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
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
Einat Levi in YaBiladi
This document briefly outlines major trends in Israel’s regional foreign policies over the past six months. It is based on the Mitvim Institute’s monthly reports that cover ongoing developments
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
The graduation ceremony of the Department of Hebrew Language at Baghdad University is considered one of the best on campus. In 2010, at the height of the evening, a female graduate interpreted
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
On 29 May 2018, the Mitvim Institute and the Leonard Davis Institute held a joint conference devoted to the unfulfilled potential of Israel’s relations with Arab countries. The conference took
On 27 April 2018, the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. It was the first time that a North Korean leader had crossed the border to the south since the
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.
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
The history of Israel-Jordan relations displays long-term strategic cooperation. The formal peace agreement, signed in 1994, has become one of the pillars of the political-strategic stability of
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
The demonstrations in the Gaza Strip over the last four weeks, under the banner of the “return of the refugees,” have stirred confusion and resentment among many Israelis. No question about it:
Einat Levi in the Morocco World News
Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority’s chairman, appeared on February 20th before the Security Council and presented a new Palestinian peace plan, with a number of points: first, a request
Israel and Jordan have recently reached understandings to overcome a bilateral crisis, triggered by the incident at the Israeli embassy in Amman on July 2017. These understandings enabled the
(to view the interview in Fathom, click here)
The claim that emerged in 2000 that Israel has “no Palestinian partner” to negotiate with on the final status agreement has become a fixture in the Israeli public discourse ever since.
After a six-month diplomatic crisis between Israel and Jordan, a new Israeli ambassador – Amir Weissbrod – is expected to arrive in Amman soon to fully resume the embassy’s operations. This will
The Israeli peace camp includes thousands of people and hundreds of groups, movements and organizations working to help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and bring peace and reconciliation
The Palestinian citizens of Israel have the potential to influence and shape Israel’s foreign affairs, especially in regards to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and to Israel’s ties with
The Israel-Palestinian conflict resolution process is paralyzed. It is costing lives and generates violence on a daily basis. Yet many policy makers, pundits and citizens in Israel believe it no
The Israeli government and the Knesset are formulating approaches to address the rise of the far-right Austrian Freedom Party and the new Polish law regarding the Holocaust. In this effort, there
Six months after an Israeli security guard killed two Jordanian citizens (his attacker and a second man who was shot accidentally), the solution for the crisis which marred relations between the
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
The Mitvim Institute conducted a preliminary research that examined voting patterns in UN institutions regarding Israel. The research focused on the voting patterns of 35 countries in 16 votes
The 2017 annual conference of the Mitvim Institute was held on 1 November 2017 in Jerusalem, in cooperation with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. As part of the conference, a public panel was held
On 6 December 2017, US President Donald Trump delivered a statement in which he recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. His statement was warmly received in Israel, but was heavily criticized
The Mitvim Institute’s annual Israeli-Turkish policy dialogue was held in Istanbul on 26-27 October 2017, for the sixth consecutive year. It focused on the state of Israel-Turkey relations
US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel confirms Abba Eban’s aphorism that “men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other
The United Nations Partition Plan, which marked its 70th anniversary on Wednesday, was rejected by the Arabs and the Palestinians. Everyone knows that. What is less well known is that not all the
On the eve of Kurdistan’s referendum, the international community is rife with speculation about what the vote will mean for the future of Iraq, the fight against ISIS, regional dynamics with
On June 13th 2017, the Mitvim Institute and the Leonard Davis Institute held a joint policy workshop at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem that examined the effects of the Israeli-Palestinian
With the possibility that four-term Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could one day fall due to corruption investigations, and succession speculation around aging Palestinian leader Mahmoud
The renewed relationship between the Hamas leader and the former Fatah strongman, who grew up together in the Khan Younis refugee camp, proves that the key for creating change in the Palestinian
On July 2, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivered a speech at the African Union Heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa. The speech attracted little attention from Israeli or global media,
