The Impact of the Occupation on Israel’s Foreign Relations
The UN General Assembly’s decision to seek the opinion of the International Court of Justice in The Hague on whether the Israeli occupation is permanent or temporary should not surprise
Foreign Service Closing-Out Sale: Gilad Erdan’s Dual Appointment to UN and Washington
The tumult over the installation of Israel’s 35th government and the division of 36 ministerial and 16 deputy ministerial portfolios drowned out news of Gilad Erdan’s dual diplomatic appointment.
The UN’s Call for a Global Ceasefire: Can It Help Advance Israeli-Palestinian Peace?
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
Forget the East-Med Pipeline: Advantages of Alternative Options to Transport the Easter Mediterranean Gas
In recent years, Israel, Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus, Greece and Italy promoted the idea of constructing a long pipeline to transfer gas from Israel and Cyprus to Europe. It
The World Can Overcome the Coronavirus Crisis by Working Together
Humankind is facing yet another crisis. The Coronavirus pandemic has stopped the world as we knew it. We are living through growing uncertainty about tomorrow, fear and anxiety about death. What
Gaza Helps Israel and Qatar Find Common Ground
According to Israeli media reports, the heads of the Mossad and of the IDF’s southern command secretly visited Qatar in early February. The visit validates comments made to me by a Qatari senior
Qatar’s friendship is good for Israel
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
Positive signs in Israel-Egypt relations
Since President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi’s rise to power in 2014, Israeli-Egyptian ties have been marked by defense-strategic cooperation, based on the shared perception of Iran and radical Islamist
Coronavirus Outbreak: An Important Test for Globalization
The quick-fire coronavirus spread and the response of different countries to it, not only highlight immediate concerns about public health, but also have a significant impact on the evolving
Attacking the EU for Domestic Political Gains is Wrong
No one in Israel was particularly surprised when the EU’s new foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned that Israeli annexation of territories would not go “unchallenged”. Foreign Minister Israel
The Solution to Gaza is a Diplomatic One
So, what do we do about Gaza? Every new round of violence generates a marathon of media interviews with the usual suspects mouthing the usual platitudes – Israel must rehabilitate its deterrence,
Gas forum a diplomatic opportunity for Israel
A new international organization was born in the Mediterranean on January 15. In parallel to the joint statement by the Israeli and Egyptian energy ministers on the start of Israeli gas exports
Trends in Israel’s Regional Foreign Policies, Vol. 4
This document 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 in the
Academia is also turning its back on peace
Tel Aviv University has decided to close its Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research. Two reasons led to the closure, according to the university and the donor family: the fact that the subject
International Responses to Annexation: Lessons for Israel from Other Conflicts
Over the last decade, Israel has accelerated a long-term process of annexation in the West Bank through legal, political, physical and rhetorical steps that are both explicit, and increasingly
The Palestinian Foreign Service at a Time of Diplomatic Freeze
The annual commemoration of the UN’s vote on 29 November 1947 for the partition plan provides an opportunity for the Palestinian Foreign Service and the Palestinian President to shine a global
The Democracy Component in Israel’s Relations with Arab State
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
House Demolitions in Sur Baher: Out of Jerusalem, Inside the Fence
The route of the Separation Fence/Wall/Barrier in the area of Jerusalem generally follows the city’s municipal boundaries, separating East Jerusalem’s Palestinian neighborhoods from the West
Lessons from the Peace Process between Ethiopia and Eritrea
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 Perils of Netanyahu’s “Monarchic Diplomacy”
Prime Minister Netanyahu used foreign policy as major theme in the 2019 election campaign. Giant billboards depicted him standing alongside President Trump. His aides pointed to his diplomatic
Netanyahu and the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH)
On Janury 28, 2019, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he was terminating the mandate of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH), an observer force established in
A Better Way for the International Community to Benefit the People of Gaza
The situation in Gaza is horrific. Actually, worse than that. Gazans have been deprived of electricity, water, jobs and salaries; they were stripped off their self-respect and parental authority,
Regional Opportunities to Improve the Situation in Gaza
Israeli and Palestinian experts and activists – together with international diplomats – gathered on 31 October 2018 at the UN Headquarters in Jerusalem for a civil society roundtable discussion
Holocaust Studies in Morocco?
