JULY 2, 2026: Israelis Commemorate 1,000 Days Since October 7th

Tel Aviv Diary

Today marks 1,000 days since October 7. One thousand days since the darkest day in modern Israeli history. One thousand days have passed without the establishment of a national commission of inquiry to investigate the failures that led to the catastrophe. One thousand days in which Prime Minister Netanyahu and his allies have worked relentlessly to reshape the public narrative of October 7, assigning responsibility to nearly everyone except themselves.

Tonight at Hostage Square, 10,000 commemorated 1,000 days and demanded a National Committee of Inquiry

One thousand days without a serious national debate about Israel’s long-term military and strategic direction. One thousand days in which the country has reacted to events rather than shaped them. One thousand days in which Israel has not initiated a single major diplomatic initiative. One thousand days of war have added more than 26,000 permanently disabled veterans to the Defense Ministry’s Disabled Rehabilitation Division. One thousand days in which over 2,000 Israelis have been killed. One thousand days in which military spending has proceeded as though no financial limits existed. Finally, one thousand days that have transformed Israel in ways we are only beginning to understand.

A few days ago, Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that the war would never end. That is not what most Israelis signed up for. A small minority may believe that permanent conflict is Israel’s unavoidable destiny, however, most do not. The great majority of Israelis are not interested in fighting forever. They want the country to return to a measure of normalcy after nearly three years of war.

We all recognize that there is unlikely to be a true end to conflict until the Israeli-Palestinian dispute is ultimately resolved. They also recognize that such a resolution is not on the horizon. But there is a profound difference between the intermittent, low-level violence that Israel has learned to contain and the sustained warfare of the past 1,000 days. It is the difference between a country that functions normally despite the conflict and one whose entire way of life is defined by it.

Others worry that Hamas might somehow regain the initiative and return to the offensive, a scenario that, at least for now, seems incomprehensible. Yet for those who hold that fear, the possibility of renewed war feels very real. That may not be the most likely outcome. Nevertheless, after 1,000 days of war, it is difficult to dismiss anyone’s perception of reality. Prolonged conflict has a way of reshaping not only a country’s strategic calculations, but also its collective sense of what dangers lie just beyond the horizon.

Yesterday, I summarized the views presented at the Herzliya Conference regarding Israel’s strategic position and the challenges it faces. Broadly speaking, those assessments align with my own.

This has been the longest war in Israel’s history, and there is little doubt that political considerations have contributed to its extraordinary length. That is a responsibility that belongs to certain people, and one that history should neither forget nor forgive.

If, as many Israelis believe, the war in Gaza was extended for political reasons, then those decisions carried an enormous human cost. The government responsible deserves not only to be removed from office at the next election, but also to answer for the lives lost, the families devastated, and the lasting damage done to the country.

The promise of “total victory” has, in many respects, produced the opposite. In Gaza, the pursuit of that objective prolonged the war, contributed to the deaths of additional hostages and soldiers, and imposed an ever-growing burden on Israeli society. Israel secured important strategic positions in Gaza, at least for the time being, and ultimately achieved its central objective—the return of the hostages. Sadly, for some families, that meant bringing their loved ones home for burial rather than in life. However, those gains came at an incredibly steep cost. During the final year of what many regarded as an unnecessary extension of the war, Israel forfeited much of the international support it had enjoyed in the aftermath of October 7.

In Lebanon, the pursuit of “total victory” squandered many of the strategic gains achieved during the first phase of the war. Israel resumed military operations only to find itself increasingly constrained by Hezbollah’s drone campaign and by growing American pressure to end the fighting.

A similar pattern emerged in Iran. A year ago, Israel had achieved an important, if incomplete, strategic success. Much of Iran’s nuclear program had been destroyed, and the credible threat of further Israeli military action remained a powerful source of deterrence. But the decision to pursue “total victory” altered that balance. The Iranian regime remains firmly in power, much of its strategic capability has been restored, and American policy has imposed new constraints on Israel’s freedom of action. The result has been the erosion of many of the gains that had already been achieved.

Living in Israel requires a measure of optimism, and optimism has long been one of this country’s defining characteristics. But the past 1,000 days have tested that optimism as never before. They have shaken many Israelis’ confidence in the future and in the country’s leadership.

The problem has not been ideology alone, but more importantly, competence. Israelis have witnessed repeated failures of judgment, strategy, and execution. At the same time, the government’s most ideological factions have exercised disproportionate influence over national policy, often at the expense of Israel’s long-term strategic and diplomatic interests.

