Catch my guest post: "High-Tech in Wartime"

I contributed to Clarity, the Substack publication headed by Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren. I invite you to read what I wrote

This week I was honored to write a guest post for Clarity with Michael Oren, a Substack publication headed by the Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States. Clarity seeks to show readers “Israel as you’ve never seen it before—its politics, society, and people” - and I was delighted to highlight some of my expertise in its tech sector. Specifically, the way in which it operates alongside the IDF.

Here is some background on how this came about: My time as a journalist in Israel has allowed me to hear its stories and understand how its multiple identities can connect with one another. One of the earliest examples of this has been well known for decades: As the cultural and historic haven for the Jewish people but also one perceived as a dangerous war zone under attack from its neighbors. The military wing of its country has helped defend its citizens since its existence and shows no signs of slowing.

However, there is a new relationship between its modern-day identities I have observed over the years: How Startup Nation was born and the ways its booming high-tech sector has assisted in the efforts to keep its country safe. As attacks became more complex, so too did the ways the IDF would defend itself, thus giving birth to a new symbiotic relationship between soldier and entrepreneur.

How these identities became connected went something like this: Soldiers in the IDF witnessed atrocities committed by their enemies and envisaged companies back home that would address the problems they faced during conflicts. They would return from the battlefields of Gaza or Lebanon and enter the battleground of the boardroom; trying to secure funding to build products or services that offer innovative solutions…

I explore this in a lot more detail on Clarity, which I have linked throughout this email. I invite you to please read it (and follow Michael’s excellent work on America and Israel’s place in a rapidly changing world).

Thank you to Ben, Aviva, and the entire Clarity team for the opportunity to share my thoughts. I hope you all enjoy them!

P.S. - readers are also invited to read my work on the Ambassador’s manifesto, Israel 2048, on CTech. The article, “What is the role of Startup Nation in Israel’s next 100 years?” is linked below as well.