Profiles in intelligence: an interview with the 17th Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Moshe (Bogie) Ya’alon

Abstract

ABSTRACT During the summer of 2023, I conducted an interview with Moshe (Bogie) Ya’alon, a veteran of over 30 years in key roles within the Israeli Defense Forces. As a leading authority on national security and intelligence, Ya’alon provided critical insights, particularly regarding the intelligence failures of the 1973 Yom Kippur War and how these failures inform present-day security dilemmas. Although this interview was conducted three months before the surprise Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, Ya’alon stressed the significance of lessons from previous conflicts and significant geopolitical developments. He also underscored the importance of cultural and emotional factors in intelligence failures and the dynamics of Israel’s relations with the Five Eyes alliance, offering insights that illuminate some of the challenges Israel would encounter three months later. This interview is part of an ongoing oral history project designed to gather diverse perspectives on intelligence and national security leadership in Israel, enhancing our understanding of the security dilemmas of the Middle East and the world of espionage.