Ofek Riemer

A defining feature of populist governance is mistrust of the civil service. While populists’ relationship with the security apparatus has received growing scholarly attention, one critical sector remains overlooked: the intelligence community. We argue that populism intensifies intelligence-policymaker frictions in three ways. First, populists are predisposed to view intelligence agencies with suspicion, as “deep state” actors that threaten their authority, thus shifting from using their input to disregarding it. Second, when publicly challenged, populists are inclined to delegitimize intelligence agencies, personnel, and products. Third, prolonged tenure enables populists to gradually capture intelligence institutions, transforming them into echo-chambers with diminished influence on decision-making. We develop a theoretical framework that accounts for these dynamics and apply it to the Israeli case, tracing the evolution of Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership and his shifting relationship with the intelligence. The findings highlight how populism can undermine intelligence effectiveness, with implications for democratic governance and national security.