Episode Details
Back to Episodes
Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-23 at 14:09
Published 1 month ago
Description
HEADLINES
Torq becomes unicorn reshapes AI security
Israel eyes big tent merger reshapes politics
Rafah rollout tests Gaza humanitarian flow
The time is now 9:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
This is a 9:01 AM update on the Middle East, presented in a measured, on‑the‑record style for international audiences.
A major milestone in Israel’s tech sector marks a turning point in cyber security. Torq, a Tel Aviv–based startup that uses autonomous artificial intelligence agents to manage security operations, has reached unicorn status after a large funding round that investors described as a pivotal step toward redefining security operations. The round brought in Merlin Ventures alongside a broad group of investors, including Insight Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Greenfield Partners, Evolution Equity Partners, Notable Capital, and JPMorgan Private Bank. The company reports rapid revenue growth, with Fortune 100 customers deploying its AI agents for tasks ranging from incident investigation to rapid response. Torq currently employs more than 350 people across offices in New York, Tel Aviv, Amsterdam, London, Tokyo, and Germany, and intends to hire as many as 200 more as it scales into larger enterprise and public sector markets. Management emphasizes a shift beyond legacy security platforms to an Agentic AI approach designed for speed and scale across commercial and government sectors. The round strengthens Torq’s position in a rapidly expanding market for AI-driven security operations, and executives say it will accelerate its go‑to‑market efforts and geographic expansion.
In broader Israeli politics, this week highlighted two divergent developments shaping the country’s electoral landscape. On one track, discussions intensified around a potential “big‑tent” merger involving senior figures from centrist and center‑right camps, aiming to catapult a bloc past the current leader in the polls. Analysts describe this as political arithmetic designed to reshape the field ahead of elections, potentially altering which groups can form a governing coalition. Separately, Yonatan Shamriz, a survivor of October 7 who helped lead civilian initiatives in its aftermath, announced his entry into politics and signaled openness to joining an existing list or forming a new one. Shamriz has been a prominent voice calling for accountability and a national commission of inquiry into the events of that day, arguing for a renewal of political leadership rooted in unity and accountability. The week’s coverage also underscored that Israelis remain divided over how to balance security needs with the pursuit of political stability, with a growing sense among many voters that broad, moderate governance could be more effective than narrow coalitions that depend on smaller, polarized factions.
Security and strategic considerations continue to dominate regional discussions. In Tehran, an influential Iranian cleric warned that Iran could target US–linked investments in the region in retaliation for any American attack, signaling that regional financial interests could become targets in a broader confrontation. At the same time, Iran’s judiciary pushed back against assertions that it had halted hundreds of executions, stressing that such claims were false and reiterating the judiciary’s independence. These claims come as Washington increases regional posture, with discussions at the highest levels about potential options in the event of renewed confrontation, and as US naval assets reposition in the Gulf. The dynamic adds to a complex backdrop in which US policymakers weigh calibrated responses to Iranian activity, while regional actors recalibrate their calculations in light of evolving American presumptions and capabilities.
Across the border into the Gaza Strip, Israeli and regional officials are discussing how to manage
Torq becomes unicorn reshapes AI security
Israel eyes big tent merger reshapes politics
Rafah rollout tests Gaza humanitarian flow
The time is now 9:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
This is a 9:01 AM update on the Middle East, presented in a measured, on‑the‑record style for international audiences.
A major milestone in Israel’s tech sector marks a turning point in cyber security. Torq, a Tel Aviv–based startup that uses autonomous artificial intelligence agents to manage security operations, has reached unicorn status after a large funding round that investors described as a pivotal step toward redefining security operations. The round brought in Merlin Ventures alongside a broad group of investors, including Insight Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Greenfield Partners, Evolution Equity Partners, Notable Capital, and JPMorgan Private Bank. The company reports rapid revenue growth, with Fortune 100 customers deploying its AI agents for tasks ranging from incident investigation to rapid response. Torq currently employs more than 350 people across offices in New York, Tel Aviv, Amsterdam, London, Tokyo, and Germany, and intends to hire as many as 200 more as it scales into larger enterprise and public sector markets. Management emphasizes a shift beyond legacy security platforms to an Agentic AI approach designed for speed and scale across commercial and government sectors. The round strengthens Torq’s position in a rapidly expanding market for AI-driven security operations, and executives say it will accelerate its go‑to‑market efforts and geographic expansion.
In broader Israeli politics, this week highlighted two divergent developments shaping the country’s electoral landscape. On one track, discussions intensified around a potential “big‑tent” merger involving senior figures from centrist and center‑right camps, aiming to catapult a bloc past the current leader in the polls. Analysts describe this as political arithmetic designed to reshape the field ahead of elections, potentially altering which groups can form a governing coalition. Separately, Yonatan Shamriz, a survivor of October 7 who helped lead civilian initiatives in its aftermath, announced his entry into politics and signaled openness to joining an existing list or forming a new one. Shamriz has been a prominent voice calling for accountability and a national commission of inquiry into the events of that day, arguing for a renewal of political leadership rooted in unity and accountability. The week’s coverage also underscored that Israelis remain divided over how to balance security needs with the pursuit of political stability, with a growing sense among many voters that broad, moderate governance could be more effective than narrow coalitions that depend on smaller, polarized factions.
Security and strategic considerations continue to dominate regional discussions. In Tehran, an influential Iranian cleric warned that Iran could target US–linked investments in the region in retaliation for any American attack, signaling that regional financial interests could become targets in a broader confrontation. At the same time, Iran’s judiciary pushed back against assertions that it had halted hundreds of executions, stressing that such claims were false and reiterating the judiciary’s independence. These claims come as Washington increases regional posture, with discussions at the highest levels about potential options in the event of renewed confrontation, and as US naval assets reposition in the Gulf. The dynamic adds to a complex backdrop in which US policymakers weigh calibrated responses to Iranian activity, while regional actors recalibrate their calculations in light of evolving American presumptions and capabilities.
Across the border into the Gaza Strip, Israeli and regional officials are discussing how to manage