Last year, Iraq became a top recipient of Chinese investment and a key link in Beijing’s Belt and Road initiative. Almost 20 years after the war in Iraq began, billions of Chinese yuan are being
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
The much-acclaimed television series “Umm Haroun” produced for Ramadan month viewing, describes the life of Kuwait’s Jewish community in the 1940s. It has generated stormy discussion throughout
Israel’s new foreign minister should lead a process of fixing Israel’s foreign policy. This paper presents recommendations for messages he can convey and actions he can take to improve Israel’s
In March 2020, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres issued an appeal for a global ceasefire. “There should be one fight in our world today, our shared battle against COVID-19,” he said. In the
Israel is still holding to its traditional security maxim. Based on a perception of a hostile region, Israel’s response includes early warning, deterrence and swift – including pre-emptive –
This paper focuses on the role of energy in shaping Israel’s policies towards the Mediterranean. It is based on the main points raised at the fourth meeting of the research and policy group on
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
Since President Abdel Fatah a-Sisi’s rise to power in 2014, Israeli-Egyptian ties have been marked by defense-strategic cooperation. This is based on the shared perception of Iran and radical
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
At the annual Munich Security Conference in mid-February, the most important event of its kind – to which Israel did not bother send a single senior representative this year, Saudi Arabian
With Washington trying once again to randomly sketch new Middle East maps, intellectuals, politicians and Arab journalists are dreaming of a fundamental change in attitudes and true normalization
The Mitvim Institute 3rd annual conference provided an annual assessment of Israel’s regional foreign policies. It was held in Tel Aviv on 14 November 2019, in cooperation with the
Israel and the EU maintain exceedingly close relations with each other. The EU is Israel’s largest trading partner and has extensive cultural and political ties to the country. Despite this,
Something good is happening in relations between Israel and the Arab world, as evidenced by more frequent visits of senior Israeli officials to Arab capitals and conciliatory remarks about Israel
President Trump’s Middle East envoy Greenblatt was very different from his predecessors. While leading US mediators and envoys were generally experienced in diplomacy and foreign policy, as well
The relations between Saudi Arabia and the UAE have not always been smooth. Even before the latter’s independence in 1971, the affairs between the ruling families, al-Nahyan of Abu-Dhabi and
For those interested in promoting peace between Israel and the Palestinians, the current situation may be discouraging. Indeed, the misconception that there is “no solution” is
The White House announcement that it was convening an economic workshop in Bahrain appeared to mark the launch of a significant US move unveiling the Trump plan we have been hearing about – under
While Israel was excited to host the Eurovision competition in May, in the Arab Gulf States, international events are held almost on a daily basis. One of the most prestigious of them is Expo
Netanyahu’s new government will likely continue the path of Israel’s current foreign policy. In 2009 he paid lip-service to a two-state solution but now speaks openly about annexing settlements.
Eight years ago, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak warned that Israel would face a diplomatic tsunami unless it re-engaged in the long stalemated peace talks with the Palestinians. Later on, Tzipi
The Israeli discourse surrounding regional cooperation tends to focus primarily on the Gulf States and on security issues; as such, it often overlooks more moderate and pro-Western countries in
In October 2018, the Mitvim Institute held its annual Israel-Turkey policy dialogue, for the seventh consecutive year. The dialogue took place in Istanbul, in cooperation with
Op ed by Dr. Moran Zaga, December 2018
The recent violent escalation in Gaza, that led to the resignation of the Israeli minister of defense and to a public uproar against the government’s handling of the Hamas movement, have
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
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is well known for its economic power and moderate Islam, and for its increasing involvement in regional developments throughout the Middle East, including the
The official visit of Prime Minister Netanyahu and Mossad chief Yossi Cohen to Oman turned the spotlight on this distant principality in the Gulf that is unfamiliar to most Israelis. Perhaps it
The attempts by officials in the Middle East and beyond to find the formula for a long-term ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, attest to the complexity of the problem that emerged over a decade ago,
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was once one of Israel’s crown Jewels. Managing Israel’s foreign relations and the exposure that the office of the foreign minister offered, attracted
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
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
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
The tectonic changes in the Middle East since 2011 have created the foundation for a significant rapprochement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Alongside their strategic security partnership,
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
Much has been said and written on President Donald Trump’s controversial statement on Jerusalem on December 6, 2017. But there was one sentence in the speech that everyone – the conflicting
The Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman, is fed up with the Palestinian leadership. “Over the past 40 years, the Palestinian leadership has repeatedly missed opportunities and rejected
In recent weeks, Saudi officials made statements that were interpreted in Israel as a change of attitude in Saudi Arabia towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to Israeli Channel 10,
Of the many formidable foreign policy questions facing Israel as it celebrates its 70th anniversary, the most auspicious is how the Jewish State should adapt to a multipolar world. The urgency to
On May 7th 2018, the Mitvim Institute and the Program for Middle East Studies at the Yezreel Valley Academic College held a conference that focused on the changes in the Palestinian domestic
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
Iranian involvement in Syria is increasing, bolstering Israeli motivation to influence Syria’s reality. Israel has carried out successful military moves in recent years in order to preserve its
New dynamics are taking place in the Eastern Mediterranean. Signs of increased political cooperation between different countries, new opportunities for economic cooperation due to natural gas
A special conference of the Caucus for the Empowerment of Israel`s Foreign Service (led by MK Nachman Shai) and the Mitvim Institute took place at the Knesset on 15 January 2018. The conference
In December 2017, while the UN General Assembly voted against the American decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and while Palestinian leaders were seeking an alternative mediator
MK Ksenia Svetlova (Zionist Union) and the Mitvim Institute held a joint conference at the Knesset on the crisis in Israel-Jordan relations. The conference took place on 10 January 2018, after
Donald Trump made his first foreign trip since taking office to the Middle East. In May 2017 he visited Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority. Throughout his regional tour, the US
An extended period of strained relations has finally ended with a series of lengthy negotiations that culminated in the recent Turkey-Israeli deal in June 2016. The critical point in the
Israel finds itself surrounded by a region in turmoil and transition. The collapse of neighboring states, the emergence of regional powers and the U.S. withdrawal as the security guarantor of the
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
The annual public opinion poll of Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies on Israel’s foreign policy has been carried out between September 9 and 11, 2014 by the Rafi
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
‘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
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
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
In 1965, the eminent British journalist Patrick Seale published an important book titled “The Struggle for Syria.” Its main thesis was that anyone who wants to acquire dominant status
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
