Israel’s Strategic Challenges and Security Cooperation: JINSA Generals & Admirals 2024 Program Report

At the end of June 2024, we traveled to Israel as part of a delegation of retired U.S. general and flag officers organized by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA). The trip came during a critical moment for Israel, nearly nine months after Hamas’s brutal October 7 attack, as military operations in Gaza continued, disagreements with the United States were growing more pronounced, but even greater and more challenging threats—particularly Lebanese Hezbollah and Iran—consumed Israel’s attention.

During our 10 days on the ground, we had access to the highest echelons of Israel’s political, military, and intelligence leadership, as well as to a wide range of Israeli military commanders and several Israeli soldiers, who gave us insight into their decisions, challenges, objectives, and concerns.

We have prepared this report to present to our active-duty colleagues, U.S. policymakers, and the American public what we saw and heard in Israel—including that which surprised us or which we had not known before. We have also included our insights and reflections in the hopes that they might add to the discussion on U.S. national interests in the Middle East and our relationship with Israel, an exceptionally important partner confronting daunting security challenges.

Click here to read the report.

2024 JINSA Generals and Admirals Program participants meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on June 27, 2024. Photo includes all program participants. The listed authors are solely responsible for the content of the report.

Report Authors
LTG Charles Hooper, USA (ret.)
Former Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency
LtGen John Jansen, USMC (ret.)
Former Deputy Commandant for Programs and Resources
Lt Gen Charles Moore, USAF (ret.)
Former Deputy Commander, U.S. Cyber Command
LtGen Steven Rudder, USMC (ret.)
Former Commanding General, United States Marine Corps Forces, Pacific
LtGen George Smith, USMC (ret.)
Former Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force
LtGen Mark Wise, USMC (ret.)
Former Deputy Commandant for Aviation
RADM Paul Becker, USN (ret.)
Former Director for Intelligence, Joint Staff (J2)