With Sissi, Egypt Sees a Return of the Pharaohs
On August 6, the new Suez Canal was inaugurated with great pomp and circumstance. In honor of the historic event, there were two ceremonies, attended by both Egyptian and foreign dignitaries,
The Nuclear Deal with Iran: Commentary & Analysis
The deal reached between Iran and the six world powers is likely to have significant implications for Iran’s role in the region, Israel-US relations, domestic American politics, Israel’s foreign
The Islamic State’s Sinai Attack: Commentary & Analysis
On 1 July 2015 an unprecedented attack was launched by an Islamist organizations affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) against Egyptian military targets in the north of the Sinai Peninsula. This
Analysis: In post-nuclear agreement Middle East, ‘It’s Syria, stupid!’
Informed commentaries have stressed, somewhat justifiably, Iran’s benefits from the nuclear agreement with the P5+1 powers. Yet the agreement is, in many ways, formal confirmation of regional
Israel and the nuclear deal with Iran
The signing of a nuclear deal with Iran will further aggravate the already tense relations between Israel and the US regardless of the exact details of the agreement or the nature of the
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
Israel won’t become part of the Middle East until the occupation ends
A few months ago, former Justice Minister Tzipi Livni traveled in secret to New York to a meeting attended by the foreign ministers of several Arab countries, Arab League officials and European
Mitvim Experts Weigh In On Egypt-Qatar Rapprochement
In late December 2014, Egypt and Qatar have agreed to normalize their relations, which were strained due to Qatar’s support of the Muslim Brotherhood. The deal, which coincides with parallel
The writing is on the wall
Senior Israeli security personnel, Israeli and Palestinian political leaders, rabbis and imams have been warning for years that the Jewish-Muslim conflict over the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif
Israel Is Challenging America to Support Kurdish Independence
The ongoing crisis in Iraq has revived fervid calls for Kurdish independence, and yet the immediate viability of a future Kurdish state depends overwhelmingly on a single factor: stable oil
“Israel Benefits from the Collapse of Syria”
In January 2014, as the second Geneva conference on the Syrian civil war was being conducted, Channel 9 and The Mitvim Institute’s Ksenia Svetlova interviewed Dr. Samir al-Taqi, a former advisor
US Foreign Policy towards Israel and the Middle East
On 19 May 2014, a symposium on American foreign policy towards Israel and the Middle East, hosted by Mitvim – the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies and the Tami Steinmetz
The Egyptian revolution is stuck
Almost three years after the Arab Spring, the Egyptian revolution seems to have become stuck, and may even have devolved to its starting point. This observation first emerged after the events of
Jerusalem’s Itchy Trigger Finger
Of all the dangers associated with a nuclear-armed Iran — from the onset of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and an Iranian extension of “a nuclear umbrella” to regional
In praise of appeasement
If the Israeli prime minister and his self-appointed advocates across the ocean took their historical analogies seriously, they would know that the surest recipe for war with Iran lies not in
Obama dials down in the Middle East – but is it the right move?
‘There’s a whole word out there, and we’ve got interests and opportunities in that whole world.” In one sentence, Susan Rice, the National Security Adviser, succinctly summed up the Obama
Reaching Out to the Arab Spring: Lessons from an American Experience
For Americans, reaching out to the Arab Spring is much easier than for Israelis. Therefore, Israeli institutions seeking dialogue with the region can benefit from insights collected and lessons
The Arab Spring and the Palestinians of Israel
The conversation among the Palestinians of Israel about the Arab Spring raises a number of key moral, political and social dilemmas. In light of the regional turmoil, they debate the impact of
The New Kingdom of Forces: Middle Eastern Research Institutes
The Arab Spring substantially strengthened the research institutes in the Arab world. New institutions are being established, while ones that existed prior to this revolutionary period attempt to
5 Arab Spring Opportunities For Israel
The Arab Spring was initially embraced with much enthusiasm and hope in the West. In Israel, however, it has been generally perceived as a threat to national security. Israel’s official policies
The Mass Media and Israeli-Arab Relations following the Arab Spring
The Arab Spring has changed the mainstream media scene in the Middle East. Major pan-Arab TV stations have been losing audience, while new media such as Twitter, Facebook, and independent blogs
Israel Is Choosing Regional Isolation, Not Alliances
The Arab Spring upheavals in North Africa and the Middle East started in Tunisia at the end of 2010, and subsequently spread into Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria, triggering repercussions in a wide
Why Israel Shouldn’t Consider a ‘Security Zone’ in Syria
With the chaos of the Syrian civil war escalating, tensions on the Israeli-Syrian ceasefire line on the Golan Heights are running high. Israeli defense officials stated just over a week ago that
Blowing Hot and Cold: Israel’s Divided Reaction to the Arab Spring
After dramatic events began unfolding across the Arab world starting two years ago, most of the world began using the term “Arab Spring” to describe the popular uprisings and
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,
Two Years After Tahrir Square: The Battle for Egypt’s Identity Is Far From Over
Two years ago, on 25th January 2011, it began with a big dream: Millions of people went into the Cairo streets with the aim of toppling the dictatorial Mubarak regime and establishing a democracy
New Paradigms, New Voices in a New Middle East
Most Israelis do not really understand the Middle East. This is true for the general public as well as for decision makers. Israelis get their information about regional realities from certain
New Paradigms, New Voices in a New Middle East
Op-ed, Dr. Nimrod Goren, September 2012
A Call to Convene Regional Middle Eastern Think Tanks
Mitvim calls to regularly convene think-tanks from the broader Middle East, to discuss implications of the ongoing changes in the region, and to explore and promote paths to security and peace
What Happens After Israel Attacks Iran
Since its birth in 1948, Israel has launched numerous preemptive military strikes against its foes. In 1981 and 2007, it destroyed the nuclear reactors of Iraq and Syria, operations that did not
The American Discourse on the Arab Spring and its Relevance to Israel
A Survey of American Think Tanks’ Publications Ms. Michal Eskenazi, July 2011 The democratic wave sweeping across the Arab world has transformed the strategic and political landscape of the
