Israelis’ frustration grows over Netanyahu’s failure to eliminate security threats – Dr. Nimrod Goren, ISPI, April 2026
“Netanyahu’s false narratives and Trump’s dominance over Israeli decision-making leave Israelis baffled."
Israel faces limits of force as diplomacy offers way forward – Dr. Nimrod Goren and Nadav Tamir, LevantIntel, April 2026
As war fatigue deepens, Israeli voices point to diplomacy, elections and regional deals as the only viable path forward.
Fragile Ceasefires and Strategic Gaps: Inside the Israel-Hezbollah Standoff – Dr. GIl Murciano, Kan English News, April 2026
Dr. Gil Murciano, CEO of Mitvim, offers a sharp analysis of the current ceasefire dynamics, highlighting their instability, conflicting interpretations, and unresolved core issues.
Lebanon-Israel talks: a gradual approach could go a long way – Amb. (ret.) Michael Harari, Al Majalla, April 2026
The Israeli-Lebanese negotiations that were launched on 14 April in Washington, DC, were the first of their kind in many years. They took place under the shadow of significant gaps and low
Israel – hegemon or partner? The Middle East is divided
Israel’s military successes so far are already generating waves across the Middle East regarding its place on the “day after.”
Amid U.S.-Iran Negotiations, Netanyahu’s Interests May Conflict With Trump’s – Yonatan Touval, The New York Times, April 2026
“The cease-fire announcements themselves were very vague and contradictory,” said Yonatan Touval, an Israeli foreign policy analyst at Mitvim, an independent research group based in Tel Aviv. “We
Israel’s Lebanese Campaign Will Backfire – Dr. Shira Efron, The New York Times, March 2026
The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, for now, runs parallel to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. But Lebanon will become a main arena when the campaign against Tehran ends.
Featured Post To Ron Dermer ahead of your fateful talks with Lebanon
You are uniquely positioned to seize this rare diplomatic opening and spare the next generation the threats I grew up with and wars like the one I fought.
Time to strike a political blow against Hezbollah after Khamenei’s death
Circumstances have created an unprecedented situation in which Israel is capable of conducting a campaign against a sworn enemy while the Lebanese state joins it.
Lebanon at a crossroads over Hezbollah arms – Amb. (ret.) Michael Harari, Al Majalla, August 2025
US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack used his latest visit to Beirut to deliver what was, in effect, an ultimatum to the Lebanese government, though he took care not to present it as such.
Dr. GIL Murciano discusses the latest developments. Middle East Now, i24NEWS, April 2025
● Remarks on the situation in Gaza ● Hezbollah and Iran’s Regional Strategy ● Remarks on the Trump relocation proposal ● Analysis of the Saudi strategy and U.S. Relations ● Insights on the Iran
At His End, Nasrallah Was a Victim of His Own Rhetoric
Israel’s apprehension of Hezbollah has arisen not only from the arsenal of rockets and missiles it has stockpiled but also from its hostile rhetoric and the image of Nasrallah as someone who
The Majdal Shams Massacre – A Chance for a Diplomatic End to the War in the North on Favorable Terms for Israel
The terrible attack in Majdal Shams is a chronicle of a disaster foretold for nearly nine months. It is the result of a lack of Israeli strategy on one hand, and Hezbollah’s assessment that
International Involvement and Prevention of Escalation in the Ongoing Israel-Hezbollah Crisis
On July 8th, 2024, The Mitvim Institute held a roundtable discussion via Zoom focusing on international involvement and its role in preventing escalation in the ongoing crisis between Israel and
Lebanon’s Vulnerability: A Chance for Israel Amid Anti-War Sentiment
Over the past six months, the Israel-Lebanon border has been a battleground between Israel and Hezbollah. Recently, there has been an escalation from both sides, albeit within perceived
Now is the time for the EU to put all of Hezbollah on its terror list
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
Ten trends in Israel’s regional foreign policies July-December 2019
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. From July through
Who Remembers the Palestinian Issue?
Public attention in the upcoming Israeli elections is focusing on domestic political and economic issues, such as Netanyahu’s legal situation and the cost of living – and on security-related
The Spring of Israel’s Relations with its Arab Neighbors
In the past few weeks it seems that Arab and Muslim countries have been competing with each other over Israel. Following news on back-channel intelligence ties with Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister
Israel in an (Un)Changing Middle East
The Middle East is a confusing area. On the one hand, it is highly volatile, with frequent changes throughout the region and in the domestic affairs of its countries. On the other hand, many
Netanyahu Is Actively Courting the Iranian People, but There Could Not Be a Worse Messenger
The Islamic Republic of Iran soon turns 40. Since 1979, the U.S. has been the primary ideological target of Iran’s enmity. Recently, we’ve seen the rhetoric heating up, with Iran’s
A New Mideast in Familiar Clothing
Slowly but surely, with the help of Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, President Bashar Assad is regaining control over Syria. The process is still underway, but all the regional actors realize that
Netanyahu’s New Iran Approach: YouTube Diplomacy
Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership style always includes dramatic warnings about threats to Israel. For more than a decade now, Israel’s prime minister warns that Iran – in particular its nuclear
Doctor, Minister, Soldier, Spy: Tehran’s Man in Tel Aviv
On June 15, the Israeli state prosecution indicted a former minister, Dr. Gonen Segev, for spying for Iran. Israeli authorities arrested him about a month earlier. His arrest and indictment were
The Art of the (Israeli-Russian) Deal
On June 1, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya told the press that he “believes” that his country and Israel reached an agreement regarding “certain disengagement in the southwest of
Netanyahu Needs Conflict to Survive
In 2015, Benjamin Netanyahu was elected to a fourth term as prime minister of Israel. Within months, pundits began speculating when his government would fall. So far, the answer has been never.
The JCPOA Crisis and Israeli-Iranian Relations
Much of the discourse on the future of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear agreement between the P5+1 powers and Iran, has centered broadly on two issue sets. The first
The Eastern Mediterranean: New Dynamics and Opportunities for Cooperation
On 25 April 2018, Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies and the EuroMediterranean Study Commission (EuroMeSCo) hosted a public event in Jerusalem on New Dynamics and
A Diplomatic Blueprint for Israel vis-à-vis Syria
Following the infiltration of the Iranian drone into Israel’s air space and Israel’s retaliation, the public discourse in recent days focused mainly on the security aspect and the various ways to
Preventing an Israel-Iran Escalation in Syria via Diplomacy
After an Iranian drone entered Israeli airspace 10 February 2018, Israel responded by striking Iranian and Syrian targets in southern Syria. Anti-aircraft fire led to the downing of an Israeli
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
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
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
