Publications

Energy as a Tool for Israeli-Palestinian Peacebuilding

Energy relations between Israel and the Palestinians reflects the existing relationship between the parties, but at the same time hold high potential for promoting cooperation and peace.

Turkish FM’s visit to Israel is a chance to unify politics-energy momentum – opinion

Wednesday’s upcoming visit to Israel by Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu, likely accompanied by Energy Minister Donmez, places the gradually improving relations between the sides on a practical

‘Peace through Health’ in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Ground for dialogue or guise for continued occupation?

Based on interviews with representatives of an Israeli human rights organization that provides health services in the Occupied Territories, this article examines the implementation of the "peace

After 20 years, time for a new Arab peace initiative

Twenty years ago, in the midst of the al-Aqsa Intifada, Arab leaders convened in Beirut for their annual summit and adopted the Arab Peace Initiative (API). The move followed the failure to reach

Palestinian Expectations from The Biden Administration

The United States’ (US) foreign policy trend of intervention in the Middle East has long been accepted as a truism in international relations and politics. For decades, the US has demonstrated a

Israel’s delicate navigation in the Russia-Ukraine war – opinion

When considering Israel’s diplomatic maneuvering options in the face of Russia’s war on Ukraine, it is important to first take stock of the fundamental, relevant facts. The first of these is that

Can Israel Cope With the Immigrant Wave From Russia’s War on Ukraine, Jews and non-Jews Alike?

Three decades after the fall of the Soviet empire, and in the wake of Russia’s invasion, Israel is once again facing a significant spike in Jewish immigration from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. It

Ramadan Will Test Budding Israel-Turkey Relations: Expert

Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s historic trip to Turkey and landmark meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan were all smiles and promises. Both leaders said their countries had much

As Israel-Turkey relations shift, attention turns to Russia and Ukraine – opinion

At an important week in Israel-Turkey relations, featuring the first visit to Ankara by an Israeli president in 15 years, the two countries are trying to play a similar and surprising role in the

The Real Danger of Putin’s ‘Nazi’ Slur for Ukraine, Israel and the World

“When we are told that Ukrainian nationalism and neo-Nazism are a myth, ‘propaganda invented by Russia,’ they are obviously counting on someone who is not familiar with the history of the

The bells of the liberal world toll for Israel: Why taking a stance against the invasion is both the smart and just move

Foreign policy is the art of balancing national interests with moral variables, which express a state’s values and the identity it seeks to project to the world. Israel’s position on the

Russia-Ukraine war may be a defining moment, Israel must make a choice – opinion

History is replete with defining moments, most of which are only recognized after the fact. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine could very well turn out to be a defining moment in the struggle for world

Russia-Ukraine war is Europe’s hour to act

“This is the hour of Europe,” Luxembourg’s foreign minister declared in June 1992, when civil war broke out in the disintegrating Yugoslav Republic. His statement proved hollow. When European

Saudi Arabia’s Engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process

During the last few decades Saudi Arabia had exercised a role of a regional coordinator between various Middle Eastern states and between them and the USA. Twice in the past it had put on the

What does it mean for Israel to undermine the liberal global order?

Tensions over a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine are honing a fundamental question facing Israeli decision-makers: How does the undermining of the liberal world order impact Israel and how

By threat or raw power, Russia is determined to get its way in a post-Soviet world

On March 24, 1999, then-Russian prime minister Yevgeny Primakov was en route to the US for a visit. While flying over the Atlantic, he was informed that NATO forces had begun bombing Yugoslavia

Hassan Nasrallah, Master of Lebanon

In 2022, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah will celebrate 30 years as the undisputed leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon—upholding a pattern of Arab leaders who mature, age, and often die while in power. It was

The EastMed pipeline accomplishes its strategic significance

The Eastern Mediterranean Pipeline (EastMed), which was designed to connect the gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean on a route that runs between Israel, Cyprus, Greece and from there to

Why Herzog is right to visit Turkey

“As far as I am concerned, the revelation of this visit was the tremendous admiration for Israel, the Turkish readiness to turn a new leaf in the history of the countries,” said Israeli President

One step forward, one step back: International discourse on advancing Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking

Introduction The Israeli-Palestinian peace process has been locked in a stalemate since the 2014 collapse of the US mediation initiative led by then-Secretary of State John Kerry. The relations

The Ministry of Regional Cooperation
and Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking

Among Israel’s many government ministries, one stands out in particular. It is small, its authority is limited, and many doubt its need. But it is tasked with realizing one of Israel’s greatest

Judgments by the Court of Justice of the EU on the EU’s Trade with Israel’s Disputed Territories

The EU is one of the largest trading partners of the Disputed Territories (DTs) in the world. The Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) reaffirmed the EU’s differentiation policy between Israeli

The danger of Israeli panic over Iran – analysis

The renewed talks on a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers also saw renewed Israeli hysteria as reflected in the warnings by the “government of change” against the dangers of such an

Israel can use Middle East partnerships in Palestinian peace talks

According to prevailing assumptions, when Israelis think about foreign affairs, they tend to adopt a narrow perspective and focus almost exclusively on the immediate threats to their country.

