AI will be more important than nuclear capabilities, Bennett tells B'Yachad security conference

Jerusalem Post/Israel News"Artificial intelligence is the next arms race of superpowers, and despite the current government's lag in the last four years, we will not let Israel fall behind," he stated.Follow us on GoogleNaftali Bennett addresses the B'Yachad security and foreign policy conference, August 19, 2026.(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)ByJAMES GENNAUGUST 19, 2026 13:01Updated: AUGUST 19, 2026 13:18Former prime minister Naftali Bennett's B'Yachad party held a security and foreign policy conference on Wednesday, where he outlined four "security concepts," calling for them to be broken."In the not-too-distant future, AI capabilities will be even more important than nuclear weapons," Bennett said."Artificial intelligence is the next arms race of superpowers, and despite the current government's lag in the last four years, we will not let Israel fall behind," he stated.Bennett also addressed threats from Iran and its regional proxies."If Hezbollah shoots at us, we will shoot at Iran. A strike by Iran's proxies within Israel's borders will result in retaliation within Iran's borders," he said.Naftali Bennett addresses the B'Yachad security and foreign policy conference, August 19, 2026. (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)Bennett slams Qatari, Turkish influence in regionIsrael will define Qatar as an enemy country, he added.Israel will also insist on removing Qatari and Turkish influence from the Gaza Strip, coordinating with Egypt instead, he stated.Additionally, the approximately half-million illegal weapons circulating within Israel should be treated as a security threat, not a criminal one, he said. The IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) should declare places with such weapons as closed military areas until the weapons are removed, he added.Follow us on Google