Suicide by Statehood
On Tuesday night, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, appearing live on television, signed the documents necessary for the Palestine Liberation Organization to seek membership in 15
The Resumption of the Palestinian UN Campaign?
Palestinians see the delay in prisoners release by Israel as a negation of their commitments to halt the international campaign; Abbas is looking to increase his leverage, but the US should be
Key Elements of Israel’s Foreign Policy Paradigms
Israel lacks a coherent foreign policy paradigm. However, an analysis of Israel’s foreign policy conduct since 1948 highlights seven key elements: the influence of the coalition system on foreign
Key Elements of Israel’s Foreign Policy
The symposium, which was held as Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was on strike, examined how Israel facilitates its foreign policy, what the pros and cons of its policy are, and how it can
For Netanyahu, security trumps rapprochement with Turkey
The ongoing drama between Israel and Turkey seems to be approaching its final act. However, even though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Anadolu Agency (AA) that Israel desires
84% of Israelis have never heard of the new EU incentive for Israeli-Palestinian peace
In December 2013, the EU has offered Israel and the Palestinians an unprecedented package of political, economic and security support in the context of a final status agreement. This package
Israel’s Arab Citizens and Foreign Policy
A workshop entitled “Israel’s Arab citizens and foreign policy” was held at the Nazareth Academic Institute on January 28th, 2014. The workshop was a joint initiative of Mitvim – The
A new understanding for the Middle East
As Secretary of State John Kerry hammers out the principles for an Israeli-Palestinian “framework agreement,” many are speculating that he has formally adopted Jerusalem’s demand that the
The EU and Israel: Much ado about love
As Israel and the European Union this week initialed an agreement paving the way for Israel’s participation in the mega European research funding program known as Horizon 2020, they will be
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
Findings of a Mitvim Poll on Israel’s Foreign Policy, 2013
The majority of the Israeli public believes Israel’s foreign policy is more reactive than proactive and that it is not conducted according to clearly defined principles. A recent poll of Mitvim
Palestine’s Self-Inflicted Wounds
About six months ago, I sat in a coffee shop in al-Tireh, a suburb of Ramallah, and interviewed a senior official within Fatah. The official, wanting to talk about the internal dynamics within
Curing the hiccups in Israeli-Turkish negotiations
From tales of Turkish intelligence chief Hakan Fidan revealing the names of 10 Mossad assets to Iranian authorities, to El Al being locked out of the Turkish market, it is hard to find a silver
New Opportunities for American Contributions to Transforming Israeli-Palestinian Relations
New circumstances within the U.S. and the Middle East open a window for a more effective American role in transforming the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is a role that must convey a sense of
Palestine’s Plan B
In the time it took John Kerry to announce that negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians would be starting again, a microcosm of the past couple years in the conflict played out. Initial
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
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
Israel-Turkey Relations
Summary of Mitvim’s activities towards mending the relations, August 2011-March 2013 Towards Mending Israel-Turkey Relations Summary of Mitvim’s Activities August 2011- March 2013 In
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,
Why Won’t Israel’s Politicians Talk Seriously About Foreign Policy?
A pre-election foreign policy debate was held today on the campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Candidates in attendance were from four of the major Israeli parties, and in many ways,
Much ado about something
As the celebrations commenced in Manara Square in Ramallah, and the votes were tallied in New York, the Palestinian delegation had done something almost entirely unique to the post-Arafat era: it
Spoilers of Peace and the Dilemmas of Conflict Resolution
On July 23rd 2012, Mitvim—The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies has conducted a workshop in cooperation with U.S. Embassy, Tel Aviv on the topic: “Spoilers of Peace and the Dilemmas
Time to Impose a Plan
AS the dust settles over the Israel-Gaza border, attention shifts to New York, where the Palestinian delegation will ask the United Nations next Thursday to upgrade its status to that of
There Is No Israeli Partner
The claim that there is no one to talk to on the Palestinian side is a common one in Israeli discourse, seemingly an axiom. The Netanyahu-Barak-Lieberman government has managed to stick the
Israelis readier than ever for raid apology, poll shows
The Arab Spring appears to have changed the views of Israelis on Turkey, as a recent poll revealed that a majority favor Israel apologizing to Turkey for the 2010 killings of Turks in a
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
Israel and Turkey During the Arab Spring
Winds of change have begun blowing across the Middle East in early 2011. For the first time in decades, Arab citizens in different countries have been going to the streets and demanding freedom
Ten paradoxes in Israeli foreign policy
The composition of a broad coalition government presents opportunities to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in several directions, including the possibility of renewed dialogue with the
Israel Is Missing an Opportunity to Mend Ties With Turkey
In the last couple of days, Israel’s Counter Terrorism Bureau has warned Israeli citizens against travelling to Turkey for fear of terrorist attacks, and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
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
Time to Recognize Kosovo
Four years ago this Friday, on Friday, February 17, 2008, the Republic of Kosovo declared its independence. This move, which followed years of failed international efforts to broker a compromise
Changing Paradigms in Israel’s Foreign Policy: Do Think Tanks Matter?
Mitvim, in cooperation with the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation, held a workshop led by Prof. Donald Abelson from the University of Western Ontario, Canada. The workshop dealt with the role of think