Our single greatest strategic challenge today is the deterioration of the relationship between Israel and the United States. No alliance has been more important to Israel’s security, prosperity, or international standing. Yet that relationship is under growing strain, and I believe we are only beginning to grasp the depth of the problem.

Rebuilding that partnership will not be easy. The damage is deep, as it is in so many areas of Israeli society after the past 1,000 days. But repairing it is not optional. If Israel is to remain secure, prosperous, and resilient throughout the twenty-first century, restoring the strength of its relationship with the United States must become a national priority.

THE KILLINGS CONTINUE

Two more Arab Israelis were killed overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, bringing the total to an unprecedented nine deaths this week. Four of those deaths occurred within a 24-hour period between Wednesday morning and Wednesday evening. It is the highest death toll in such a short period and points to a complete loss of control over the situation.

According to one source I spoke with, if crime statistics were measured solely within Arab Israeli communities, the murder rate would be the highest in the world. This cannot be allowed to continue. Yet the government appears incapable of marshaling the coordinated efforts across multiple ministries needed to confront this crisis.

BASIC LAW ON TORAH STUDY

Last night, the coalition passed the Basic Law on Torah Study, declaring that Torah study holds a special status in the State of Israel. The legislation is intended to make it more difficult for the Supreme Court to strike down exemptions from military service for yeshiva students, since Torah study would now be protected under a Basic Law.

Legal experts, both in the Knesset and outside it, criticized the procedure used to pass the legislation, the speed with which it was rushed through, and the wording of the law, which they argued had not been properly vetted.

The law is deeply unpopular. It creates yet another mechanism through which ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students can avoid military service. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Netanyahu came to the Knesset specifically to cast his vote in favor of the measure after securing the support of the ultra-Orthodox parties, which agreed in return to back several other bills on the government’s agenda.

The coalition’s legislative agenda, including the Basic Law on Torah Study and the other measures promised to the ultra-Orthodox parties, must be completed by July 17, when the Knesset adjourns for its summer recess ahead of the election campaign. For many Israelis, it is difficult to understand Netanyahu’s reasoning in pushing through such an unpopular law as the country enters an election season.

Some argue that the move is intended to shift public attention away from October 7, but that seems unlikely to succeed. Today, on the 1,000th day since the attacks, October 7 dominates the national conversation. When the next anniversary arrives, just weeks before the election, it is likely to do so once again.

I confess that I find the political logic difficult to understand. The only plausible explanation is that Netanyahu fears the ultra-Orthodox parties could eventually abandon him and align themselves with another coalition. At the moment, however, that appears highly unlikely.

NOVAFEST SURVIVORS MARK 1,000 DAYS

As Israel marks 1,000 days since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and the massacre at the Nova and other southern music festivals, new data highlight the continuing challenges facing thousands of survivors.

According to figures presented to the Knesset’s Young Adults Committee, 3,559 survivors have been officially recognized as victims of terrorism, yet only about half have managed to return to steady employment for at least five consecutive months. Many continue to struggle with the psychological effects of the attack, while survivors and advocacy groups say significant gaps remain in disability assessments, educational support, and services for former soldiers who attended the festivals.

The Nova Tribe Community Association, which was established to support survivors and bereaved families, says long-term rehabilitation remains incomplete nearly three years after the attack. The organization has been at the forefront of efforts to expand survivors’ legal rights, advocate for legislative changes, provide mental health support, and develop programs aimed at suicide prevention. It has also created an international memorial exhibition and produces a podcast featuring survivors’ testimony, preserving firsthand accounts of October 7 while raising awareness of the community’s continuing needs.

This week, the association received the Israeli Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs’ 2026 Award of Appreciation in recognition of its work building a comprehensive rehabilitation framework for survivors and bereaved families. The ministry cited the organization’s innovative community-based model, which combines emotional, social, vocational, and financial support, as an example of long-term rehabilitation tailored to the unique needs of survivors of mass trauma. The association says it continues to advocate for specialized educational programs, greater support for family members, and improved government services to help survivors rebuild their lives.

“One thousand days have passed, but for thousands of survivors and bereaved families, the rehabilitation process is far from over,” said Nova Tribe Community Association CEO Reef Peretz. Survivor Omer Leshem said meaningful changes are only now beginning to emerge, with lawmakers and government agencies finally addressing many of the issues survivors have raised since the attack.

Another survivor, Itay Hamer, said that although the security situation has improved, many survivors still live with a persistent fear that the violence could return. The association is urging the government and the public to recognize that recovery from October 7 will require years of sustained commitment rather than short-term assistance.

