National Security Council

The National Security Council (NSC) was established in March 1999 on the basis of Government Resolution No. 4889, and on July 29, 2008, it became anchored in the National Security Council Law as the Prime Minister and the Government’s staff forum for the foreign and security affairs of the State of Israel.

Background

The National Security Council is the Prime Minister and the Government’s staff forum for advising on national security issues. It derives its authority from the law and operates on the basis of the Prime Minister’s guidelines. The NSC is located near the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem.

The Head of the National Security Council and the National Security Advisor

The Head of the National Security Staff is directly subordinate to the Prime Minister, and reports directly to the Prime Minister on events and issues in the field of national security. General (Res.) David Ivri was the first to be appointed as National Security Advisor and Head of the National Security Staff. The current Head of the National Security Staff and the Prime Minister’s National Security Advisor is Brig. General (Res.) Dani Arditi, formerly the Counter-Terrorism Bureau head.

The Functions of the National Security Council:

A. The functions of the National Security Council have been formulated in the National Security Council Law, as follows:

To centralize the council work of the Government, of the Ministerial Committee on National Security Matters, and of any other ministerial committee regarding foreign and security affairs;
To prepare the discussions of the Government and its Committees as stated in Paragraph 91), to present the alternatives regarding the matters of discussion, in addition to their presentation by the bodies concerned with the matter, the differences between the alternatives and their significance, as assessed by it, as well as its reasoned recommendation for a chosen alternative;
To track the performance of the decisions of the Government and its Committees as stated in Paragraph (1), and to report on their implementation to the Prime Minister;
To propose to the Prime Minister an agenda and issues for discussion for the Ministerial Committee on National Security Affairs, and for any other ministerial committee or other ministerial composition on foreign and security affairs, and to recommend the invitation of participants and the echelon of those invited, to their discussions;
To be responsible on the part of the Prime Minister, for the inter-organizational and inter-ministerial council work on foreign and security matters, to present him with the alternatives in the field, the differences between them and their significance, as assessed by it, and its recommendation to the Prime Minister regarding policy in these matters, as well as to present to the Government as stated, pursuant to the decision of the Prime Minister;
The prepare and to present to the Ministerial Committee on National Security Affairs, at least once per year, an annual and multi-year evaluation of the Diplomatic-Security situation, as well as to prepare situational assessments regarding issues tangential to them, including opinions and analyses in the various fields of intelligence, as needed and with the approval of the Prime Minister; situational assessments as stated, as well as assessments on the part of the security bodies over whom the Prime Minister is appointed, the Israel Defense Forces, the Ministry of Defense, the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Internal Security, shall be presented to the Prime Minister and shall be discussed in the Ministerial Committee on National Security Affairs, at least once per year, in the manner stated in Paragraph (2);
To prepare the council work for the Prime Minister prior to discussions on the Defense Budget, as well as any other Budget Section that the Minister of Defense, or anyone he has appointed for this, is the supervisor of, in the budget that the Foreign Minister is supervisor of, and in the budget of the security bodies over whom the Prime Minister is supervisor, including the formulation of alternatives, according to a reasoned order of priorities with an over-all view; In this law –
"The Budget Fundamentals Act" – the Budget Fundamentals Act, 5745 - 1985 ;
"Budget Section" – as defined in the annual Budget Act, as defined in the Budget Fundamentals Act;
"Defense Budget" – as defined in Chapter 3 of the Budget Fundamentals Act;
To operate the Center for National Crisis Management in the Prime Minister's Office;
To assess the Security Concept of the State of Israel and to propose updates to it;
To assess security initiatives with importance in the diplomatic – security field and to present its position to the Prime Minister, the Ministerial Committee for National Security Affairs, or any other body upon which the Prime Minister shall decide, including the formulation of alternatives pursuant to reasoned orders of priorities with an over-all view, unless the Prime Minister shall instruct otherwise;
To carry out any other council role in Foreign and Security Affairs, and in other areas that the Prime Minister has determined

B. The functions of the NSC, as formulated in other government decisions, include responsibility for the Counter-Terrorism Bureau's activities, and other functions defined specifically for it.