Israel’s special relationship with the US is a cornerstone in Israel’s foreign policy and national security. In recent years, alongside Prime Minister Netanyahu’s close bond with outgoing
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
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
To understand Israel properly, one must get to know the political right, its characteristics, components, and the changes it has undergone in recent years. The right has been in power since 1977,
Iran’s recent decision to begin enriching uranium to 20% purity is alarming but it should come as no surprise to anyone following Teheran’s nuclear policy since Donald Trump took office in
Between July to December 2020 Israel had a political window of opportunity: Germany’s six-month period at the Presidency of the Council of the EU. It handed Israel an opportunity to improve its
The final days of 2020 raised hopes that Israel and Turkey may be on their way to improve ties, despite policy differences and lack of trust. “Turkey wants better ties with Israel”, said Turkey’s
he Biden administration, to be sworn in on January 20, will have to deal with many urgent issues at home and abroad and to repair the rubble left behind by the Trump administration. For Israel,
The exit of Gideon Sa’ar and the formation of a new party with defectors from the Likud has the potential for a redefinition of the ideological camps on the political map. Creating a political
The establishment of peaceful relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco introduces a new model of normalization, highlighting warm receptions between the people
Many were surprised by the recently formed alliance between Mansour Abbas, chairman of the Ra’am Party, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which included Abbas’s announcement that he is happy
The next time Israel and Hamas come to blows and need someone to hold them in check, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov will no longer be there to help
The failures in foreign policy decision-making often stem from the natural difficulty in understanding the complexities of other countries. We tend to treat each country as a unified,
The Trump administration is taking advantage of the transition period to advance several final policy moves pertaining to Israel. These include the visit by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to the
Yonatan Touval on Modern Diplomacy
Dr. Nimrod Goren on Jpost
Dr. Ilai Saltzman on The Times of Israel
Prof. Elie Podeh on Haaretz
Dr. Moran Zaga on Qposts
Op-ed by Prof. Elie Podeh on Jpsot
An article by Dr. Nimrod Goren for the Middle East Institute
Nadav Tamir on Jpost
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
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
Nadav Tamir on Jpost
Amb. Ret. Barukh Binah on The Times of Israel
Nadav Tamir on Jpost
Prof. Elie Podeh on Jpost
Dr. Ido Zelkovitz on Jpost
Amb. Ret. Barukh Binah towards the U.S elections
Dr. Maya Sion-Tzidkiyahu on JPOST, towards the US elections
Dr. Maya Sion-Tzidkiyahu towards the US elections
Einat Levi on Jpost
Nadav Tamir, towards the U.S elections
Ksenia Svetlova, towards the US elections
Op-ed on Jpost by prof. Elie Podeh
Gabriel Mitchell, towards the U.S elections
Nadav Tamir on The Jerusalem Post
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,
Op-ed by Amb. (ret.) Michael Harari
Nadav Tamir on The Jerusalem Post
An op-ed by Dr. Roee Kibrik and Einat Levi
Dr. Lior Lehrs on The Jerusalem Post
Prof Elie Podeh on The Jerusalem Post
Op-ed
Einat Levi on The Jerusalem Post
Dr. Moran Zaga at LSE blog
An article published on the Jerusalem Post
Op-ed, Prof, Elie Podeh, September 2020
An op-ed published on The Jerusalem Post
An op-ed published on The Jerusalem Post
An article published on The Jewish News
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
The announcement that Israel and Kosovo have agreed to establish diplomatic relations is a welcome development for both nations. But as is often the case with Israel’s leadership, this
Prof. Elie Podeh, Op-ed, August 2020
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
Prof. Elie Podeh, Op-ed, September 2020
Op-ed by Dr. Ehud Eiran
Prof. Elie Podeh, Op-ed, August 2020
Ksenia Svetlova, Op-ed, August 2020
Nadav Tamir, Op-ed, August 2020
Ambassador (Ret.) Michael Harari, BESA online debate, August 2020
Op-ed by Dr. Lior Lehrs
Op-ed by Dr. Ehud Eiran
July 2020
July 2020
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
July 2020
July 2020
July 2020
Prof. Elie Podeh, Op-ed, July 2020
June 2020
Op ed by Dr. Moran Zaga, June 2020
The tumult over the installation of Israel’s 35th government and the division of 36 ministerial and 16 deputy ministerial portfolios drowned out news of Gilad Erdan’s dual diplomatic appointment.
