"We must immediately declare 'Negev Envelope'": Severe report warns - bases and strategic facilities in the Negev under real threat
An emergency report by the Rippman Institute, accompanied by former senior defense officials, warns that Air Force bases and strategic facilities in the Negev, led by Nevatim Airbase, face a real threat of paralysis and neutralization. The report, published three years after the October 7 attack, points to a lack of governance, weapons leakage, Iranian espionage, and shooting incidents near bases as an immediate existential threat.
An emergency report published today (Friday) by the Rippman Institute for the Development of the Negev, in collaboration with former senior defense officials, warns of a real threat to Air Force bases and strategic facilities in the Negev. The report, released three years after the October 7 attack, focuses on Nevatim Airbase, home to F-35 aircraft and heavy transport squadrons, as well as the Hatzerim, Tze'elim, and Ramat Hovav bases. The authors, including Ilan Lavie (former head of the Shin Bet's Southern District) and Brig. Gen. (res.) Attila Fares, identify the lack of governance in the civilian area surrounding the bases as a worsening strategic problem. The report points to concrete threats: approximately 130,000 illegal weapons in the Negev, dozens of Iranian espionage cases involving base photography, and shooting that damaged an aircraft wing. The institute's director, Hagai Reznik, states that "the writing is on the wall" and calls for declaring a "Negev Envelope" as a statutory national security zone. Key recommendations include appointing a coordinating body, closing "dead zones" on the eastern border, and strengthening enforcement.