Israel and the Middle East

What are Middle East reactions to the judicial reform?

‘Israel is devouring itself from within” was the headline of an article by Saudi pundit and businessman Hussein Shobokshi in the influential Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat. Shobokshi argues that

Israeli-Palestinian relations are deeply affected

The project of the present Israeli governing coalition to overhaul the organization and powers of the High Court will have deep implications on Israeli-Arab relations if it succeeds. Given the

Is a formal Israeli-Saudi agreement achievable?

In recent days we have come across reports in the media, about talks promoting a possible Israeli-Saudi agreement, which took place between Israel and Saudi Arabia, even before the establishment

Is the Israeli-Lebanese maritime boundary agreement replicable?

For the past decade, policymakers have argued that the Eastern Mediterranean’s offshore natural gas deposits could help support Europe’s efforts to wean itself off Russian hydrocarbons. But

The Israeli – Lebanese Agreement: The Day After

The agreement between Israel and Lebanon on the maritime border constitutes a significant development for each of the two countries, as well as for the regional and international arena. After

The Israel-Lebanon maritime deal is an example of successful US-led mediation. Can it be copy-pasted to other Middle Eastern arenas?

After a decade of tough negotiations, frustrations, and impasses, American mediators succeeded in a difficult task. On October 26, they convinced Israel and Lebanon the importance and need for a

Israel-Lebanon negotiations: cautious optimism but no bells of peace

Negotiations on marking the Israel-Lebanon maritime border began on October 14 under unique circumstances, against the backdrop of the unprecedented economic and political crises in Lebanon.

Does Israel’s Prime Minister Have the Right to Strike a Deal With Lebanon?

The nearly concluded yet still on-off negotiations between Lapid’s caretaker government and Lebanon regarding their maritime border raises a crucial question: Do Israel’s provisional governments

Is it time for a new approach to deal with the Iranian threat? – opinion

Tough times are ahead for decision-makers in Jerusalem. As the clock ticks in Washington, Brussels and Tehran, counting down to Iranian nuclear breakout capability and international pressure

Russia is forming an alliance of pariah states in the Middle East. It might put Israel in an awkward situation in Syria

Every visit by a foreign leader to Iran draws considerable attention, not to mention criticism, in Israel. A visit, however, by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the leader of a global power

Why Is the Israeli Left Still Turning a Cold Shoulder to Gulf States?

This past April 28, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Dan Feferman stood at the entrance to Auschwitz. With him were the members of the multinational delegation he had brought to the annual March of the

Jordan key to deepening Abraham Accords, calming West Bank

Israelis and Jordanians no longer hide their willingness to cooperate, but King Abdullah’s complex internal situation and mounting tensions at Al-Aqsa Mosque may impede rapprochement. Relations

To the Middle East and beyond! Israel’s new connectivity

After decades of limited contact, Israel is connecting with its region at the strategic level. It seems safe to assume that more is yet to come. Largely rejected by its neighbors for decades,

Negev Summit: Middle East becoming warmer, friendlier

The public elements of the Negev Summit were full of positive atmosphere, expressions of personal warmth, and mutual compliments. It did not seem as one of those summits in which concerned

Egypt, Jordan’s close ties with Israeli officials are now out in the open

As the Russian war in Ukraine settles into a deadly routine, events in the Middle East are anything but routine. On March 18, Syrian President Bashar Assad visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE),

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

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

How Iraq became the top link in China’s belt and road strategy

Last year, Iraq became a top recipient of Chinese investment and a key link in Beijing’s Belt and Road initiative. Almost 20 years after the war in Iraq began, billions of Chinese yuan are being

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

Israeli Arab Citizens Donate Millions for Refugees in Northern Syria

“Your donations have reached #Northern_Syria. One of the largest convoys of a charitable relief campaign has been launched to reach the needy and refugees and to protect them from the winter

ISIS cells are reappearing in Syria and Iraq

More than 100 Islamic State fighters armed with heavy machine guns and vehicles rigged with explosives attacked the gates of Gweiran Prison in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh. The goal of

Iran drives antisemitism in the Muslim world- analysis

When Iranian General Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, said that Saudi Arabia’s royal family actually descends from Jews who used to fight with the

Lebanon may be getting tired of Hezbollah- analysis

First, it was Gebran Bassil, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and the son-in-law of Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun, who attacked the Shia Islamist political party Hezbollah and said

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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 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

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

Jordan’s 100th birthday: Centenary of the
‘most unstable’ state

“Jordan is an artificial state with no future,” then-prime minister David Ben-Gurion declared shortly before the 1956 Suez Canal War. His assessment was echoed by Western intelligence agencies.

