How did the events of October 7th change the concept of intelligence and security in the Arab world?

Abstract

The events of October 7, 2023 constituted an unprecedented strategic turning point in the history of the Middle East, as they revealed a profound weakness and gabs within the Israeli intelligence institution and system, which had long been presented as model to be emulated. At the same time, they raised structural questions regarding the extent to which the intelligence and security systems in Arab states, in general, are capable of confronting new forms of threats. This study seeks to clarify the manner in which these  events contributed to reshaping the concept of security and intelligence in the Arab world through three integrated and important points analyzing the dimensions of Israeli intelligence failure and its structural factors extrapolating the direct repercussions on the Arab security system reassessing the regional threat environment and anticipating the features of the coming phase within the context of the transformations generated by these events. The research adopts a descriptive – analytical approach based on diverse sources, including strategic reports, peer-reviewed and reliable academic studies, and official investigations in Arabic, English, and Hebrew. This research concluded that the Israel intelligence failure was not merely a strategic deception. The study goes beyond the Israel case to raise existential challenges facing the Arab intelligence system amid the escalation of hybrid threats and risks and the declining effectiveness of prevailing security doctrines. In part the research present a system of recommendations divided into four stages: security doctrine institutional building, technical capabilities and regional cooperation. The most important of these is that reliance on technical tools represent a gap that technological development at the present time cannot fill, and that the human element cannot be wholly replaced by the technical and technological element