The Arab Peace Initiative (API) offers Israel normalized relations with the Arab world in exchange for reaching a peace agreement. It was first presented to Israel by the Arab League in 2002 and
In 2016, the Mitvim Institute embarked on a process of comparing the Israeli- Palestinian conflict to other protracted ethno-nationalist or religious territorial conflicts. The project was
Over the past year we have witnessed the molding of a new Middle East, in which Israel plays a significant role. The term “New Middle East” was coined by Shimon Peres who, after the Oslo Accords
The Israeli public thinks that the continuation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict significantly damages Israel’s foreign relations with the Middle East and Europe, and that the Israel-US
On 22 March 2017, the Mitvim Institute hosted Dr. Abdullah Swalha for a briefing on Jordan’s foreign policy and its relations with Israel. Dr. Swalha, founder and director of the Center for
On 13 June 2017, the Mitvim Institute and the Leonard Davis Institute for International Relations explored the extent to which the Israeli-Palestinian conflict effects Israel’s foreign relations
As President Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia drew near, the Wall Street Journal reported a new initiative originating from the Gulf states vis-a-vis Israel: Should Israel take steps to promote
US President Trump’s visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority creates expectations for a breakthrough in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. To assess the likelihood of such a breakthrough, it
The anniversary of the most important peace initiative ever put forth in Israel is marked by no celebration. Not even a small family gathering. For 15 years it has been set on the table, clear,
How did one of the world’s toughest conflicts reach a diplomatic breakthrough after 14 years of political stalemate? Why did the process then stagnate? In 1999, NATO led the largest international
Given ongoing stagnation in the peace process and the new American administration, the Mitvim Institute convened a policy-planning roundtable to discuss which steps the international community
The developments during the early months of 2017 show that the Palestinian Authority continues to prefer to express its opposition to Israeli policy through diplomatic means, including attempts
The developments during the early months of 2017 show that the Palestinian Authority (PA) continues to prefer to express its opposition to Israeli policy through diplomatic means, including
The Israeli Prime Minister and his government reacted favorably to the election of Donald Trump as the new US President. However, since Trump assumed office, questions have mounted regarding his
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 crucial point in the
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 has come to see its geo-political location in a negative light, mostly as a result from the Arab-Israeli conflict and its subsequent regional isolation. As a consequence, it has developed
There may not be a conflict-ending, two-state solution any time soon, or perhaps ever. But if there is one, John Kerry’s six principles will serve as its basis. Kerry’s six principles are an
A resolution to the Arab-Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli conflicts is a vital national interest of Israel and must be a central goal of its foreign policy. The status quo is unstable and time is
In his recent speech laying out the Obama administration’s view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Secretary of State John Kerry outlined six principles for an Israeli-Palestinian final status
The upcoming international conference regarding the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, on January 15th in Paris, comes at a time when hope for progress in the peace process is at a deep low. Add
On December 29th , 2016 the Mitvim Institute and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung hosted Dr. Karen E. Young of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington for a briefing titled “The Interventionist
Throughout 2016, analysts were wondering what – if at all – will be President Obama’s final move regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The options discussed included a presidential speech
UN Security Council Resolution 2334, adopted on December 23rd 2016, is not the first international decision against the Israeli settlements. It is aligned with previous criticisms voiced against
Azerbaijan and Armenia exited the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, putatively for a future of democracy. Twenty years later, both are on the opposite path. Over two decades of unresolved, highly
The centennial of the Balfour Declaration will be marked on November 2, 2017, and preparations in Israel and among various Jewish organizations worldwide are underway. However, on the Palestinian
It was July 3, 2016, only a few days after the security cabinet had convened in Jerusalem and approved the reconciliation agreement between Israel and Turkey. The bow of the Lady Leyla ship
Due to developments in the international diplomatic arena, as well as the information revolution, foreign relations are no longer the sole purview of government officials. Increasingly, civil
Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin, policy fellow at Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, discusses parallels between the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the longstanding conflict of
The Palestinian government recently decided to postpone local elections – that were scheduled for October 2016 – by four months, whilst limiting voting to the West Bank alone. The decision was
