Bi-Weekly Geopolitical Report – Israel’s Pager Caper and Supply Chain Security (October 21, 2024)
by Bill O’Grady and Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA | PDF
Can you trust your refrigerator? What if it could be weaponized against you, perhaps by being booby-trapped to explode, release poisonous gas, or just stop working on the command of some foreign enemy communicating with its computer chip? Just as important, if everyday products connected to the internet or communication networks could become that dangerous, what would you want your government to do to protect you? What could your government do to protect you?
These questions may sound strange, but they demand attention after hundreds of Hezbollah militants in Lebanon were maimed by simultaneously exploding pagers and walkie-talkies on September 17 and 18. Dozens of militants died in the attacks, which have been attributed to Israel. In this report, we explore how this groundbreaking attack has probably transformed national security requirements and will likely lead to big, costly changes in global supply chains in the coming years. We will also delve into the underlying philosophies that help explain why this could impact globalization. As always, we wrap up with a discussion of the implications for investors.