HaBithonistim

HaBithonistim (Hebrew: הביטחוניסטים, "The Security-Minded") is an Israeli association and movement founded in 2020 on the initiative of retired Brigadier General Amir Avivi. It is composed mainly of former senior officers and officials of Israel's security establishment, including retired IDF generals, police commanders, and intelligence figures. The movement describes its goal as "applying sovereignty, strengthening governance in the Land of Israel, and upholding the right of the State of Israel to defend itself within secure borders." It opposes the two-state solution and supports the expansion of Israeli settlements. While the movement's website states that "HaBithonistim is not a political movement" and that it is open to anyone who believes in its core values, it is widely described in media reports as a right-wing movement with a hawkish orientation. According to its official website, its members and activists number more than 35,000 people from the security forces and civilian society. The movement engages in applied research on issues related to Israel's national security, public activity, media outreach, and educational programs. It publishes position papers, strategic assessments, and a periodic "HaBithonistim Index" survey on Israeli society, Zionism, and security. It operates a knowledge center, produces a podcast, and holds conferences in cooperation with Israeli media outlets such as Israel Hayom and ynet. Since the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war on October 7, 2023, the movement has significantly increased its media and public diplomacy activity, and its members frequently appear on television as commentators. The movement's founding chairman is retired Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi. Its first director-general was retired Lt. Col. Yaron Buskila, and the chairman of its board is retired Maj. Gen. Gershon Hacohen. In 2026, Erez Wiener, who had been dismissed from IDF reserves following a information security offense, was appointed chairman of the movement, and Ronen Itzik was appointed director-general. Among its prominent activists are retired Maj. Gen. Yiftah Ron-Tal, retired Maj. Gen. Gershon Hacohen, retired Brig. Gen. Avigdor Kahalani, retired Brig. Gen. Effi Eitam, retired Brig. Gen. Dedi Simchi, retired police commissioner Aharon Aksol, retired Brig. Gen. Harel Knafo, and Eliyahu Yossian. Ariel Shapir, who was involved in the affair of alleged ties between the Prime Minister's Office and the Qatari government, serves as a strategic advisor and government relations officer for the movement. HaBithonistim operates through a range of means: research and accessibility of applied research on Israel's security; media and social networks; education to promote security and national resilience awareness in academic institutions and pre-military academies; and policy and government engagement, sharing its security experience and research findings with decision-makers. The movement also runs the "Iron Diaries" project, collecting stories of heroism from fighters, and maintains a knowledge center and an argument database for public discourse.

