As a reaction to the intelligence setbacks on the October 7 attacks, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have come out to institute a comprehensive overhaul of its military intelligence branch. As per The Jerusalem Post, everyone in the intelligence division — AMAN — will now be obligated to undergo training in the Arabic language and Islamic Studies.
The initiative, ordered by AMAN chief Major General Shlomi Binder, aims to deepen the analytical and cultural capabilities of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate. By the end of next year, 100 percent of AMAN staff will be trained in Islamic Studies, while half of them will also receive Arabic language instruction.
Focus on Houthi and Iraqi Dialects
The training will feature intensive lessons in regional dialects, specifically Houthi and Iraqi Arabic, which have been challenging for intelligence officers to decipher when they appear in intercepted messages. The reason, the report says, is that qat, a weak narcotic that is chewed in Yemen and surrounding areas, impacts speech clarity and makes it even harder to intercept.
A top AMAN officer said on Army Radio, “So far, we have not been good enough in the domains of culture, language, and Islam. We must do better in these domains. We will not make our intelligence officers and soldiers Arab children who grew up in a village, but through the study of language and culture, we can make them doubt and observe thoroughly.”
This said reflects a new realization in the IDF that cultural competence is just as essential as technical intelligence collection practices.
Revival of TELEM and Long-Term Strategy
To institutionalize the change, there will be a new IDF department will be established to manage Arabic and Islamic studies. The IDF will also reinstate TELEM, a government bureau that previously encouraged Arabic and Middle Eastern studies in Israeli schools.
TELEM had been previously closed as a result of budget cuts, leading to a precipitous decline in learning the Arabic language nationwide.
Strengthening Intelligence Through Education
Reinstating TELEM, as Army Radio’s military correspondent Doron Kadosh wrote, is the central component of Israel’s long-range plan to establish a pipeline of culturally attuned security personnel.
The reforms represent a strategic departure from relying on surveillance technologies alone toward integrating more profound regional, religious, and linguistic insight into the military’s intelligence.
