Mitvim - מתווים
  • About Us
    • Board Members
    • Staff
    • Experts
    • Supporters
  • Areas
    • Improving Israeli Foreign Policy
    • Israel and the Middle East
    • Israel and the Mediterranean Basin
    • Israel and Europe
    • Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process
  • Publications
    • Policy Papers and Reports
    • Research
    • Op-eds
    • Surveys
    • Conference Summaries
    • Trends in Israel’s Regional Foreign Policies
    • US Policies towards Israel and the Middle East
  • Events
en
  • עברית

Op-eds

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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.

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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.

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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,

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds קרדיט

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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,

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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,

Op-eds

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,

Op-eds middle east peace

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds Photo: Yossi Zamir

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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.

Op-eds

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.

Op-eds

Netanyahu Says He’s a Mega-Diplomat,
but Key Embassies are Empty

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding 36 designated ambassadors hostage, refusing to present their appointments for government approval. These professional diplomats with years of

Op-eds

Israel Must Restore Bipartisanship in the US Political System

or Israel, maintaining bipartisan support has traditionally been a central pillar of its relations with the US. Regrettably, this core component of the Jewish state’s most crucial alliance has

Op-eds

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 —

Op-eds

“Vaccine Dealers” Have Forgotten Morality

The Covid-19 crisis expanded global diplomacy’s soft power toolbox. The absence of effective international cooperation in fighting the virus, in large due to a lacking American leadership and

Op-eds

The Palestinian reconciliation is an opportunity

The Netanyahu government’s approach to maintaining segregation between Hamas and Fatah and between Gaza and the West Bank is detrimental to Israel’s long-term goals, which are Israeli-Palestinian

Op-eds

Changing the Equation: International Incentives
for Israeli-Palestinian Peace

How can the international community advance peace? Leaders and diplomats have pondered this question for years with regard to conflicts and wars around the world. International incentives for

Op-eds

Foreign Policy Issues in Israel’s Current Election Campaign

For better or worse, we are not alone in this world. Opportunities, challenges, threats, friends, partners and rivals abound outside Israel’s borders – and no border can completely separate

Op-eds

Coronavirus: Israel must vaccinate our Palestinian neighbors

Time and again Israel demonstrates its incredible capabilities at the professional level – of civil servants, the private sector and the nonprofit sector, alongside with the failure at the

Op-eds

Do the Abraham Accords open up new energy opportunities?

The signing of the Abraham Accords and warming ties with Saudi Arabia open up many and varied regional cooperation opportunities for Israel. A key cooperation opportunity lies in the field of

Op-eds

The Two-State Solution Won’t Save Itself, Mr. President

During the last four years of Trump administration, many important words and concepts such as “human rights” or “two-states solution” were effectively omitted completely

Op-eds middle east peace

ICC investigation is Israel’s wake-up call

The decision of the International Criminal Court in The Hague that it has jurisdiction over the Israeli-Palestinian context arouses a variety of tormenting, yet conflicting, thoughts and

Op-eds

How Biden should handle Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Joe Biden began his term as US president at a time when the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was in a deep and continued stagnation. The Trump administration’s policies on

Op-eds

How did Zionist symbol KKL-JNF become an organization that hurts Israel?

Many of us still remember the blue Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund in which our parents would toss coins in order to “redeem the Land of Israel” and fulfill the Zionist dream. Then,

Op-eds

Israel Pragmatically Responds to Global Changes,
but Without a Vision

Since its independence, Israel’s foreign policy had to cope with changes to the international balance of power in an attempt to find the most relevant superpower to rely on. The strategic

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

The Toll of Democratic Regression on
Israeli Foreign Policy

When democrat Joe Biden beat populist Donald Trump, the world seemed to sigh in relief. However, now more than ever it is important to remember that many in the US and elsewhere still subscribe

Op-eds

A Thank You Letter to Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi

The leaders of the Blue and White party have earned the widespread criticism of their political conduct. Nonetheless, I wish to take this opportunity to thank Gabi Ashkenazi for his performance

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

Between a Rock and a hard place

It seems a just resolution of the Palestinian issue is the minimum that Pakistan will settle for if it is to recognize Israel. Following the series of agreements between Israel, the United Arab

Op-eds

Israeli Progressives should reach out more to their international partners

The progressive camp in Israel has been trying for years to find its way back to the corridors of power and influence. So far unsuccessfully. Those seeking ways for change often wonder whether

Op-eds

The Biden administration can help
mend ties between Turkey and Israel

Following President Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump, there have been a flurry of reports that Turkey is courting Israel in the hopes of resolving their diplomatic dispute. Turkey’s timing

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

How Israel-EU relations have been impacted
by Germany’s Council presidency

From July to December 2020, Israel had a window of political opportunity: Germany’s six-month period at the presidency of the Council of the European Union handed Israel an opportunity to improve

Op-eds

The Broader Drivers of Biden-era Israeli-American Relations

Much of the discussion in Israel about the future of US-Israel relations in the wake of the new administration focuses on a narrow set of issues: President Joe Biden’s personal feelings toward

Op-eds

New antisemitism hates Jews, loves Israel

 During Joe Biden’s presidential confirmation, the entire free world watched in horror and fear at the onslaught of incited crowds on the sanctuaries of American democracy – the Senate and House

Op-eds

Promoting Democracy and Peace Will Bring Israel
Closer to the Biden Administration

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

Op-eds

Now is the time for female leadership in Israel

Now is the time to recognize the importance of female leadership for Israel to thrive in the modern world. On January 24th, the primaries for chairperson of the Labor Party will be held. The

Op-eds

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

Op-eds

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

  • Research
  • Policy Papers and Reports
  • Op-eds
  • Surveys
  • Conference Summaries
Mitvim - מתווים

Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies 

11 Tuval St.Ramat Gan, Israel 5252226 | info@mitvim.org.il

 

עיצוב אתר מוזי
Mailing ListContact UsSupport Mitvim

Join our mailing list

    Mitvim - The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies

    11 Tuval St. Ramat Gan, Israel

     5252226

    info@mitvim.org.il