Israel does not have a clear security doctrine, and defeating Hamas will not solve the issue of extremism in Gaza, former national security adviser Eyal Hulata said on Tuesday.
“Israel does not have a security doctrine; it was never properly written,” Hulata said at the Israel Democracy Institute’s Eli Hurvitz Conference on Economy and Society 2025.
“I spoke with three prime ministers – [Naftali] Bennett, Yair Lapid, and [Benjamin] Netanyahu – and at the conclusion of the 2022 strategic assessment, there were no major gaps.”
He also emphasized that Israel is currently not prioritizing facing down major security threats.
“Our priorities continue to avoid addressing major security challenges [such as] Iran and its proxies – especially in the negotiations as they are currently conducted – which worries me,” he said.
Hulata emphasized that Israel is faced with important opportunities to make agreements and reach normalization with countries in the region, saying that it is important to look at all possibilities.
He stressed the fact that the Abraham Accords have held up in spite of the war and said that it is critical to ask what benefit is being gained from the Israeli presence in Gaza.
“The absolute damage Israel has caused and exacted from Hamas is unprecedented compared to any other enemy Israel has fought. It’s hard to fully grasp this amid the trauma of October 7, but the fact is clear – defeating Hamas alone will not solve the ability of extremist groups in Gaza to hold weapons.
“A more holistic solution is needed to ensure that Gaza will not continue to threaten us, even if Hamas surrenders,” he added.
'Politics that are taking a front seat'
Former Institute for National Security Studies executive director Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg also touched on the priorities of Israel’s government.
The economy is not “sitting in the front seat of the faltering car that is Israel,” he said, adding that it is politics that are taking a front seat. The economy can only take so much of this, he stressed.
Like Hulata, Trajtenberg touched on the possibilities Israel faces when it comes to making wide alliances in the Middle East. He emphasized the economic impacts of the security situation.
Maxim Rybnikov, S&P Global Ratings director and lead analyst, EMEA Sovereign and Public Finance Ratings, addressed the impact of Israel’s security situation on its economy, saying that while Israel has a strong and innovative economy, the war in Gaza has lasted much longer than anyone expected, and no one knows what will happen next.
Israel’s fiscal position has weakened over the last two years, and forecasts of Israel’s debt have been revised consistently upwards, he said.
He said that the outlook for Israel’s credit rating is currently all about the security situation. While reduced risk could cause the outlook, which is currently negative, to improve, escalation and continued fighting could bring additional downgrades.