Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin, Former Head of Israeli Military Intelligence, Addresses U.S. Navy Midshipmen for JINSA’s Military Academies Lecture Series

Major General Amos Yadlin, the recently retired head of Israeli Defense Intelligence, conducted a seminar and delivered a major lecture to the Brigade of Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy on October 27, 2011.

Major General Amos Yadlin, the recently retired head of Israeli Defense Intelligence, conducted a seminar and delivered a major lecture to the Brigade of Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy on October 27, 2011.

General Yadlin’s presence was part of JINSA’s Military Academies Lecture Series, which brings Israeli leaders to lecture to the cadets and midshipmen at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, and the Naval Academy at Annapolis.

The day began with General Yadlin conducting a two-hour seminar for senior level midshipmen. Iran’s nuclear weapons development program and Israel’s responses to it dominated the intense conversation. The discussion was lively and compelling with participating midshipmen furiously taking notes.

After a working luncheon with Naval Academy faculty, General Yadlin delivered a major lecture to a large audience of midshipmen, faculty members, and invited guests.

For the first 15 minutes Gen. Yadlin spoke directly to the midshipmen, dispensing wisdom acquired during his nearly four decade military career. He drew upon experiences as varied as one of Israel’s most elite fighter pilots to the years he spent in Washington, DC as Israel’s defense and armed forces attaché. In fact, Gen. Yadlin was one of the eight Israeli pilots selected for the daring mission to destroy Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor in 1981, a fact that enthralled his audience, more than a few of whom aspire to be naval aviators.

Gen. Yadlin told the rapt midshipmen to pursue their careers with meaning; to never panic no matter how dire the situation appears to be, and; to not count on “silver bullet” solutions. Today’s problems, he cautioned, are too complex. Further, he advised then not to avoid forecasting with certitudes but to stick to likelihoods.

Turning his attention to the wider Middle East, Gen. Yadlin discussed changes sweeping the Middle East focusing on Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iran.

At the conclusion of his lecture, surrounded by midshipmen anxious to have a personal word with him, Gen. Yadlin fielded questions from the front of the lecture hall for an additional 20 minutes until the demands of their rigorous day called the future naval officers away.