Amidror retired from the IDF in 2002, after serving as the head of the analysis wing of Israel's military intelligence and as the commander of the IDF's academies. After retiring from the IDF, he wrote extensively for Israeli think tanks and daily newspapers. His paper trail leaves no doubt about his extreme views, which included vicious attacks on the New Israel Fund, sharp criticism of the Obama administration's "naive" Middle East policy, and dismissive views regarding the viability and advisability of creating a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza.

Amidror is associated with the ultra-right national-religions party "The Jewish Home." In 2008, he headed a commission tasked with composing the party's list for the general elections. The party, which is dominated by former National Religious Party (NRP) politicians, supports a "greater Israel" ideology and is considered the most authentic political representative of the ideological messianic settlers in the West Bank.

In recent months, Amidror has written several articles and essays that lay out his strategic worldview. His approach to Israel's national security attributes little value to political accords between Israel and its neighbors. In Amidror's view, Israel's chief national security asset in its relations with its neighbors is deterrence. In an article submitted to a January 24^th 2010 conference on Israel's threats at Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies, Amidror wrote that the "basic principle" for assessing Israel's threat is the recognition that the Arab world "does not accept the very presence of a sovereign and independent Jewish state in the heart of the Middle East and will do its best to annihilate it." Any other basic assumption, Amidror wrote, is "self deception." Amidror repeated several times in his article that Israel's goal should not be to change the minds and hearts of its Arab neighbors - such attempts would be in vain - but to deter them by force. "The processes taking place in the Middle East are leading it toward becoming more fundamentalist, less tolerant and less democratic."

Most of Amidror's recent articles were published in a column in the pro-Netanyahu Hebrew daily Yisrael Hayom (Israel Today). The most recent one, dated February 2 2011, was headlined "The Chief Lesson - Security is Preferable to Peace." In this article, Amidror argues that because Israel lives "on the edge of a volcano," it must always be ready for the worse. "The main lesson is that we must emphasize Israel's security needs and its ability to defend itself over any other requirement, including the lofty dream to reach political agreements [with its neighbors]. If we will have to choose between an agreement and Israel's security requirements - security is preferable." He continued, "in the past days, speakers from inside and outside have been talking about the need, particularly now, to advance negotiations with the Palestinians. At this stage, it should be emphasized that such negotiations - and even an agreement with the Palestinians - would not solve the problem stemming from the new situation in Egypt, and they would not benefit Israel in any way, facing the threats that might emerge in the future. We must not delude ourselves. Self deception leads to the most severe mistakes."

Amidror's views seem to reflect the most extreme wing in Netanyahu's coalition. His appointment, if press reports about it are correct, could serve as one more indication that Netanyahu prefers diplomatic stalemate over possible progress toward peace with the Palestinians.