Israel’s National Security Council Halts Climate Policy Operations

In a significant shift in national policy, Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) has discontinued its dedicated climate change units. According to an internal memo reported by the investigative site Shakuf, the NSC’s Climate and National Security Forum and the Climate Intelligence Forum ceased operations as of April 1.

These units were originally established in 2022 during the Bennett-Lapid government to integrate climate risk into the nation’s security and infrastructure planning. Their dissolution marks a pivot away from a structured, institutionalized approach to addressing the environmental challenges that experts characterize as strategic security threats.

The Role of the Climate Forums

The two forums were designed to bridge the gap between environmental science and state security. Led by Victor Weiss, who resigned from the position in February, the groups gathered representatives from various government ministries to evaluate how global warming affects national resilience. Key areas of focus included:

• Infrastructure Continuity: Assessing the impact of extreme heat on data centers, communication systems, and the national power grid.
• Resource Security: Monitoring potential risks to the country’s food and water supplies.
• Regional Intelligence: Analyzing how climate-driven instability in neighboring countries could manifest as security threats to Israel.
• Defense Readiness: Examining the physical impact of climate change on military assets, such as aircraft runways and the logistical demands of outdoor training schedules.

Expert Concerns Over Security Implications

The decision to shutter these forums has drawn sharp criticism from environmental advocacy groups and experts who view climate change as a “threat multiplier.” This term refers to the way environmental degradation can exacerbate existing political, social, and economic tensions, potentially leading to instability or conflict.

Advocates from organizations like Adam Teva V’Din and Green Course have argued that by dismantling these mechanisms, the government is ignoring the preparations already underway in global security circles. International bodies, including the United Nations, NATO, and the European Union, have increasingly incorporated climate risk assessment into their strategic planning, recognizing that extreme weather events—such as droughts and floods—often serve as catalysts for humanitarian and security crises.

Climate Forecasting and Future Outlook

The termination of these units coincides with warnings from the Israel Meteorological Service regarding the potential for an exceptionally hot summer and increased flood risks during the winter. Environmental organizations have expressed concern that the lack of a centralized NSC body to coordinate these warnings leaves the state less prepared to manage the cascading effects of extreme weather on public health and national stability.

While the internal memo indicated that the NSC would continue to monitor national emergency events, critics argue that the absence of a dedicated climate-focused framework creates a “blind spot” in the country’s long-term strategic planning. As the region continues to experience warming trends that outpace the global average, the debate over how to categorize and manage climate-related risks remains a critical issue for Israel’s national security agenda.

Key Takeaways

• Institutional Change: The National Security Council has officially ceased operations of its two climate-focused forums as of April 1.
• Strategic Shift: The move reverses a 2022 initiative aimed at treating climate change as a core component of national security.
• Expert Criticism: Environmental advocates warn that the dissolution ignores the role of climate change as a “threat multiplier” for regional security.
• Future Risks: Meteorological warnings suggest that Israel faces ongoing challenges related to extreme heat and flooding, which the now-defunct forums were tasked with mitigating.