"Military radar will quickly diagnose Corona patients", "Raphael and the military industry will assist in the production of respirators", "MAPA (Research and Development, Military Device and Technological Infrastructure Administration) has adapted military equipment for remote monitoring and testing of Corona patients". These are just some of the headlines that are booming about what is going on these days. The Corona crisis seems to have solved the Kushia problem that, for decades, has led to a controversy between the heads of the defense establishment and the heads of higher education in Israel. Or entrusted to the head of the academy?

In western and even eastern countries, most of the R&D budgets are usually found at research universities. Even before the establishment of the state, in discussions that began in the mid-1940s and continue to this day, presidents of the academic (and later state) institutions, such as Prof. Yehuda Leib Magnes, Major General Jacob Dorey, Professors Ephraim and Aaron Kaczelski, and others, asked Ben Gurion to hold the bulk of the research budget to "produce as many Nobel laureates as possible," that Israel would be recognized as an academic light for Gentiles. Gurion insisted on leaving these funds in the hands of the heads of defense industries. "Our existence is above all else, and we cannot beat the In threatens us but for developed defense industries, Siamidono one step ahead ", the old ruling.

In October 1947, even before the establishment of the state and the IDF, Ben-Gurion established the scientific department of the Haganah and in March 1948 the Science Corps (Hamad) was founded, on which Rafael was founded about a decade later. In the 1950s and 1960s, building security R&D, and self-production of advanced and unique weapons that would contribute to Israel's security, constituted a cloud of regional deterrence that could at any given moment cast off conventional and familiar weapons for any innovative and deadly commission the world had not yet seen.

The fact that, up to 72 years later, academic research is lagging behind in making budgets, the senior academics remain open-minded, as "the old man's big mistake" and as an unforgivable sin. But one must admit that Ben-Gurion was right. As a rule, he was not fond of experts, but effective experts. He once asked why Ramon Crater could not be filled with water and replied that the experts claimed it would not work. "Then replace the experts," he scoffed at his advisers. He saw effective experts in the defense industries.

The Corona crisis is the third time Ben-Gurion's concept has proven correct. The globalization revolution in the 1980s found Israel ready for the changes that were taking place in the world, especially the transition from traditional industries to high-tech industries. Israeli technology was also prepared to lead these industries. Iron Dome and Magic Wand are two inventions that have once again proven the unique power of the security scientific revolution taking place in the country; And now, with the exceptional ability of MFA, 8200, RAF, TA, ALOP, ALTA and more, to adapt to developments that are often taking place in the world, Ben-Gurion's concept prevailed for the third time.

Col. (res.) Moshe Elad is a lecturer at Western Galilee Academy; Formerly the first head of security coordination with the Palestinians during the Oslo period