Israel's National Security Council has shut down its Climate and National Security Forum and its Climate Intelligence Forum [1].
The closure removes a specialized unit dedicated to integrating climate policy with national security, potentially altering how the state manages environmental risks as security threats.
The forums ceased operation on April 1, 2024 [2]. This action ended a unit that had been established four years earlier, in 2020, to bridge the gap between environmental science and strategic defense [1].
Environmental reporter Sue Surkes said the move was a "shock decision" [1]. The closure occurred without a detailed public explanation regarding the specific reasons for the dissolution of the forums.
The unit was designed to provide intelligence and strategic planning to address the intersection of climate change and regional stability. By dismantling these forums, the National Security Council has shifted its organizational approach to climate-related security threats.
Gabriella Jacobs, host of the Times of Israel Daily Briefing, said the development during a 20-minute audio update [3]. The briefing highlighted the sudden nature of the decision and the void it leaves in Israel's national security infrastructure regarding climate intelligence.
“The forums ceased operation on April 1, 2024.”
The dissolution of these forums suggests a shift in priority within Israel's National Security Council, moving away from a formalized, integrated approach to climate intelligence. This may leave a gap in the state's ability to predict and mitigate security risks driven by environmental instability, such as resource scarcity or extreme weather events, which are increasingly viewed as threat multipliers in the Middle East.