SCIENCE NEWS

Israeli AI Breakthrough Could Accelerate Drug Discovery

Researchers from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and Tel Aviv University have developed an artificial intelligence system that could significantly speed the process of understanding proteins, a breakthrough with potential applications in drug discovery, biotechnology, and agriculture. The new system, called BetaDescribe, is detailed in a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and is designed to translate protein sequences into natural-language descriptions of their likely functions.

Unlike conventional methods that depend on comparing unknown proteins with previously studied ones, BetaDescribe uses a generative AI model combined with verification techniques to predict the function of proteins that have little or no similarity to known examples. The researchers demonstrated the system’s capabilities by successfully generating detailed descriptions for six previously uncharacterized proteins, including information about their biological functions, catalytic activity, metabolic roles, and potential drug-binding sites.

The researchers believe the technology could dramatically reduce the time and cost required to identify promising proteins for new medicines and industrial applications. Led by doctoral student Edo Dotan under the supervision of Prof. Yonatan Belinkov of the Technion and Prof. Tal Pupko of Tel Aviv University, the project aims to bridge the gap between the hundreds of thousands of proteins that have been experimentally characterized and the billions that remain unexplored, helping accelerate scientific discovery across multiple fields.

BUSINESS

AI Fuels Another Record Month for Israeli Startups

Israeli startups raised more than $3 billion across more than 25 funding rounds in June, making it one of the strongest fundraising months for the country’s technology sector in recent years. The surge reflects continued investor confidence in companies positioned to benefit from the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, with nearly every major financing tied to AI infrastructure, cybersecurity, enterprise software, developer tools, or automation.

The month’s largest investment was AppsFlyer’s more than $1 billion financing from Google, Meta, Unity, and Moloco at a $2.7 billion valuation. Other major rounds included Cyera’s $600 million raise at a $12 billion valuation, DriveNets’ $410 million financing at an $8.5 billion valuation, Coralogix’s $200 million round, and ZutaCore’s $100 million investment to expand liquid-cooling technology for AI data centers. Together, these transactions accounted for the bulk of the month’s fundraising and highlighted growing demand for AI infrastructure and enterprise software.

Cybersecurity remained one of Israel’s strongest investment sectors, with companies including NewCore, PointFive, A Security, Aryon Security, Offroad, and Tenet collectively raising hundreds of millions of dollars. Enterprise AI startups also attracted significant capital, including funding rounds for Limitless Labs, Lama AI, Jedify, Upriver, and Aligned. The breadth of the financings underscores how artificial intelligence has become the dominant investment theme in Israel’s technology ecosystem, driving capital toward companies building the software, infrastructure, and security platforms that support the next generation of AI applications.

SAM Seamless Network

Qualcomm has acquired Israeli cybersecurity company SAM Seamless Network in a deal valued at more than $150 million, strengthening the chipmaker’s position in telecommunications security. Founded in 2016 by Shmulik Chafets and Sivan Rauscher-Ganot, SAM develops cybersecurity software for internet service providers, telecommunications equipment manufacturers, and network operators. The company employs about 80 people across Israel and the United States and has raised roughly $30 million from investors including Blumberg Capital, NightDragon, Ericsson, Telefónica, and Intel Capital.

SAM’s technology protects more than 500 million connected devices across over 15 million networks worldwide. Its customer base includes major telecommunications providers such as AT&T, Verizon, Bezeq, Belgium’s Telenet, and the U.K.’s Virgin Media. The platform provides real-time protection against cyber threats while maintaining network performance, allowing service providers to identify and respond to attacks without disrupting the user experience.

Following the acquisition, SAM will continue operating as an independent business unit within Qualcomm. The U.S. technology giant plans to leverage its global customer base and partner network to expand the deployment of SAM’s cybersecurity platform, accelerating its growth in the telecom security market. The deal marks another significant acquisition of an Israeli cybersecurity company as global technology firms continue to invest in Israel’s cyber innovation ecosystem.

Aligned

Israeli AI startup Aligned has raised $60 million in a Series B funding round led by PeakSpan Capital, with participation from existing investors Hetz Ventures, JAL Ventures, and NFX. The financing brings the company’s total funding to $73.8 million since its founding in 2021. The company, which develops an AI-powered workspace for managing complex B2B sales processes, plans to use the new capital to accelerate product development and expand its global operations.

Founded by CEO Gal Aga, Chief Product Officer Gal Dietsch, and CTO Yotam Sela, Aligned helps businesses organize the often-chaotic enterprise sales process by centralizing documents, communications, tasks, and deal information into a single secure workspace. The company has recently expanded its platform with AI agents that automate many aspects of the sales cycle, from initial customer engagement through contract completion. Headquartered with an R&D center in Israel and offices in New York and Europe, Aligned currently employs 55 people and expects to grow its workforce to 85 by the end of the year.