HaBithonistim was founded in 2020 on the initiative of retired Brigadier General Amir Avivi. It is an association composed mainly of former senior officers of the Israeli security establishment. The movement's stated goal is "applying sovereignty, strengthening governance in the Land of Israel, and upholding the right of the State of Israel to defend itself within secure borders." It opposes the two-state solution and supports the expansion of Israeli settlements. Although its website states that it is not a political movement, it is widely described in media reports as a right-wing movement with a hawkish orientation. According to the movement's official website, its members and activists include more than 35,000 people from the security forces and civilian society. The founding chairman is retired Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi; the first director-general was retired Lt. Col. Yaron Buskila; and the chairman of the board is retired Maj. Gen. Gershon Hacohen. In 2026, Erez Wiener, who had been dismissed from IDF reserves following an information security offense, was appointed chairman of the movement, and Ronen Itzik was appointed director-general. Among its prominent activists are retired Maj. Gen. Yiftah Ron-Tal, retired Maj. Gen. Gershon Hacohen, retired Brig. Gen. Avigdor Kahalani, retired Brig. Gen. Effi Eitam, retired Brig. Gen. Dedi Simchi, retired police commissioner Aharon Aksol, retired Brig. Gen. Harel Knafo, and Eliyahu Yossian. Ariel Shapir, who was involved in the affair of alleged ties between the Prime Minister's Office and the Qatari government, serves as a strategic advisor and government relations officer for the movement. The movement conducts applied research on issues related to Israel's security, aiming to provide the general public and decision-makers with tools to cope with the developing political-security reality. Its research deals with foreign relations and defense issues. On the Palestinian issue, research deals with the Palestinian Authority and its influence on Israel's policy, Israel's preparations for the day after Abu Mazen, the uprising of Palestinian youth and its impact on Israeli Arabs, and the interaction between Palestinian security mechanisms and Israeli security forces. Research also deals with Judea and Samaria – Palestinian takeover of Area C, the legal status of the territories and their importance to Israel as a strategic-security asset, enforcement of Israeli law in Areas B and C and demolition of illegal buildings, and army activity and entry into Area A at any time according to military and intelligence considerations. Since the Iron Swords War, a similar military approach has been applied to the Gaza Strip in terms of army activity in any area from which terrorism emanates against the State of Israel, as well as full control over the Philadelphi Route to prevent terrorist organizations in the Strip from rearming through it. In the field of internal security, studies have been published on the personal security feeling of Israeli citizens, governance in the Negev and mixed cities, security lessons from the 2021 riots in Israel, and the establishment of a national guard. The movement has also published research on Iran – on the nuclear threat and Israel's coping with it, and Iranian influence on the geopolitical space near Israel. In foreign relations, the movement has published research on normalization processes and peace agreements between Israel and Arab states, the Sunni-Israeli-American front against Iran, Israel–US relations, Israel–Europe, and Israel–China. In February 2025, the movement published a security briefing warning of Egypt's military buildup. Public activity: members of the movement are interviewed in the media, publish op-eds in the media and on the movement's website, and lecture in their areas of expertise, including the history of Israel's warfare, changes in the combat format in various sectors, ideology in the Arab world, and more. In 2020, during the discussions on the annexation of Judea and Samaria as part of President Trump's peace plan, representatives of the association met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and expressed support for implementing the annexation move enabled by the Trump plan. Since 2022, the movement has been working to establish an Israeli national guard in cooperation with the Ministry of National Security (then the Ministry of Internal Security) and the Border Police. In 2023, the movement began broadcasting a podcast hosted by the head of the research department, Or Yissachar. The podcasts published deal with the Gaza Strip, characteristics of global and local terrorism, and the Palestinian Authority. In February 2023, the movement submitted to the President of the State, Isaac Herzog, a petition signed by 17,000 members of the movement, in which they strengthened his hands and called "to immediately stop the violent and divisive discourse, regardless of the fate of the judicial reform." On April 2, 2023, the movement held a rally in the square of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, calling to remove the IDF from political debate, at which retired senior security officials spoke, including Avigdor Kahalani and Gershon Hacohen. In 2023 and 2024, the movement held a conference on security issues, in cooperation with the media outlets Israel Hayom and ynet. In September 2024, the movement's research department, in cooperation with the Hungarian Danube Institute, held a conference on the "October Effect" at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem, with the participation of diplomats and experts from the United States and Europe. Since the outbreak of the Iron Swords War on October 7, 2023, the movement has significantly increased its media and public diplomacy activity. Members of the movement frequently appear in television studios, including Yossi Bachar, Erez Wiener, and Oren Solomon, who filled senior positions in the Southern Command in reserve duty during the Iron Swords War. Members of the movement present positions that largely align with the positions of the Netanyahu government, including support for continuing the fighting in Gaza over a hostage release deal and opposition to holding elections during the war. In January 2025, it was written that the movement "has become the most sought-after commodity on screen — with 2,255 media appearances by the movement's chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi, since October 7, about ten meetings with the Prime Minister since the outbreak of the war, a donation from the Falic family, and a visit to President Trump's estate." Publications: The HaBithonistim Index – an ongoing survey conducted in Israeli society, dealing with issues of society, Zionism, and security. In 2022, the index focused on governance, national resilience, Zionist values, and the major tasks facing the State of Israel. Strategic Assessment – in 2022, the movement published a strategic assessment reviewing the map of threats facing the State of Israel. The assessment deals with issues related to Israel's national security in the medium-short and long term, and presents relevant recommendations in light of the danger that Israel will be attacked simultaneously on several fronts, both from within – riots by Bedouins and Arabs similar to what occurred during Operation Guardian of the Walls – and from outside – Israel being attacked by Hamas and Hezbollah, operating on behalf of Iran. Position papers and research – the movement has published dozens of position papers and research papers. Among others, research papers were submitted on the following topics: exhaustion of legal proceedings with stone throwing and Molotov cocktail throwing, the financing mechanism of Palestinian Authority terrorism, the crisis of national ethos in the education system, and the image of the police and ways to repair it. The 8,000 Plan for recruiting yeshiva students – in October 2024, the movement published a plan for recruiting yeshiva students called the "8,000 Plan." In a publication issued by the movement, it was said that "an immediate addition of about 16,000 soldiers to the combat and combat-support array is required." The plan stated that "these operational needs stem both from the expansion of the conflict at present and from the expected need to defend many and more hostile borders in the coming years. In addition, thousands of fighters have been subtracted from the force roster due to death, injury, or other attrition."

• 2026

  Erez Wiener appointed chairman; Ronen Itzik appointed director-general.

• 2025

  Published a security briefing warning of Egypt's military buildup.

• 2024

  Research department, with the Hungarian Danube Institute, held a conference on the 'October Effect' at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center.

• 2024

  Published the '8,000 Plan' for recruiting yeshiva students.

• 2023

  Began broadcasting a podcast hosted by Or Yissachar, head of the research department.

• 2023

  Submitted a petition signed by 17,000 members to President Isaac Herzog calling for an end to violent and divisive discourse.

• 2023

  Held a rally at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art square calling to remove the IDF from political debate.

• 2023

  Held a security conference in cooperation with Israel Hayom and ynet.

• 2022

  Movement began working to establish an Israeli national guard in cooperation with the Ministry of National Security and Border Police.

• 2022

  Published a Strategic Assessment reviewing threats to Israel and the HaBithonistim Index survey.

• 2020

  HaBithonistim founded on the initiative of retired Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi.

• 2020

  Representatives met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express support for annexation of Judea and Samaria under the Trump peace plan.

Extra-parliamentary security-oriented movement and research association; described as right-wing and hawkish; opposes two-state solution and supports Israeli sovereignty and settlement expansion.

1. 1הביטחוניסטים - נותנים ביטחון לציונות!idsf.org.il
2. 2הביטחוניסטיםidsf.org.il
3. 3HaBithonistimwikidata.org
4. 4הביטחוניסטיםhe.wikipedia.org