The Technion’s story has been intertwined with Israel’s for more than a century, from laying the foundations for a new nation to shaping its future.
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At the Technion, he heads the Center for Security Science and Technology (CSST) and the Peter Munk Advanced Defense Research Institute (ADRI). The institute’s mission is to advance the development of novel defense-related concepts and technologies; to foster collaboration among defense authorities, governmental institutions, industry, and academy researchers; and to educate the next generation of engineers and scientists who will play leading roles in Israel’s defense ecosystem. Brig. Gen. (res.) Prof. Nagel heads and teaches a master’s program for military officers on defense R&D strategy and policy, and systems engineering.
His most recent government appointment was chairing the “Nagel Committee,” established on the directive of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose charge was to formulate recommendations on the IDF’s force-building needs and defense budget in the coming decade.
From January 2016 to May 2017, Brig. Gen. Nagel served as the head of Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) and as the national security adviser (acting). He led the negotiations and signed (in 2016) the current MOU agreement between the U.S. and Israel, worth $38 billion in military aid.
Previously (2011–2015), he headed the Strategic and Defense Policy Directorate at Israel’s NSC, where he led the Israeli delegation working with the superpower teams that negotiated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal.
Brig. Gen. Nagel served in the IDF from 1980 to 1996 as a technical expert in the elite Israel SIGINT National Unit (known as Unit 8200), which covers a range of intelligence activities. Today, he still serves about 80 days a year in the reserves. From 1996 to 2011 he held various positions at Israel’s Ministry of Defense, Directorate of Defense Research and Development, including becoming the brigadier general in charge of military R&D. As the directorate’s scientific deputy, he led the committee that was responsible for Israel’s decision to develop Iron Dome as the nation’s short-range defense system.
Prof. Nagel is also a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a nonpartisan research institute based in Washington, D.C. He is married and has four children and 10 grandchildren.