Aligned says its platform is used by approximately 70,000 sales professionals and one million buyers each month, with customers including Deel, Similarweb, and WordPress. According to the company, clients have reduced sales cycle times by an average of 30% while increasing deal close rates by 15%. The startup also reported that it has tripled its annual recurring revenue over the past year, reflecting strong demand for AI tools designed to streamline increasingly complex enterprise sales processes.

Traysar

Israeli defense technology startup Traysar has raised $25 million in seed funding to accelerate development of autonomous systems designed to detect and destroy underground tunnels and fortified subterranean facilities. The round attracted an unusual group of investors, including senior executives from defense unicorn Anduril, engineers from SpaceX, Craft Ventures, Lux Capital, and Israel’s Entree Capital. The company, founded in 2024, is reportedly valued at approximately $100 million.

Founded by CEO Yadin Soffer, former tunnel warfare specialist Asher Katz, and former news executive Gilad Adin, Traysar develops compact robotic engineering vehicles that can enter, dismantle, and destroy underground tunnels using hydraulic drilling equipment and integrated explosive systems. The company’s technology has already been tested in Gaza and is being adapted for broader military applications, including the neutralization of hardened underground military facilities and cross-border smuggling tunnels. Traysar employs about 20 people in Tel Aviv and Austin, Texas, including engineers recruited from Elon Musk’s Boring Company.

The company believes the growing focus on underground warfare following recent conflicts in the Middle East has created a significant new defense market. Beyond Israel, Traysar is targeting the U.S. defense establishment, where it sees increasing interest in technologies capable of addressing deeply buried military infrastructure in countries such as Iran, China, North Korea, and Russia. The new funding will support continued product development and expansion as the startup seeks to establish itself in what it views as an emerging strategic defense sector.

Baz

Israeli AI security startup Baz has unveiled a new product designed to prevent software vulnerabilities before code is written, while also announcing a $9 million extension to its seed funding round. The new financing doubles the company’s previously announced $8 million seed round, bringing total funding to $17 million. The extension was led by existing investors Battery Ventures and Boldstart Ventures, with new participation from AFG Partners and Disruptive VC.

Founded in late 2023 by CEO Guy Eisenkot and CTO Nimrod Kor, both veterans of Israel’s elite Unit 8200, Baz develops AI-powered tools that help software engineering teams identify and fix security weaknesses throughout the software development process. The company’s new product, Baz Planner, analyzes development plans before coding begins, identifying design decisions that could introduce security vulnerabilities and automatically recommending safer implementation strategies. The product complements Baz’s existing AI Code Review platform, which automatically reviews code written by both developers and AI coding agents. Earlier this year, the company’s technology outperformed offerings from Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and Cursor in the Code Review Bench industry benchmark.

Eisenkot is a serial entrepreneur who previously co-founded Bridgecrew, the cloud security startup acquired by Palo Alto Networks for $200 million in 2021, just two years after its founding. Baz is targeting a rapidly growing market for AI-driven software security tools as enterprises increasingly rely on AI to generate code while seeking to prevent vulnerabilities from entering applications at the earliest stages of development. The new funding will support continued product development and expansion as the company builds out its AI-native application security platform.

Esh-Tech Systems

Israeli defense technology startup Esh-Tech Systems has unveiled DroneLight, a laser-based counter-drone system that the company says can neutralize hostile drones in one to two seconds while consuming significantly less power than conventional laser weapons. According to Esh-Tech, the system can engage up to 30 targets per minute, provides 360-degree coverage at ranges of up to one kilometer, and can be operated by a single user. The company says DroneLight is designed to protect both mobile and fixed military forces against drones and loitering munitions.

The system’s distinguishing feature is its low power consumption. Esh-Tech claims DroneLight requires less than four kilowatts of electricity—far below the tens of kilowatts typically associated with comparable laser systems. Rather than relying on a continuous laser beam, the company uses short, high-energy pulses timed to coincide with brief “atmospheric windows,” moments when humidity, dust, smoke, and air turbulence temporarily interfere less with laser propagation. Esh-Tech says this approach enables it to achieve the effectiveness of much larger systems while reducing energy requirements, weight, and operating costs, potentially allowing installation on light tactical vehicles.

