Israel’s National AI Directorate: Strategic Ambition Meets Execution Reality

Israel’s National AI Directorate: Strategic Ambition Meets Execution Reality – by Frederic Eger – On 11 May 2026, Israel’s cabinet unanimously approved the preliminary work plan of the National Artificial Intelligence Directorate—a body established only in September 2025 within the Prime Minister’s Office. Led by Brigadier General (Res.) Erez Askal, former commander of Unit 9900 (Israel’s geospatial intelligence unit), the Directorate represents Israel’s formal response to mounting strategic pressure: the Nagel Committee’s stark warning that “Israel is not in a good position to accelerate the field,” alongside the operational failures exposed by 7 October 2023.

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