Professor Michael Barak’s call for a national “cognitive army” underscores the recognition that influence is now as decisive as firepower. He points to Hamas’s ability to frame narratives through influencers, bot networks, and sympathetic journalists while amplifying themes on Western campuses through organizations such as National Students for Justice in Palestine. His prescription emphasizes a government-run headquarters under the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office to centralize campaigns, conduct offensive messaging, and pair operations with lawfare. The approach reflects the desire for unity of effort, yet it brings the risks of politicization, loss of credibility, and overreach when democratic institutions mount such campaigns without independent checks.
A commercial entity with deep subject matter expertise offers a stronger foundation for building what Professor Barak describes. Treadstone 71 is not a government arm but a private intelligence and training company that has specialized for decades in influence operations, cognitive warfare, psychological operations, and deception planning. The firm developed curricula on narrative warfare, counter-deception, adversary cultural profiling, and structured analytic methods such as STEMPLES Plus. Unlike a government headquarters that centralizes operations, Treadstone 71 operates as an independent knowledge base and training engine. Its commercial status insulates it from the direct political risks that accompany a state-run propaganda directorate, while its extensive record with military, government, and commercial partners demonstrates adaptability across environments where influence campaigns evolve rapidly.
Comparisons highlight the distinction. The Israeli model envisions a standing operational headquarters under executive control, focused on offensive actions against international organizations, media outlets, and campus networks. Treadstone 71 instead develops tradecraft pipelines, educates analysts, and creates doctrinal frameworks that teach governments and organizations how to detect, assess, and counter hostile influence with structured discipline. The commercial approach avoids the backlash that arises when governments directly attack adversarial media or civic organizations, since its strength lies in equipping others with the knowledge and operational playbooks to manage campaigns within lawful and ethical boundaries.
The advantage of a commercial company lies in scalability and legitimacy. Training programs can scale across ministries, military units, and private sector partners without concentrating control in a politicized headquarters. The knowledge transfer model ensures that influence operations remain measurable, accountable, and adaptable. Treadstone 71’s history of dissecting Russian, Chinese, and Iranian influence campaigns demonstrates a deep familiarity with the very adversaries Israel confronts. The company’s commercial posture also allows it to innovate faster, adopt AI-assisted analysis, and experiment with new methods without the bureaucratic drag inherent in a government system.
A government may hold the mandate to run national campaigns, yet a commercial company with extensive tradecraft experience holds the knowledge to design, measure, and sustain them without compromising legitimacy. Treadstone 71 represents the right solution because it provides the doctrinal backbone, operational playbooks, and analytic rigor required to build cognitive armies that endure rather than reactive messaging hubs that falter under scrutiny.
Reference
Israel Today. (2025, August 3). We need to establish a cognitive army. Retrieved from https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/we-need-to-establish-a-cognitive-army/
Treadstone 71. (n.d.). Cognitive warfare analysis and training. Retrieved from https://treadstone71.com/index.php/cognitive-warfare-analysis-and-training
Treadstone 71. (n.d.). STEMPLES Plus as a framework to assess cyber capabilities. Retrieved from https://treadstone71.com/index.php/intelligence-briefs/stemples-plus-as-a-framework-to-assess-cyber-capabilities
Treadstone 71 Cyber Intelligence Training Center. (n.d.). Cognitive warfare course catalog. Retrieved from https://www.cyberinteltrainingcenter.com/courses/category/cognitive-warfare
