Minister Chikli Accuses Security Agencies of Political Involvement

Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli stated on Thursday that prior to the October 7th Hamas attack, the military and intelligence echelons led security policy, while the political leadership struggled to act against professional assessments. Speaking at the "Deep State: How Can the People Prevail?" conference in Jerusalem, Chikli criticized intelligence bodies like Aman and the Shin Bet for focusing on political issues instead of analyzing enemy intentions and military capabilities.

Chikli elaborated that the military "de facto" led the agenda before October 7th, with the political echelon having little ability to deviate from professional evaluations. He cited the initial days of the war, when the political leadership wanted to sever northern Gaza, but the military opposed it. "When you look at intelligence bodies like Aman and Shin Bet, you expect them to analyze the enemy's intentions and military capabilities," Chikli said, referencing articles by former Aman Intelligence Directorate head Amit Saar about how wars begin unexpectedly.

He further argued that the military system enters a "political, not military mode," focusing on preventing war and miscalculation, leading to a "complete confusion between statesmanship and engaging in the military profession." Chikli pointed to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Israeli-occupied Territories (COGAT) as an extreme example, calling it a key player in shaping the political echelon's agenda and being at the heart of Hamas's deception, even presenting a long-term ceasefire plan to the cabinet.

"Shin Bet, Aman, the Gaza Division. Everyone was busy being statesmen," Chikli declared. He stressed the importance of the military detaching itself from political involvement and focusing on explaining enemy intentions rather than economic situations, which he believes leads to neglect of the military profession. He also noted that the National Security Council (NSC) should challenge military systems but was not strong enough before October 7th.

The conference, organized by the 6:29 Institute, discusses the "deep state" concept and how the public can overcome it. The organizers described 6:29 AM as the time the nation awoke to the failure of officials and the need to reclaim sovereignty from a "deep state" that had usurped the people's role.