Between Israel and Iran- Putin’s Chess Game

Can President Putin be a “great friend of the Jewish people”, as Naftali Bennett called him, and at the same time sell sophisticated weapons to Iran, a sworn enemy of Israel? Bennett’s goal is to

Foreign Policy Plan for the 36th Government of Israel

On June 13, 2021, the 36th Government of Israel was sworn in, headed by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, the first government since 2009 which is not led by Benjamin Netanyahu. The Mitvim

First Saudi Arabia, Now Sudan:
Why Israel’s Normalization Strategy Is Imploding

One year and two days after the celebratory announcement that Sudan and Israel had agreed to normalize relations, Jerusalem finds itself facing a strategic dilemma in the wake of the Sudanese

Will the Sudan coup affect future ties with Israel?

The October 25 military coup in Sudan was led, surprisingly, by incumbent President Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the civilian-military Sovereign Council formed to oversee the transition

Multilateralism is the key to peace

‘It is worth remembering,” Prof. Elyakim Rubinstein wrote five years ago on the 25th anniversary of the Madrid Conference, the multilateral event that launched the Israeli-Arab peace process of

Irbil Conference: Road to normalization with Iraq long and complex

A Sept. 24 conference in the Kurdish capital of Erbil, attended by some 250-300 Iraqis, issued an unprecedented call for establishing full diplomatic relations between Iraq and Israel. News of

Hostility, incitement and the decision to improve ties with Israel

Shortly before Yom Kippur, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett held his first official visit to an Arab state, meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah a-Sisi. The invitation

The Lost Battle of Ahmad Jibril

On July 7, 2021, a few hundred Palestinians gathered to attend a funeral at Yarmouk refugee camp cemetery, on the outskirts of Damascus. They came to say their farewells to Ahmad Jibril, the

Tsunami of Crime in Israel’s Arab Sector Has People Losing Faith in the Police

‘We have a new generation of young people who do not work or study,’ Arab activist says Ninety-six Israeli Arab citizens, men, women and children, have been murdered since the beginning of 2021.

What lessons does the Trump-Taliban deal hold for Israel, Hamas?

In September 2019, on the eve of the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, President Trump and leaders of the Taliban were scheduled to meet at Camp David. The peace summit was scrapped at the

Israel’s Ministry for Regional Cooperation:
A Snapshot After the New Government’s First 100 Days

Summary of remarks by Minister for Regional Cooperation Essawi Frej in a conversation with Mitvim Institute President Dr. Nimrod Goren at a Meretz Party event on 22 September 2021 Israel’s

After the honeymoon, comes the hard work:
A year on, the ink has yet to dry on the Abraham Accords

The Netanyahu government took pride in achieving “peace for peace”, but the Gulf principalities are once again moving closer to Iran. Bahrain appears the only Gulf State still adhering to the

What it might take for Saudis to join normalization process

In the year since Israel’s signing of normalization agreements with the UAE and Bahrain, and subsequently with Morocco, Israelis have debated repeatedly whether Saudi Arabia would be next in

Mahmoud Abbas’s moment of truth: The road to renewed diplomacy traverses Amman and Cairo

The recent meetings between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, and the trilateral meeting several days later between Abbas, the King

Iran’s attacks on Israeli shipping in Gulf serves as lesson

The recent attacks on Israeli-owned and operated shipping in the Arab Gulf served as a valuable lesson for Israel. It proved the limitations of using military power in its campaign against Iran,

Why were Israel and the US not invited to the
Baghdad conference?

he Baghdad conference held on Saturday, August 28, was unusual in terms of both venue and participants. The venue was Baghdad, the host was Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, and

Regional architecture that should be promoted in the Eastern Mediterranean

The Eastern Mediterranean has been consolidated over the past decade into a distinct sub-region of Israeli foreign policy. Three strategic developments led the states of the region, and Israel

Ahead of PM Bennett’s White House visit: Six agenda items

Handling Israel’s relations with the United States, our most important ally, is one of the greatest challenges facing every Israeli prime minister. The first White House visit by an Israeli prime

The alleged American abandonment of Afghanistan

Many Israelis who do not follow events beyond our immediate neighborhood were surprised and even shocked by the American pullout from Afghanistan and its abandonment to the mercies of the

Trends in Israel’s Regional Foreign Policies, January – June 2021

Issue No. 7 Edited by Dr. Roee Kibrik and Dr. Gil Murciano Several major developments marked significant change for Israel in the first half of 2021. President Biden assumed office, Israel ramped

