The 2020 Israeli Foreign Policy Index of the Mitvim Institute
The 2020 Israeli Foreign Policy Index
Israel’s Regional Foreign Policies: An Annual Assessment
The 4th Annual Conference of the Mitvim Institute, in cooperation with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Wednesday, 28 October 2020, 16:00 Israel time (15:00 CET, 10:00 EDT) Via Zoom; Register here The
EU Diplomacy and the Arab-Israeli Conflict: How Can Europe Effectively Promote Peace?
On 24 September 2020, Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, The Israeli Association for the Study of European Integration (IASEI) and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung conducted an
Trends in Israel’s Regional Foreign Policies, January – June 2020
Issue 5
The 2020 Israeli Foreign Policy Index of the Mitvim Institute
Findings of the Mitvim Institue Poll, October 2020 The eighth annual public opinion poll of the Mitvim Institute on Israel’s foreign policy was conducted in September 2019. It was carried out by
The 2019 Israeli Foreign Policy Index of the Mitvim Institute
The 2019 Israeli Foreign Policy Index
Briefing with Arne Lietz, Member of the S&D group in the EU Parliament
A briefing by Member of European Parliament (S&D Group) Arne Lietz, January 2018
The 2018 Israeli Foreign Policy Index of the Mitvim Institute
The sixth annual public opinion poll of the Mitvim Institute on Israel’s foreign policy was conducted in September 2018. It was carried out by the Rafi Smith Institute and in cooperation with
The 2017 Israeli Foreign Policy Index of the Mitvim Institute
The annual public opinion of the Mitvim Institute on Israel’s foreign policy was conducted, for the fifth consecutive year in mid-September 2017. It was carried out by the Rafi Smith Institute,
The 2016 Israeli Foreign Policy Index
Findings of the Mitvim Institute Poll, October 2016 The annual public opinion of the Mitvim Institute on Israel’s foreign policy was conducted, for the fourth consecutive year in late August
The 2015 Israeli Foreign Policy Index
Findings of the Mitvim Institute Poll, September 2015 Since 2013, Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies publishes an annual index covering a variety of issues related
The 2014 Israeli Foreign Policy Index
Findings of the Mitvim Institute Poll, December 2014 The annual public opinion poll of Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies on Israel’s foreign policy has been
The 2013 Israeli Foreign Policy Index
Findings of a Mitvim Poll on Israel’s Foreign Policy, November 2013 The majority of the Israeli public believes Israel’s foreign policy is more reactive than proactive and that it is not
2019-2020
US Policies towards Israel and the Middle East is a monthly publication of the Mitvim Institute, currently written by Amb. (Ret.) Barukh Binah. The publication covers issues related to US-Israel
The turning point for normalization was in 1993, not 2020
Prof. Elie Podeh on Jpost
Normalizations with Israel bring new challenge for Palestinians
Dr. Ido Zelkovitz on Jpost
Israel’s Regional Foreign Policies: An Annual Assessment, November 2020
The Mitvim Institute presented its annual assessment of Israel’s regional foreign policies at its fourth annual conference on October 28, 2020. The conference was held in cooperation with the
A win-win approach for Israelis, Palestinians is a two-state solution
Nadav Tamir on The Jerusalem Post
The Palestinian Issue as Ground and Ceiling for Arab-Israeli Cooperation
A new research by Thair Abu Ras
Meeting with China’s Special envoy to the Middle East
Meeting with China's Special envoy to the Middle East, December 2019
Sorry, Jared, This Time It’s Not the Palestinians Who Have ‘Screwed Up,’ It’s You
Prof. Elie Podeh, January 2020
Israel and International conflicts – What can be learned?
A public panel by Mitvim and the Frances Brody Institute, April 2017
To recognize or not to recognize: EU recognition of Palestine
Op-ed by Dr. Lior Lehrs
Who Decided Trump Was Good for Israel?
