Israel faced a sophisticated cognitive campaign during the recent conflict led by adversaries including Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah, targeting public trust and social cohesion, according to Col. (Ret.) Guy Itzhaki, former Chief of the Consciousness Department, IDF, and ICT Fellow.
Cognitive Warfare in the “Swords of Iron” Era
The campaign utilized advanced tools such as AI-generated media, automated persuasion, chatbots, and coordinated bot networks to achieve real-time narrative dominance and amplify emotional responses. Unverified claims spread rapidly, outpacing the stabilization of accurate information.
This exposed a vulnerability in Israel’s public diplomacy, which struggled to compete with the agility of decentralized influence networks. Internal political and social divisions were actively exploited during the conflict.
Itzhaki argues that cognitive warfare must be recognized as a top-tier strategic domain. He proposes a national cognitive architecture for Israel, including an empowered Cognitive and Influence Authority and early-warning systems for hostile narratives.
Systematic investment in societal cognitive resilience, through media literacy and the promotion of unifying narratives, is also crucial. Within the defense establishment, cognitive warfare should be integrated into planning, doctrine, and assessment.
Dedicated professional tracks and rapid-response cognitive task forces, operating under clear ethical boundaries, are also recommended. The increasing prevalence of citizens with broadcast capabilities and the speed at which local events can become global cognitive weapons underscore the importance of perception and public trust as decisive battlegrounds.
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