Key Facts
Key Information
About
The Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy is an Israeli-registered non-profit organization (R.A. 580429207) and conservative think tank based in Jerusalem. Formerly named the Institute for Zionist Strategies, it is a nationalist-oriented organization focused on Jewish identity, democratic values, and reshaping Israeli national security doctrine from a Zionist perspective, particularly in the wake of the October 7, 2023, attack. It produced a draft Israeli constitution presented in 2006 and published Weitman's controversial Gaza resettlement plan, authored during his time as a visiting researcher at the institute. Headed by Meir Ben-Shabbat (Chairman), a former Israel National Security Advisor and 25-year Shin Bet veteran, the institute serves as a platform for former senior security and diplomatic officials, prominent academic and policy fellows, and a broad team of experts including Ambassador Gilad Erdan (heads the Center for Diplomacy and International Cooperation and sits on the International Advisory Council), Prof. Kobi Michael (senior researcher and fellow, leading voice on strategic issues regarding Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah), Prof. Gabi Siboni (senior researcher and fellow, co-leads major projects), David M. Weinberg (senior fellow and Israel office director of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs), Dr. Raphael BenLevi (fellow and head of the Churchill National Security Program at the Tikvah Fund Israel), and others such as Dr. Yossi Mansharof, Dr. Hanan Shai, Prof. Zaki Shalom, and Eitan Ben-David. It advances pragmatic and realistic approaches in Israeli foreign and defense policy, grounded in the values of Zionism. Core tenets include framing the conflict with Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran as an existential struggle against a radical axis viewing Israel as the spearhead of Western civilization; advocating for a fundamental transformation of the regional order through the decisive defeat of Hamas and Hezbollah and the degradation of Iran's power; skepticism of biased international institutions like the UN and efforts to combat delegitimization campaigns; and promoting 'Economic Zionism' by shifting diaspora Jewish support from traditional philanthropy to strategic investment in Israel's economy. Its flagship project, 'Israel 2.0', led by Prof. Gabi Siboni and Prof. Kobi Michael, is a comprehensive reassessment of the fundamental assumptions of Israeli national security following the events of October 7, 2023, involving a wide range of fellows and external experts to provide a new conceptual framework and policy recommendations for decision-makers, envisioning a national renewal from 'Israel 1.0' to a more secure and prosperous 'Israel 2.0'.