Following a year of unprecedented security cooperation between Israel and the US, defense issues are expected to take center stage at the Israel Hayom Summit, scheduled for Nov. 11 at the InterContinental New York Times Square hotel.
Among the summit's most prominent speakers will be former Mossad Director David (Dedi) Barnea, who completed his five-year tenure as head of Israel's intelligence agency in June.
Barnea's appearance comes after a particularly dramatic year in security relations between Jerusalem and Washington. In February, the Israel Defense Forces and the US military launched Operation Roaring Lion, a large-scale joint military campaign against Iran. The IDF described the cooperation between the two militaries as historic, with thousands of targets struck during the campaign, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps infrastructure, missile systems and facilities linked to Iran's nuclear program.
A symbol of coordination
Another pillar of this cooperation has taken shape inside Israel. The US-led Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat brings together the IDF, representatives of other countries and international organizations. The center has become one of the most prominent symbols of the deepening coordination between the two countries and their joint efforts to shape the future of the Gaza Strip.
Security discussions at the summit will extend beyond Iran. Joining Barnea will be Israel Aerospace Industries CEO Boaz Levy, Israel Defense and Security Forum Chairman Brig. Gen. (res.) Erez Wiener and other senior security figures from Israel and the US. They will examine how the threat landscape has changed following the wars of recent years and what both countries must do to maintain their security advantage.
"Israel has now achieved victories against elements of the Iranian-led 'ring of fire' built around us, but the battle to defend our homeland still lies ahead," Wiener said. "The Palestinian Authority continues to support and finance terrorism, hundreds of thousands of weapons are circulating in Palestinian Authority-controlled areas and Arab society, and the Palestinian security forces are expanding at an alarming rate. Our responsibility is to identify the next threat and act today to prevent the next disaster. We cannot settle for investigating past failures. We must ensure there will be no need for further commissions of inquiry in the future."
The Israel Hayom Summit in New York will take place on Nov. 11, focusing this year on Israel-US relations across security, economics, technology and diplomacy, as well as ties between Israel and Diaspora Jewry. The summit will also devote significant attention to infrastructure, civil society and the recovery and rebuilding efforts following the prolonged war.
"Without the north and south, there is no State of Israel," said Michal Cohen, CEO of the Rashi Foundation, an Israeli philanthropic organization working to advance social mobility and equal opportunity. "Getting residents back into their homes is only the first step. The real test is whether we can give them compelling reasons to stay.
"That requires investment not just in infrastructure, but also in education, employment, communities and opportunities for growth. That is our national mission."