July 2020
Why Israel Should Avoid Annexation
July 2020
It Is Time for the Arab League to Act Against Annexation
July 2020
The Israeli Peace Organizations and the Arab Spring
A few springs past the start of the Arab Spring, and the Israeli peace camp’s flowerbed has yet to blossom. The Israeli peace organizations had difficulties in connecting regional
The Intra-Palestinian Reconciliation Process and the Arab Spring
The Arab Spring influenced the Palestinians as well. The younger generation of Palestinians began demanding to end the political division between Fatah and Hamas. In response, the veteran
Europe’s Initial Reactions to Israel’s Annexation Intentions
US President Donald Trump’s plan for resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, presented in January 2020, was perceived in Jerusalem as a green light to annexation of some 30 percent
The Way Forward in Israeli-Palestinian Relations
As violence between Israelis and Palestinians escalated amid diplomatic stagnation, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies
Israel and a possible International Support Group for the Middle East Peace Process
The international community is currently exploring an initiative to establish an International Support Group (ISG) for the Middle East Peace Process, which is supposed to help create conditions
The 2015 UN General Assembly and the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process: Commentary & Analysis
The stagnation in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was clearly reflected at the 2015 UN General Assembly. The speeches of Mahmoud Abbas and Benjamin Netanyahu lacked vision and hope, and
Abu Mazen: A Man in Search of a Legacy
The Palestinian President has recently announced his resignation from the position of Chairman of the PLO Executive Committee. This move took place in parallel to the intensification of power
The Next Steps toward Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
In the immediate aftermath of Israel’s recent elections and the formation of its 34th government, and not long after a period of conflict with Gaza and heightened tensions amongst Israel’s Arab
US Vetoes on UN Security Council Resolutions Dealing with the Israeli-Arab Conflict
Israel, Gaza and the Region: Post-Ceasefire Opportunities
In light of the prolonged fighting between Israel and Hamas, forty experts, diplomats and journalists, from Israel and abroad, convened in Jerusalem on July 24, 2014 for a policy planning
Israeli foreign policy experts: Palestinian reconciliation can be good for Israel
The Fatah-Hamas reconciliation agreement is being harshly condemned by Israeli government officials, including the Prime Minister himself. However, Israeli foreign policy experts from Mitvim
The Resumption of the Palestinian UN Campaign?
Palestinians see the delay in prisoners release by Israel as a negation of their commitments to halt the international campaign; Abbas is looking to increase his leverage, but the US should be
84% of Israelis have never heard of the new EU incentive for Israeli-Palestinian peace
In December 2013, the EU has offered Israel and the Palestinians an unprecedented package of political, economic and security support in the context of a final status agreement. This package
New Opportunities for American Contributions to Transforming Israeli-Palestinian Relations
New circumstances within the U.S. and the Middle East open a window for a more effective American role in transforming the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is a role that must convey a sense of
Back to Basics: The Evolution of the Palestinian UN Campaign
In the wake of the Palestinian UN campaign, many asked: ‘why?’ Why the sudden change in a decades-long process, why the abandonment of the bilateral process, why the confrontation on the
An Interview with Ajmal Sohail, Leader of the Afghan Liberal Party
What does Afghanistan mean to Israelis? What does Israel mean to Afghans? Most Israelis identify Afghanistan with the War on Terror and Osama Bin Laden. However, as Ajmal Sohail points out,
Continuing on the Path to Statehood: The Palestinians Following their Septmember 2011 UN Bid
Mitvim representatives participated in meetings with a series of key Palestinian figures from Ramallah and Nablus. The meetings focused on the implications of the Palestinian UN statehood bid of
Spoilers of Peace and the Dilemmas of Conflict Resolution
On July 23rd 2012, Mitvim—The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies has conducted a workshop in cooperation with U.S. Embassy, Tel Aviv on the topic: “Spoilers of Peace and the Dilemmas
An opportunity that would not be seized
The post-Arab Spring period, which witnessed the collapse of dictatorial regimes, the eruption of civil wars and the possible disappearance of several sovereign Arab states, created opportunities
2017, a 50th anniversary that could spark a real intifada
The year 2016 doesn’t bode well for the peace process, which has been stuck for a long time. The current situation ensures that the freeze will continue. This assessment is based on three
The Unknown Incentives for Israeli-Palestinian Peace
The deep freeze in the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians has led the international community to examine new ways of acting to further clarify the character of a future two-state
Revitalizing the Middle East Quartet?