Major Potential in the Israel-Cyprus Friendship
From the “Israel and the Mediterranean” Working Group

The 9th meeting of the “Israel in the Mediterranean” Working Group was held on March 17, 2021 at the initiative of the Mitvim Institute, Hebrew University’s Davis Institute for International

Integration into the Middle East? Let’s see you pull it off, Lapid

On his historic June 30 visit to the Emirates for the official opening of the Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi and consulate in Dubai, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid urged other Muslim and Arab states

Israel’s ‘divide and conquer’ Palestinian policy does not serve its interests

Two months have elapsed since the military operation in Gaza, but the situation there remains volatile and dangerous. Negotiations on a return of Israeli prisoners and MIAs are stuck and Gaza’s

Renewed Partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood: Implications for Israel

On 10 May 2021, Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, The Israeli Association for the Study of European Integration and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung conducted an

The ice cream (meltdown) threat

I thought, naively, that having got rid of Netanyahu, we would also be rid of his tendency to stir up panic over imagined or exaggerated threats to Israel in order to divert attention from the

The dangerous game of the Jerusalem flag march

Last month’s flag march in Jerusalem drew extensive attention in Israel, the Palestinian arena and the international community. Israeli policymakers were forced to decide whether to allow the

Women in Israel’s key decision-making posts:
Not just numbers

“Who are you, anyway? Answer like a good girl,” former coalition whip Miki Zohar of the Likud yelled shamelessly at his successor, MK Idit Silman during a committee debate. A week earlier, MK

Lapid overturns central pillar of Netanyahu foreign policy

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s July 11-12 visit to Brussels differs considerably from his UAE visit last week. The message Lapid conveyed in Abu Dubai was one of continuity and praise for his

With Netanyahu gone, the Abraham Accords
will not only survive, they might even flourish

Some international concern has been voiced about the future prospects of the Abraham Accords under Israel’s new government. This stems from the perception that the normalization agreements Israel

Israel cannot afford to ignore Jordan any longer

Earlier this month, Jordan officially decided to pull out of the high-profile “Two Seas Project” – a joint endeavor with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to construct a canal that

Four memorable lies in Netanyahu’s legacy of falsehoods

Oscar Wilde is reputed to have said, “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.” Indeed, Benjamin Netanyahu’s departure from office has made many people happy because of

Netanyahu’s political ambassadorial
appointees should resign

In an important boost to Israel’s foreign service, barely a week after being sworn in, the new government approved 36 ambassadorial and other heads of diplomatic missions, appointments that

Now that we’re rid of Trump and Bibi, what’s next?

Yes, even left-wing malcontents are sometimes allowed a sigh of relief and sense of pleasure in the return of sanity to our government. But we cannot rest on our laurels because the dramatic

Climate policy is the entry ticket into the new world order

Israel does not consider the climate crisis an important domestic or foreign policy issue. As a result, Israel is doubly missing out on its own objectives. Firstly, the climate crisis is an issue

Is Egypt back in the Arab driver’s seat?

Egypt disappeared from the Middle East after the 2011 Arab Spring. Well, the term “disappeared” is perhaps too strong, but it certainly adopted a lower profile. Anyone accustomed to Egypt’s

A little friendly advice for Bennett and Lapid

Reconsider Israel’s ties to dubious friends, fix relations with the Democrats in the USA, strengthen the Foreign Ministry, and above all, take the initiative vis-à-vis the Palestinians and

How will Israel’s foreign policy change with new government?

The new government offers an opportunity for significant improvements in Israeli foreign policy. The popular belief is that this government will be ineffective in this domain due to the

Israel and Palestinians Need Separation for Peace

The recent violent outbreak in the mixed Jewish and Arab cities is a wake-up call for those who chose not to think about the Palestinian issue or those who believed it existed only beyond the

Gabi Ashkenazi should meet with
Palestinian leaders in Ramallah

Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi’s May 30 visit to Cairo was an unusual and positive event. For too long, the strategic ties between Israel and Egypt have been conducted mostly by security

Lines in the Sea: How resolution of Israel and Lebanon’s
maritime dispute could set a regional precedent

For a few brief weeks in the autumn of 2020, Israeli and Lebanese officials met in Naqoura, Lebanon, a small border town nestled on the high cliffs overlooking the Eastern Mediterranean. Their

There’s no military nor public diplomacy solution

Now that a ceasefire has been reached, we should try to understand why we return to the same futile pattern every time. As in every previous exchange of blows between Israel and Hamas, the

The Climate Crisis as a Foreign Policy Issue:
Israeli Diplomacy and Regional Cooperation

Understanding the critical importance of climate change on both local communities and international relations, especially in the Middle East, Mitivm and EcoPeace hosted a joint conference on June