On Tuesday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will do something pretty unusual in the age of COVID-19 — travel overseas. Mitsotakis will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in
Israel’s mythic foreign minister, Abba Eban, once quipped that “history teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives.” His insight presumed that
What would a change in the US administration in January 2021 bode for Israel? Does the symbiosis in the relationship between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu attest to a historic high in
June 2020
For decades, Israelis tended to perceive themselves as living in a hostile region and as being doomed for isolation in their neighborhood. The changing realities between Israel and Arab
Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi should lead a process of fixing the country’s regional foreign policies. In his first months in office, he should convey messages and take actions to improve
Honorable Foreign Minister, Lt. Gen. (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi. I know you are scheduled to move on to the Defense Ministry in 18 months, but I think you would have far greater influence and
In its coalition agreement with the Likud, the Blue and White Party under the leadership of Benny Gantz has given a seal of approval to annexing parts of Judea and Samaria. According to the
It happened at last. Germany finally announced on Thursday it has designated Lebanese Hezbollah a terror organization, banning all of its activities in the nation. Germany – and other European
Like so much else, official diplomacy has shifted to virtual communications since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is an opportunity for Israeli diplomacy to lead a new type of
Like everywhere in the world the coronavirus pandemic caught us by surprise. During the last week of February we all heard about it but the Government did not take it seriously. It took another
The corona crisis is sidelining the true threat to the Zionist vision of a democratic homeland to the Jewish People. The threat is the legitimization of annexation which is included in the
In recent years, Israel, Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus, Greece and Italy promoted the idea of constructing a long pipeline to transfer gas from Israel and Cyprus to Europe. It
The issue of possible Israeli land annexation in the West Bank has become an endless source of spin for Israeli politicians. The hard-line right-wing Yamina party is accusing the right-wing Likud
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, Hamas and Egypt have long been debating whether to move ahead with an arrangement on Gaza and how to do so. The Palestinian Authority (PA) has to a large extent been excluded from this
As in other countries, COVID-19 has exposed the weaknesses particular to Israel society and governance. These shortcomings are not revelatory. Instead, the coronavirus’ spread shines a spotlight
Several days ago, thousands of families in Israel were given good reason for relief: After long, tense days, their loved ones had returned to Israel thanks to a combined operation by our national
Humankind is facing yet another crisis. The Coronavirus pandemic has stopped the world as we knew it. We are living through growing uncertainty about tomorrow, fear and anxiety about death. What
At present, there is no end in sight for the novel coronavirus crisis and we do not know its repercussions for the future. Despite this, it is not too soon to start thinking about possible
Israeli political parties and their candidates for the premiership have for years barely mentioned foreign policy in election campaigns – as if the issue is unimportant, as though Israel’s
After we beat the novel coronavirus, we will have to rebuild international systems and strengthen democracies. The prevailing view that dictatorships deal better than democracies with
According to Israeli media reports, the heads of the Mossad and of the IDF’s southern command secretly visited Qatar in early February. The visit validates comments made to me by a Qatari senior
More and more Israeli diplomats are finding themselves in quarantine these days, due to the Coronavirus crisis. These include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (MFA) director general and
The leak of a secret visit to Doha by Mossad Director Yossi Cohen and GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Herzi Levi last month to pressure Qatar to keep funding Hamas in Gaza confirmed what Qatari
The results of the Israeli election did not give a clear majority to any of the sides, but they still yielded a dramatic result. For the first time, a majority in the Knesset – from Lieberman’s
