"software" = "political environment"

[Joel S. Berson]

 From the article "Upheaval Jolts Israel And Raises New Worry", Feb. 24:

Other analysts see a major opportunity for Israel.  "It's a whole new
software now being unfolded," said Gilles Kepel, a scholar of Islam
at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris.  "I believe there's a
big opening, and the ball is in the Israeli court."

"software" = "political environment"?  In that domain, what is
"hardware"?  "Military environment", warfare?

Joel

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