As US President Barack Obama’s term in office is nearing its end, he may choose to present parameters for an Israeli-Palestinian final-status agreement before departing from the White House,
A fraction of a percentage point in a referendum struck down the historic government-FARC peace deal. Israel’s pro-peace deal left must learn the lessons of a cautionary tale from Colombia. On
Like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Cyprus conflict has been a protracted, unresolved conflict for roughly five decades. The two conflicts share ethno-nationalist and territorial
The Fatah movement and the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Movement) leadership are experiencing a deep internal crisis. In 1969, Fatah leader Yassir Arafat took control of PLO institutions and
It is rare to hear any good news about conflicts de-escalating. This week, the world rallied around the implementation of a ceasefire between the notorious and shadowy FARC (Revolutionary Armed
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent visit to Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda in July 2016 was the highlight of intense diplomatic activity aimed at strengthening relations between
It is rare to hear any good news about conflicts de-escalating. This week, the world rallied around the implementation of a cease-fire between the notorious and shadowy FARC (Revolutionary Armed
Over the past two years, the Israeli discourse has frequently included terms like “an opportunity to promote regional cooperation,” or “regional initiative.” This discourse is not limited to the
Netanyahu’s recent statement that Israel “will never accept the Arab Peace Initiative as a basis for negotiations,” joins a long list of negative statements made by Israel regarding attempts by
The recent report of the Middle East Quartet, published in July 2016, recommends that Israelis and Palestinians “foster a climate of tolerance, including through increasing interaction and
The Quartet Report was widely criticized by both Israelis and Palestinians, but apart from the responses of a number Israeli and Palestinian officials, has yet to make any waves in the public
Turkey-Israel relations experienced several peaks and valleys in the last six decades, yet the dominant narrative between the two countries emphasized their shared strategic interests in the
The latest cycle of violence clearly shows the despair young Palestinians feel. This is a generation that will not follow its political leadership blindly. It loathes the existing political
In December 2013, the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union (EU) offered to upgrade the bilateral relations between Israel and the EU to the level of Special Privileged Partnership (SPP)
The Netanyahu government’s objection to France’s proposal to convene an international peace conference is not out of step with traditional Israeli foreign policy. Over the years, Israeli
Israel and Turkey have been conveying to their publics positive messages about progress in the bilateral negotiations toward a reconciliation agreement. Expectations are that a deal may be
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is mired in political paralysis that is costing lives daily. Local actors at the policy level are badly in need of fresh ideas, but few are forthcoming. In this
The recent Wall Street Journal report on the White House’s plans for reviving the stalled Middle East negotiations before President Barack Obama leaves office caught many people by surprise, for
The year 2016 doesn’t bode well for the peace process, which has been stuck for a long time. The current situation ensures that the freeze will continue. This assessment is based on three
The year 2016 doesn’t bode well for the peace process, which has been stuck for a long time. The current situation ensures that the freeze will continue. This assessment is based on three
Almost 14 years after it was first unveiled, the Arab Peace Initiative (API) still has the potential to serve as a key incentive in efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is
Turkey and Israel face a unique opportunity: to reconcile after five years of stagnant bilateral relations. We, leaders of Israeli and Turkish think tanks that have been working together since
The deep freeze in the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians has led the international community to examine new ways of acting to further clarify the character of a future two-state
As violence between Israelis and Palestinians escalated amid diplomatic stagnation, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies
The international community is currently exploring an initiative to establish an International Support Group (ISG) for the Middle East Peace Process, which is supposed to help create conditions
The stagnation in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was clearly reflected at the 2015 UN General Assembly. The speeches of Mahmoud Abbas and Benjamin Netanyahu lacked vision and hope, and
The annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, which occurs every fall, affords heads of state from across the globe the opportunity to lay out their vision and policies for the
The meeting of the Middle East Quartet, which convened in the margins of the annual debate of this year’s United Nations General Assembly, was part of an attempt to breathe new life into the
The Palestinian President has recently announced his resignation from the position of Chairman of the PLO Executive Committee. This move took place in parallel to the intensification of power
