The new geo-technology center aims to develop precisely that connection between technological capabilities and geopolitical strategy.
Tech cards in a strategic deck
Norkin, who serves on MIND Israel's board, stressed that Israel's technological advantages should be viewed not simply as tools for maintaining military superiority, but as assets that can create diplomatic leverage and strengthen its position internationally.
"The technological assets of the State of Israel are cards in the strategic deck the state holds, and with those cards you can conduct strategy,” he said. "Israel cannot be alone; it must be part of a network, and technology is the most powerful tool to connect us to that network.”
He pointed to the close military relationship between Jerusalem and Washington, describing it as stronger than ever, despite the uncertainty surrounding the future of American military assistance.
"The relationship between the US military and the IDF is the strongest and closest it has ever been," Norkin said, noting the appreciation among American defense officials for Israel's operational experience and technological capabilities.
He also called for the National Artificial Intelligence Directorate to include a dedicated body responsible for technological diplomacy, arguing that Israel needs an organized mechanism to translate its technological capabilities into international cooperation.
"In a world where AI and quantum are exploding, Israel has a great deal to offer," he said. "The AI Directorate holds significant assets and will sign cooperation agreements with countries, and therefore a body is needed to lead technological diplomacy vis-a-vis the world."
New way to position Israel
MIND Israel board chairman Pini Cohen said that technological power and geopolitical interests would be central to Israel's long-term national resilience.
"The connection between technological power and geopolitical interests is the real key to Israel's strength and resilience in the coming decades," he said.
Yodfat Harel Buchris, managing director of the Blumberg Capital venture capital fund and chair of the center's advisory committee, said Israel needed to develop international relationships around new initiatives and ideas, rather than relying exclusively on existing diplomatic channels.
"We must create international connections based on initiative and new ideas, and find a new way to position Israel in the world," she said.
Also at the event, MIND Israel Vice President Dr. Avner Golov presented the center's flagship initiative, a partnership with the American research institute SCSP, headed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. The initiative will focus on cooperation across six strategic technology areas: artificial intelligence, quantum computing, nuclear energy, lasers, security and space.
The objective is to bring together governments, private companies and academic institutions to establish long-term technological partnerships that can withstand political changes in either country.
"Such an alliance will be stronger than any political fluctuation and will not depend on who sits in the White House or in Jerusalem," Golov said.
Follow us on GoogleSource: The Jerusalem Post · ANNA AHRONHEIM
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