What does it take for a small country to become a global AI superpower? At the closing of the first day of AI Week by Commit and Calcalist, in collaboration with Microsoft, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett laid out an ambitious and focused answer.

In a conversation with Sophie Shulman, Bennett argued that AI is not a passing bubble but a once-in-a-century inflection point that will reshape every industry and every economy. Israel, he said, cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. While the country missed the race on trillion-dollar foundational models, it still holds a powerful advantage where it has always excelled, in fast, creative, AI-driven applications.

Bennett’s vision rests on several pillars. Education must integrate AI rather than resist it, since students who know how to use AI will outperform those who do not. The defense sector, where Israel is already a global leader, represents a trillion-dollar AI opportunity. And at the national level, determined leadership is needed to tie together education, defense, and economic policy. Bennett shared that he has already mapped out a 100-day plan to accelerate Israel’s position across these domains.

He also raised a clear warning about the darker side of the AI era. The next election, he noted, will be Israel’s first in the age of deepfakes and synthetic media, requiring new levels of preparedness and resilience.

This session offered one of the most strategic and forward-looking conversations of AI Week, especially for anyone who cares about Israel’s long-term role in the global AI landscape.

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