Founded in 2023 in Israel’s Negev region by CEO Erez Riayhi, a veteran of the defense electro-optics industry, Esh-Tech has received support from the Israel Innovation Authority and has participated in Defense Ministry-backed research and development programs. The company, which operates from Omer and Modi’in, says DroneLight is currently undergoing evaluations in several countries. While the system’s performance claims have yet to be independently verified under operational conditions, its development comes as militaries around the world—and particularly Israel—seek more effective and affordable defenses against the growing threat posed by FPV attack drones and drone swarms.

Obol

Israeli enterprise software company Priority Software has acquired Israeli fintech startup Obol as it expands its artificial intelligence capabilities for corporate finance. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, although industry sources estimate the acquisition is worth tens of millions of shekels. The acquisition integrates Obol’s AI-powered cash flow management platform into Priority’s cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, strengthening the company’s strategy of offering a comprehensive AI-driven business management platform.

Obol specializes in real-time cash flow forecasting by connecting bank accounts, ERP systems, and payment platforms to provide continuously updated liquidity forecasts, working capital insights, and financial planning tools. The technology is designed to reduce manual reporting while giving finance teams a more accurate, real-time view of their cash position. For Priority, which serves tens of thousands of customers worldwide, the acquisition adds advanced financial intelligence capabilities to its ERP platform as the company increasingly positions itself as an AI-first enterprise software provider.

Priority CEO Sagiv Greenspan said the acquisition will enable the company to offer AI tools capable of forecasting cash flow and recommending actions to improve liquidity. He added that the deal is part of a broader strategy to acquire specialized AI startups whose products can be rapidly integrated into Priority’s platform. The acquisition also reflects a broader trend in the enterprise software market, where established ERP providers are increasingly acquiring AI startups to accelerate product development and transform traditional business management systems into intelligent platforms that actively support financial decision-making.

ai.work

ServiceNow has acquired Israeli AI startup ai.work, a young company developing AI-powered digital employees designed to automate internal enterprise operations. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Founded in 2024 by CEO Maor Ezer and CTO Nir Nahum, both former WalkMe executives, ai.work emerged from stealth last year after raising a $10 million seed round led by A* and lool Ventures, with participation from First Minute Capital, Timeless Partners, SV Angel, Firsthand VC, Eckstein Capital, Liquid2, and other angel investors.

The company’s platform enables organizations to deploy “AI employees” across departments such as IT, procurement, human resources, finance, and operations. Rather than relying on isolated AI tools, ai.work developed a system that coordinates multiple AI agents capable of navigating complex enterprise workflows while integrating with existing business systems, managing permissions, and maintaining security. The founders argued that while many organizations have experimented with AI automation, most deployments have failed to move beyond disconnected pilot projects because of integration and governance challenges.

The acquisition will allow ai.work’s technology to become part of ServiceNow’s expanding AI platform, reinforcing the enterprise software giant’s strategy of embedding AI agents throughout corporate workflows. In announcing the deal, the founders said ServiceNow was the ideal home to accelerate their vision of AI employees operating at enterprise scale. The acquisition is the latest in a series of AI-focused purchases by ServiceNow over the past year as the company expands its capabilities in enterprise automation and intelligent workflow management.

Meteor Aerospace

American defense technology company VisionWave Holdings has agreed to acquire a 51% controlling stake in Israeli unmanned systems manufacturer Meteor Aerospace in a transaction valuing the company at $40 million. The deal, which will be completed through the issuance of VisionWave shares valued at $20.4 million, remains subject to legal, financial, and technical due diligence, including the successful flight testing of Meteor’s Impact-700 unmanned aerial vehicle.

Meteor Aerospace was founded by former Israel Aerospace Industries CEO Yitzhak Nissan and businessman Hezi Bezalel. The company develops unmanned aerial, ground, and maritime systems, along with precision-guided munitions, electronic warfare technologies, and intelligence-gathering platforms. Its flagship Impact-700 drone is designed to operate for more than 20 hours at altitudes of up to 18,000 feet, carry payloads exceeding 100 kilograms, and fly missions with a range of up to 200 kilometers. Following the transaction, Nissan and Bezalel’s ownership stakes will each be reduced from 50% to 24.5%, while VisionWave will gain control of the board and integrate Meteor’s technologies into its broader defense portfolio.

The acquisition marks another step in VisionWave’s rapid expansion in Israel’s defense technology sector. The Nasdaq-listed company, which focuses on defense technology, robotics, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence, established its Israeli operations earlier this year and has already acquired computer vision company Foresight Autonomous and AI video analytics firm xClibre, while also investing in data center infrastructure. If completed, the Meteor acquisition will strengthen VisionWave’s position in the fast-growing global market for autonomous defense systems, where demand has accelerated as militaries worldwide increase investment in unmanned platforms.