Israel’s New Government; Initial Commentary by Experts at the Mitvim Institute

Israel’s 36th government was sworn in on June 13, 2021 under the shared leadership of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, marking the first time in 12 years that an Israeli government is not headed

Healing the rift: The road that must be taken

The Ehud Barak cliché of May 17, 1999 that this was the dawn of a new day, may have never been more accurate than it is today, with the creation of a moderate Israeli government. As the Netanyahu

Improving access to the EU’s market for services

Regulatory heterogeneity between Israel and its key trading partners restricts the potential for bilateral trade. Approximation of the European Union’s regulatory standards would contribute to

Solving the issue of a divided Jerusalem

In January 2018, then-president Donald Trump declared that by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, his administration “took Jerusalem off the table, so we don’t have to talk about it

Israel’s Fatal Weakness Against Iran’s Axis of Resistance

The “War between the Wars” doctrine has become the key concept of Israel‘s national strategy over the past decade. This open-ended military campaign has provided a convenient

The Defeat Between the Wars: Time for Diplomacy to Lead

The “War between the Wars” doctrine has become the key concept of Israel‘s national strategy over the past decade. This military campaign has provided a convenient alternative to any diplomatic

The First Months of Israel-UAE Peace:
Israel’s Perspective on the Abraham Accords

Introduction In the few months that have passed since the signing of the historical Abraham Accords, Israel and the UAE have opened embassies and exchanged ambassadors, launched direct flights

Israeli-Palestinian mediation: Welcome back, America

The latest escalation with Gaza illustrates yet again Israel’s vital need for international support to end periodic rounds of fighting with Hamas. As was the case in previous rounds,

No, Jerusalem is not off the table

In January 2018, President Donald Trump declared that by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, his administration “took Jerusalem off the table, so we don’t have to talk about it

Thoughts on the Postponement of the Palestinian Elections

When Mahmoud Abbas was elected Palestinian Authority (PA) President in 2005, many regarded him as the harbinger of democracy and full independence for his people. However, a year after his

Involving Lebanon in the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum

Attempts to resolve the maritime border dispute between Lebanon and Israel are in constant flux. In the latest development, Lebanon’s President Aoun has rejected the unilateral Lebanese expansion

Assessing Operation Guardian of the Walls: Did it change any opinions?

Historians may agree that it is still too early to evaluate the results of the recent events in Israel and Gaza, but our limited historical perspective might suggest that several Israeli

The Mitvim Institute 2020 Annual Report

This report highlights the Mitvim Institute’s activities in 2020. These activities were centered on our three program areas: improving Israel’s foreign policy; promoting Israel’s regional

Greece and Cyprus can play a modest role in advancing
Israeli-Palestinian peace

In March 2021, the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum held its first meeting as a recognized international organization. Delegations from member countries – including Cyprus, Egypt, Greece,

Solution to Violence Must Be Strategic

Every time an exchange of blows begins between Israel and Hamas, we hear advice from politicians and military commentators on what needs to be done in response – to strike, to renew deterrence,

Is the Middle East Quartet still relevant?

In recent months, following the change of government in the United States, the Middle East Quartet resumed its activities. The Quartet, comprised of the US, Russia, the EU and the UN, was

A look at UAE policy on the Israeli-Palestinian issue

Since its founding, the United Arab Emirates has displayed solidarity with the Palestinians’ national aspirations, adhered to its support for the establishment of a Palestinian state, and called

Israel and the Mediterranean
A New Space for Regional Belonging
Meeting Summaries from a Research and Policy Group

Introduction The Eastern Mediterranean has attracted significant attention over recent years. New economic opportunities and geopolitical developments are contributing to this trend and are

Tensions in Jerusalem:
Initial Commentaries by Mitvim Institute Experts

The latest events in Jerusalem – at Muslim holy sites, the Damascus Gate and the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood – have brought tensions in the city to new heights and affect Israel’s relationship

How Morocco relates to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process

The recent Israeli-Palestinian tensions in Jerusalem prompted regional and international expressions of concern but did not yield mediation measures nor facilitate a solution to the problems on

Israel is unaware of the change in US attitudes towards it

The annual conference of J Street – the Jewish pro-Israel, pro-peace lobby – was held on April 18 and 19 and received impressive coverage in the US but very little attention in Israel. In a

Lebanon ups ante on maritime border with Israel

Lebanon’s surprising decision earlier this month to expand its territorial claim by 1,430 square kilometers (552 sq. miles) further complicates the already complex maritime border negotiations

Principles and Recommendations for Israel’s Foreign Policy Towards the EU; Recommendations from a Mitvim Institute Task-Team

Relations with the EU are a strategic asset and central element to Israel. Not only is Europe Israel’s largest trading partner, but Europe also provides a pillar of norms and values with which