Lessons from Israel and Egypt’s lukewarm peace

On March 9, Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen met with his Egyptian counterpart Nasser Fahmi in the resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, located at the southernmost tip of the Sinai Peninsula.

What has changed this Mimuna?

The resumption of diplomatic relations with Morocco may restore a “crown to its former glory” (Atara Leyoshna). On the eve of Passover this year, I am most looking forward to the Mimuna holiday —

It is time to make peace with Egypt

The news of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s planned visit to Egypt came shortly after popular Egyptian singer Mohamad Ramadan became the most hated person in his country; Ramadan was pictured

The Culture of Sciences: Bridging the Gaps
Between the Emirati and Israeli Research Systems

Research collaborations between Israel and the UAE is a touchstone to scale the nature of the relations between them. Academic, scientific, and technological cooperation was explicitly mentioned

Trump officially made Israel part of the Middle East

In one of its final decisions, the Trump administration moved Israel from the purview of the Pentagon’s European Command (EUCOM) to the Area of Responsibility (AOR) of the US Central Command

Israel, Iran: Now is the time to test if détente can be reached

The last few months have witnessed a dramatic shift in the geopolitical balance of the Middle East. Normalization between Israel and multiple Arab states has altered the heart of the historic

Israel’s Relations with Arab Countries:
The Unfulfilled Potential

An Electronic Book edited by Dr. Roee Kibrik, Dr. Nimrod Goren, Merav Kahana-Dagan. Israel’s Relations with Arab Countries: The Unfulfilled Potential examines relations between Israel and seven

Semi-annual trends in Israel’s regional foreign policies with Arab states

Every six months, the Mitvim Institute maps key trends in Israel’s regional foreign policies based on the institute’s monthly reports that monitor ongoing developments. In July-December 2020, we

Israel and Morocco: Major Potential for Warm Peace

The establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Morocco is not without precedent. In fact, the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1994 following Israel’s peace agreements

Progressive politics in the Middle East: Israel and the region

The Abraham Accords that were signed recently between Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can be equalled to a tip of an iceberg: much more is laying beneath the surface. These

Opportunities and Challenges for Israel-UAE
Economic Cooperation

Israeli-Emirati economic ties have been developing continuously since the 1990s, setting the stage for the recent Abraham Accords and the partnerships that have begun to flourish as a result.

Will Saudi Arabia Pick Up the Mantle?

Yonatan Touval on Modern Diplomacy

Civilian cooperation between Israel and Arab states: How does it work?

A research by Dr. Roee Kibrik and Einat Levi

How Israel Is Triggering a Royal Civil War in Saudi Arabia

Prof. Elie Podeh on Haaretz

The UAE’s Stability from an Outsider’s Perspective

Dr. Moran Zaga on Qposts

Regional Cooperation: Government Practices

A research by Ksenia Svetlova and Mor Yahalom

Trump’s Middle East legacy: The good, the bad and the ugly

Op-ed by Prof. Elie Podeh on Jpsot

Trump’s Mideast legacy: The good, the bad and the ugly

The termination of Donald Trump’s presidency signals the end of an era in US involvement in the Middle East with its attendant good, bad and ugly aspects. The Trump Administration is said to have

Israel, the UAE and Bahrain: A different kind of peace

In the weeks since the historic August 13 declaration of diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, followed by a declaration of diplomatic ties with Bahrain, it has become

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

Israel must prepare for a change in US policy toward Iran

Nadav Tamir on Jpost

UNSCR 1325: IMPLEMENTATION IN TURKEY AND ISRAEL

Policy paper published by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung

Advancing the peace process depends on civilian ties

Einat Levi on Jpost

Israel, the Middle East and Joe Biden

Ksenia Svetlova, towards the US elections

Sudan’s economic interests tipped scales

Op-ed on Jpost by prof. Elie Podeh

Trump is bullying Sudan into embracing Israel. It won’t end well

As the Trump administration seeks to clinch another diplomatic breakthrough ahead of the November election, it has zeroed in on Sudan. Exerting heavy pressure on it to normalize relations Israel,

Israel-Lebanon Maritime Border Negotiations: Cautious Optimism but No Bells of Peace

Op-ed by Amb. (ret.) Michael Harari

Advancing Israeli-Arab Peace Depends on Civilian Ties

An op-ed by Dr. Roee Kibrik and Einat Levi

Mitvim signed a cooperation agreement with the UAE think tank Trends Research & Advisory

TRENDS-Mitvim press release

What does the US election have to do with Middle East peacemaking?

