The crucial role of Israel’s next national security adviser - opinion

Israel's foreign relations are characterized by a stark dichotomy: strengthening alliances and shared interests on one side, and a rapidly deteriorating foreign policy and public diplomacy on the other. This accelerating strategic polarization presents a significant challenge for the nation.

While Israel's military prowess, particularly since October 7, has reached unprecedented operational supremacy, its diplomatic standing has suffered a systemic collapse. This crisis is not recent but the culmination of decades of erosion, actively fostered by hostile nations and anti-Israel entities aiming to isolate the country. The decline in support is particularly acute within the United States, a trend that has spread from the progressive left into the Republican establishment.

This public diplomacy failure and international isolation are attributed to a glaring policy omission and organizational chaos. A State Comptroller report highlighted a lack of synchronization between key government bodies, including the Prime Minister's Office, the Foreign Ministry, and the IDF Spokesperson's Unit. This leadership vacuum amplifies the critical importance of the National Security Council (NSC) chief's role.

By law, the NSC head is responsible for integrating national strategy and connecting disparate elements of policy. Therefore, the next head of the NSC must be a senior statesman with profound diplomatic experience. Successfully extricating Israel from its current diplomatic abyss and shifting the global paradigm requires not just incremental changes but a fundamental overhaul of a neglected domain, demanding strategic wisdom that is currently lacking.

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The good is improving; the bad is deteriorating.