The meeting of the Middle East Quartet, which convened in the margins of the annual debate of this year’s United Nations General Assembly, was part of an attempt to breathe new life into the
Applying the ‘Obama Doctrine’ to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Thomas Friedman’s interview with President Barack Obama on the Iranian nuclear issue evoked many responses, both positive and negative. In this interview, Friedman attempted to describe Obama’s
Congress Shouldn’t Cut Aid to the Palestinian Authority
Following the kidnapping of three Israeli youths and Secretary of State John Kerry hinting at Hamas responsibility, U.S. congressmen were right to question the merits of the new Palestinian
By condemning abduction, Abbas proved he’s a statesman
In front of the cameras, at the conference of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation taking place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian Authority chairman chose Wednesday
Palestinian reconciliation process
Palestinian inner strife which started in June 2007 seems to be on its way to an end. The two major Palestinian parties, Fatah and Hamas, entered into deliberation after realizing that current
Abbas Is on His Way to the UN Again
A week after he was attacked in Ramallah, Israeli reporter Avi Issacharoff was invited by President Abbas to his office to condemn the attack and grant him an exclusive interview. Among the
Suicide by Statehood
On Tuesday night, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, appearing live on television, signed the documents necessary for the Palestine Liberation Organization to seek membership in 15
Palestine’s Plan for when Peace Talks Fail
Despite the unshakable and quixotic optimism of John Kerry’s Middle East negotiating team, the prevailing prognosis in Jerusalem and Ramallah is that even an attempt to implement an interim
A new understanding for the Middle East
As Secretary of State John Kerry hammers out the principles for an Israeli-Palestinian “framework agreement,” many are speculating that he has formally adopted Jerusalem’s demand that the
Israel Should Support Palestinian Reconciliation
Hamas has notified Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that it wants to join a national unity government with Fatah, marking a breakthrough in reconciliation talks, according to the
Palestine’s Self-Inflicted Wounds
About six months ago, I sat in a coffee shop in al-Tireh, a suburb of Ramallah, and interviewed a senior official within Fatah. The official, wanting to talk about the internal dynamics within
Palestine’s Plan B
In the time it took John Kerry to announce that negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians would be starting again, a microcosm of the past couple years in the conflict played out. Initial
Time to Impose a Plan
AS the dust settles over the Israel-Gaza border, attention shifts to New York, where the Palestinian delegation will ask the United Nations next Thursday to upgrade its status to that of
Much ado about something
As the celebrations commenced in Manara Square in Ramallah, and the votes were tallied in New York, the Palestinian delegation had done something almost entirely unique to the post-Arafat era: it
There Is No Israeli Partner
The claim that there is no one to talk to on the Palestinian side is a common one in Israeli discourse, seemingly an axiom. The Netanyahu-Barak-Lieberman government has managed to stick the
3 Key Takeaways From This Week’s Palestinian Elections
The democratic process was alive and well in at least one part of the Middle East this past weekend, as the West Bank saw a frenetic end to its campaign season. Municipal elections were held on
To win, the Israeli left needs to learn from Bibi
The Knesset election results have put the left on the defensive. It has since had to explain why it lost, and the blame was placed on the usual suspects: An ineffective campaign, a lack of
Lessons from Nagorno-Karabakh for Israel and Palestine: Does Unresolved Conflict Destroy Democracy?
Azerbaijan and Armenia exited the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, putatively for a future of democracy. Twenty years later, both are on the opposite path. Over two decades of unresolved, highly
The Postponement of the Palestinian Local Elections and its Ramifications
The Palestinian government recently decided to postpone local elections – that were scheduled for October 2016 – by four months, whilst limiting voting to the West Bank alone. The decision was
Possible Benefits of American Parameters for the Two-State Solution
As US President Barack Obama’s term in office is nearing its end, he may choose to present parameters for an Israeli-Palestinian final-status agreement before departing from the White House,
Lessons from Cyprus for Israel-Palestine: Can Negotiations Still Work?
Like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Cyprus conflict has been a protracted, unresolved conflict for roughly five decades. The two conflicts share ethno-nationalist and territorial
Who Will Inherit Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas?
The Fatah movement and the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Movement) leadership are experiencing a deep internal crisis. In 1969, Fatah leader Yassir Arafat took control of PLO institutions and
Can Israel and Palestine learn from Colombia?
It is rare to hear any good news about conflicts de-escalating. This week, the world rallied around the implementation of a ceasefire between the notorious and shadowy FARC (Revolutionary Armed
Assessing the Quartet Recommendation to Increase Interaction and Cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians
The recent report of the Middle East Quartet, published in July 2016, recommends that Israelis and Palestinians “foster a climate of tolerance, including through increasing interaction and
The Revolt of the Young Palestinian Generation
The latest cycle of violence clearly shows the despair young Palestinians feel. This is a generation that will not follow its political leadership blindly. It loathes the existing political
A Special Privileged Partnership with the EU as an incentive for Israeli-Palestinian peace
In December 2013, the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union (EU) offered to upgrade the bilateral relations between Israel and the EU to the level of Special Privileged Partnership (SPP)
The curse of stagnation and the need for conflict comparison
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is mired in political paralysis that is costing lives daily. Local actors at the policy level are badly in need of fresh ideas, but few are forthcoming. In this
Impressions from a day in Gaza
“Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to spend a day in Gaza with Andy Dwonch, the head of Mercy Corps in Palestine. Mercy Corps is a large nonprofit organization based in Portland, with
How to Make the Arab Peace Initiative a More Effective Incentive for Peace?
