Yitzhak Ben Yisrael Professor Yitzhak Ben Yisrael ( , born 26 July 1949 ) is an Israeli military scientist , general and ex - politician . He currently serves as the chairman of the Israeli Space Agency and the National Council for Research and Development , under the auspices of the Israel Ministry of Science and Technology . He finished his service in the IDF ranked General , serving as head of the military Administration for the Development of Weapons and the Technological Industry . Between 2010 - 2012 he served as chief Cybernetics adviser to PM Netanyahu , during which period he founded the National Cyber Bureau in the PM office and launched the National Cyber Initiative . Ben Yisrael is now head of the Security Studies program in Tel Aviv University , where he also heads the annual international Cyber Security conference . Between 2007 and 2009 he served as a member of the Knesset for Kadima . Ben Yisrael is one of Israel ' s top experts on Space , Cyber and technological related security . Biography . Ben Yisrael finished his studies at the Herzliya Hebrew High School in 1967 , and was soon enlisted into the IDF as a prospective academic recruit . His last position in the IDF was as the head of the Analysis and Assessment Division of the Israeli Air Force Air Intelligence Directorate ' s Operations Research Branch . From 2000 - 2002 , he was a member of the board of directors of Israel Aircraft Industries . He is also a member of the board of the Israel Corp . ; the research and development advisory board of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries ; the Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies ; the advisory council of the Technion ' s Neaman Institute for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology ; the academic council of Tel - Aviv Academic College of Engineering ; the Interdisciplinary Center for Technological Analysis and forecasting ( Tel - Aviv Univ . ) ; and the National Committee for Information Society Technology . In 2003 , he founded RAY - TOP ( Technology Opportunities ) Ltd . , a Defense consultancy firm . Support for the Nautilus MTHEL . Ben Yisrael has been a staunch supporter of — and by extension , critic of the Israeli government ' s failure to continue to develop and implement after US funding was withdrawn from — the Nautilus Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser ( MTHEL ) to serve as a central component of the Israeli Air Defense Network against high - trajectory attacks , such as by Katyusha and Qassam rocket s from Southern Lebanon and the Palestinian territories , respectively . He reiterated these arguments during the 2006 Israel - Gaza conflict and the 2006 Israel - Lebanon conflict , and called for increasing the military budget of Israel with a focus on advanced technology , including reviving the MTHEL program . Politics . In the 2006 Knesset elections , he was placed 31st on Kadima ' s list , but missed out on a seat when the party won only 29 mandates . However , after Shimon Peres resigned his seat in the Knesset to become President , Ben Yisrael replaced him on 25 June 2007 . He lost his seat in the February 2009 elections . Awards . Ben Yisrael has received numerous awards for his contributions to Israeli defense and intelligence doctrine . He is the author of " Dialogues on Science and Defense " ( 1989 ) and " The Philosophy of Intelligence " ( 1999 ) .