Einat Levi in the Morocco World News
Israel’s Renewed Affair with Oman
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 Quest for a Long-Term Ceasefire in the Gaza Strip
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,
Why Israel Needs a Strong Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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 Oslo Agreement was Assassinated with Rabin
Surprisingly for what is considered a failed peace treaty, the 25th anniversary of the Oslo Agreement received significant media coverage. Most of it, as can be expected, was onesided,
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
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
The Israel-Turkey Crisis and the Need for Containment
The evolving crisis between Israel and Turkey has yet to lead to an official downgrade of official ties between both countries. However, it raises a warning sign against such a development, which
The New Israeli Illusion: Peace with the Arab World, Without the Palestinians
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,
Post Iran Deal: Israel and the Post-American Era
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 Embassies in Jerusalem and Past Attempts to Relocate the U.S. Embassy
From the 1950s onwards, Israel invested much effort in convincing states to open embassies in Jerusalem. Until 1962, the U.S. actively opposed this Israeli policy, advising countries to refrain
Israel and the Abbas Peace Plan
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
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
The Collapse of the Israeli Foreign Service
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
Can China Contribute to Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking?
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
Voting Patterns in UN Institutions Regarding Israel, 2009-2017
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
An Outward-Looking Israeli Foreign Policy
Israeli foreign policy should shift from contrarianism to integration, and work toward a more committed role in international institutions and increased share in foreign and humanitarian aid. The
Israel Should Deal with Criticism Better
Israel finds it hard to deal with criticism. Everyone does. It is especially hard when someone else points out the sides of you that you do not like and do your best to conceal. Israel does not
The Future of Palestinian Diplomatic Activism in the Trump Era
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
An Assessment of John Kerry’s Two-State Resurrection Endeavor
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 Pro-Peace Israeli Foreign Policy
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
The UN Security Council Resolution on Israeli Settlement
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
Turkish-Israeli Relations: Crises and Cooperation
Several factors have always played an important role in Turkish-Israeli relations since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1949. First of all, both countries have been in the
The benefits of ‘Obama parameters’
US President Barack Obama is already in his final 100 days in office. When president Bill Clinton was in a similar situation, in the year 2000, he chose to present his parameters for the
Possible Benefits of American Parameters for the Two-State Solution
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,
The Israeli return to Africa
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
Assessing the Quartet Recommendation to Increase Interaction and Cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians
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
An opportunity for the Obama parameters
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 Way Forward in Israeli-Palestinian Relations
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
Israel and a possible International Support Group for the Middle East Peace Process
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 2015 UN General Assembly and the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process: Commentary & Analysis
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
A Prophet of the Apocalypse
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
Revitalizing the Middle East Quartet?
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
Israeli Foreign Policy and the Modern Diplomacy of the 21st Century
Israeli foreign policy must adapt to become compatible with the modern diplomacy of the 21st century. It must recognize the increasing role of new actors in the diplomatic sphere and create
Turkey: The almost mediator state
Most analysts today consider Ahmet Davutoğlu’s “zero problems with neighbors” strategy a failure, and typically cite Turkey’s decision to lend its support to the Muslim Brotherhood during the
The Next Steps toward Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
In the immediate aftermath of Israel’s recent elections and the formation of its 34th government, and not long after a period of conflict with Gaza and heightened tensions amongst Israel’s Arab
The Election Results and Israel’s Foreign Relations
The right-wing victory in the Israeli election is likely to have significant impact on Israel’s foreign policy, specifically on ties with the US and the Palestinians. Statements made in the
A hard-right Israeli coalition would dog ties with US for years
Following Benjamin Netanyahu’s surprise landslide victory in the Israeli general election, the new question that has swept the national scene is how the incumbent Prime Minister will compose his
Kosovo and its Relationship with Israel
In February 2015, Dr. Enver Hoxhaj, a Member of the Parliament of the Republic of Kosovo, Chairman of the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and Kosovo’s former Foreign Minister, visited
US Vetoes on UN Security Council Resolutions Dealing with the Israeli-Arab Conflict
Abbas Is on His Way to the UN Again
A week after he was attacked in Ramallah, Israeli reporter Avi Issacharoff was invited by President Abbas to his office to condemn the attack and grant him an exclusive interview. Among the
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
Palestine’s Plan for when Peace Talks Fail
Despite the unshakable and quixotic optimism of John Kerry’s Middle East negotiating team, the prevailing prognosis in Jerusalem and Ramallah is that even an attempt to implement an interim
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
The Putin Doctrine
For more than a decade — after he replaced Boris Yeltsin in the Kremlin and even during the time he had to serve as prime minister under his protege, Dmitry Medvedev — Russian President Vladimir
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
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
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
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
Continuing on the Path to Statehood: The Palestinians Following their Septmember 2011 UN Bid
Mitvim representatives participated in meetings with a series of key Palestinian figures from Ramallah and Nablus. The meetings focused on the implications of the Palestinian UN statehood bid of