Almost 14 years after it was first unveiled, the Arab Peace Initiative (API) still has the potential to serve as a key incentive in efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is
Kerry’s parameters force Israel to take a hard look in the mirror
Throughout 2016, analysts were wondering what – if at all – will be President Obama’s final move regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The options discussed included a presidential speech
The battle over the memory of Balfour
The centennial of the Balfour Declaration will be marked on November 2, 2017, and preparations in Israel and among various Jewish organizations worldwide are underway. However, on the Palestinian
The benefits of ‘Obama parameters’
US President Barack Obama is already in his final 100 days in office. When president Bill Clinton was in a similar situation, in the year 2000, he chose to present his parameters for the
Is Conflict Management Sustainable? Lessons for Israel-Palestine from Cyprus
Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin, policy fellow at Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, discusses parallels between the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the longstanding conflict of
Colombia’s Omen for Israel: When the People Don’t Give Peace a Chance
A fraction of a percentage point in a referendum struck down the historic government-FARC peace deal. Israel’s pro-peace deal left must learn the lessons of a cautionary tale from Colombia. On
Can Israel and Palestine learn from Colombia?
It is rare to hear any good news about conflicts de-escalating. This week, the world rallied around the implementation of a cease-fire between the notorious and shadowy FARC (Revolutionary Armed
From opportunities to missed opportunities
Over the past two years, the Israeli discourse has frequently included terms like “an opportunity to promote regional cooperation,” or “regional initiative.” This discourse is not limited to the
“No” as a Policy
Netanyahu’s recent statement that Israel “will never accept the Arab Peace Initiative as a basis for negotiations,” joins a long list of negative statements made by Israel regarding attempts by
Notes on the Quartet report
The Quartet Report was widely criticized by both Israelis and Palestinians, but apart from the responses of a number Israeli and Palestinian officials, has yet to make any waves in the public
Why is Israel Afraid of an International Peace Conference?
The Netanyahu government’s objection to France’s proposal to convene an international peace conference is not out of step with traditional Israeli foreign policy. Over the years, Israeli
There’s a reason for Yair Golan’s Holocaust talk
The week between Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron tends to be emotionally charged as Israelis set aside time to grapple with the lessons of the past and the memories of those who were cut down
An opportunity for the Obama parameters
The recent Wall Street Journal report on the White House’s plans for reviving the stalled Middle East negotiations before President Barack Obama leaves office caught many people by surprise, for
Biden in Israel: A reset in diplomatic ties?
When Joe Biden visits Israel, drama inevitably ensues. Few in Israel have forgotten his 2010 trip, when upon his arrival the Interior Ministry announced the construction of new Jewish homes in
2017, a 50th Anniversary That Could Spark a Real Intifada
The year 2016 doesn’t bode well for the peace process, which has been stuck for a long time. The current situation ensures that the freeze will continue. This assessment is based on three
When Israelis and Palestinians Meet at the European Parliament
Less than a month before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Brussels, we – a group of young Israelis and Palestinians – arrived at the European Parliament for a second meeting of the
Introducing a Vision of Peace for Jerusalem is the Ultimate Response to Trump’s Statement
“This is the time to say thank you for the decision that has lifted every heart in Israel, and every heart in the Jewish world”. This statement was not issued after Trump’s decision to recognize
Trump’s Jerusalem Statement is his March of Folly
US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel confirms Abba Eban’s aphorism that “men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other
The 1947 Partition Plan: The Palestinians’ Biggest Missed Opportunity
The United Nations Partition Plan, which marked its 70th anniversary on Wednesday, was rejected by the Arabs and the Palestinians. Everyone knows that. What is less well known is that not all the
Israel, Kurdish Independence, and the Palestinians
On the eve of Kurdistan’s referendum, the international community is rife with speculation about what the vote will mean for the future of Iraq, the fight against ISIS, regional dynamics with
Lessons, Warnings and Hope from South Africa for Israel and Palestine
With the possibility that four-term Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could one day fall due to corruption investigations, and succession speculation around aging Palestinian leader Mahmoud
What Abbas Should Be Concerned About?
On July 2, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivered a speech at the African Union Heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa. The speech attracted little attention from Israeli or global media,
The New Middle East
Over the past year we have witnessed the molding of a new Middle East, in which Israel plays a significant role. The term “New Middle East” was coined by Shimon Peres who, after the Oslo Accords
Trump and a Tale of Three Cities
He visited Riyadh, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. As each stop approached in his Middle Eastern tour, the suspense in Israel grew and the anticipation increased. When will the major announcement be
Is Israel’s Regional Opportunity Becoming More Concrete?
As President Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia drew near, the Wall Street Journal reported a new initiative originating from the Gulf states vis-a-vis Israel: Should Israel take steps to promote