Dr. Lior Lehrs on The Jerusalem Post

Israel in the Middle East: A year of achievements and one big failure

Prof Elie Podeh on The Jerusalem Post

Tourism is the key for civic ties between Israel and the MENA region

Einat Levi on The Jerusalem Post

Multilateral Platforms Built Framework for Ties with Israel

Dr. Moran Zaga on The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington

The Potential for Israel–UAE Cooperation

Dr. Moran Zaga at LSE blog

The coming out of the Israel-Bahrain clandestine relationship

An article published on the Jerusalem Post

The agreement may have advanced Shimon Peres’ vision of peace

An op-ed published on The Jerusalem Post

The United Arab Emirates: Profile of a state on the move

An op-ed published on The Jerusalem Post

If UAE deal ushers in pro-peace leaders its achievement will be strategic

An article published on The Jewish News

The Real Reasons Israel Showed Solidarity With Lebanon After the Beirut Blast

When disaster struck in Lebanon on August 4th, killing dozens, injuring thousands and causing widespread devastation, Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi

What Netanyahu failed to learn from the Arab Spring

Prof. Elie Podeh, Op-ed, August 2020

Peace? Sure. End of Conflict? Hardly

Many Israelis were watching the first civilian–albeit not yet commercial—flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi and checking out the rates of hotel in Dubai, when the reality had knocked on their

UAE also wants good ties with US Jewish lobby

Prof. Elie Podeh, Op-ed, September 2020

How the UAE and Saudi Arabia Now Hold Israel Hostage

Prof. Elie Podeh, Op-ed, August 2020

UAE, Israel Deal Could be Just the Beginning

Ksenia Svetlova, Op-ed, August 2020

Senior Jordanian Officials: Annexation Endangers Israel-Jordan Relations

Insights from the Mitvim Institute’s Israel-Jordan Policy Dialogue

Egyptian Plague or Spring of Youth? The Israeli Discourse regarding the Arab Spring

From the outset of the protest events in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya and other countries, many people in the world began using the term “Arab spring” to describe the sequence of

An Alternative Model of Israeli-Arab Encounters

The Arab Spring presents Israel with new opportunities for dialogue with the region. Nevertheless, only little effort has been invested so far in organizing bi-lateral encounters between Israelis

Israel won’t become part of the Middle East until the occupation ends

The chance of Israel’s re-admittance to the Middle East lies in its ability to show initiative, originality and flexibility of thought. Only by attempting sincerely to solve the Palestinian

Israel is entangled in UAE-Palestinian rivalries

Prof. Elie Podeh, Op-ed, July 2020

What Is the UAE Trying to Tell Israelis?

Op ed by Dr. Moran Zaga, June 2020

The Middle East Rediscovers the Jews

The much-acclaimed television series “Umm Haroun” produced for Ramadan month viewing, describes the life of Kuwait’s Jewish community in the 1940s. It has generated stormy discussion throughout

Israel and Qatar Focus on Shared Interests, Setting Aside Differences

In the shadow of the Coronavirus outbreak, Qatar is once again throwing a lifeline to the Gaza Strip and establishing itself as the Palestinians’ sole savior. Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad

Israel-Iraq Cooperation in 2019: Security Challenges and Civilian Warming

The final months of 2019 were marked by widespread, prolonged protests throughout Iraq. The demonstrations, centered in Baghdad, targeted the ruling political elite and the state backing it:

The 2019 Israel-Turkey Policy Dialogue of the Mitvim Institute

In September 2019, the Mitvim Institute held its annual Israel-Turkey policy dialogue, for the eighth consecutive year. The dialogue took place in Istanbul and Ankara, in cooperation with

Israel’s Relations with Key Arab States in 2019

A series of policy papers by Mitvim experts

The Political Situation in Iraq: An Opportunity for Israel?

On April 9, Mustafa al-Kadhimi was tasked with forming a new Iraqi government after two other candidates, Mohammed Tawfik Allawi and more recently Adnan al-Zurfi, failed to win enough