Israel’s Next Election May Decide Its First AI-Era Prime Minister

Israel’s coming election will be fought over familiar issues, Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, military draft exemptions and the cost of living. But the article argues that beneath that agenda lies a quieter and equally consequential question: Israel is poised to become the first major Western democracy to choose a prime minister for the age of artificial intelligence.

The next leader, it says, will be judged not only on war, diplomacy and coalition survival, but also on whether he or she understands that AI, advanced computing, energy and industrial capacity are now national infrastructure. The article stresses that AI is no longer just a technology trend, it affects military superiority, economic growth, labor productivity, government efficiency, energy demand, industrial policy and national sovereignty.

Israel is especially exposed because high-tech makes up about a quarter of GDP, more than half of exports, and a disproportionate share of tax revenue. If the country loses its competitive edge, the damage would reach taxes, wages, security capability, public services and the state’s ability to finance its own complexity. The article says treating AI policy as simple “innovation policy” is too narrow, and calls for a national doctrine centered on computing power, electricity, cooling, data access, scientific talent, applied research, advanced manufacturing and international alliances.

The government has recently launched a national AI plan headed by reserve Brig. Gen. Eran Askal, but the author says it is not yet a prime-ministerial doctrine. The proposed goal is for Israel to rank among the world’s top three AI powers after the United States and China, through four pillars: national laboratories, sweeping science and vocational education, a “Taiwan model” for strategic manufacturing, and a global AI diplomacy network.

The article also calls for a new office under the prime minister with real authority over multiyear budgets, interministerial coordination, energy planning, regulatory sandboxes, national research programs and security integration. It says the body must sit in the Prime Minister’s Office because only there can Israel force cooperation across the security establishment, ministries, academia, industry, regulators and finance.