Inside the Octopus: Unraveling Iran’s terrorist Quds Force
This was not how the Quds Force, the elite division of the elite Revolutionary Guards Corps responsible for overseas operations, envisioned celebrating its third decade of existence. The string of attempted attacks last month which targeted Israelis in India, Thailand and Georgia exacted a greater cost than it derived benefit, but it also signaled to Israel and the world that the Iranian threat is not limited to missiles. The threat is everywhere.
The Global March to Jerusalem: Part of the International Campaign to Delegitimize Israel
In January 2012, the European Preparatory Committee for the Global March to Jerusalem announced marches to Jerusalem “or the nearest point to it” on March 30, to coincide with the annual Palestinian “Land Day.” Marches are planned in Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria.
The Dispute over Iranian Intentions
The meaning of what they were saying, he warned, “was pretty clear.”
Abbas’ Temple Denial
These rights were well known to the generation of Abba Eban and Chaim Herzog, but unfortunately they have been forgotten in the recent past – at a time when they have become more relevant for the defense of Israel than ever.
Looking Back on the Demjanjuk Trial in Munich*
In Munich, the seventeen-month trial of ninety-year-old Ivan (John) Demjanjuk, which may have been one of the last trials dealing with Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich, ended with Demjanjuk’s conviction in May 2011. This trial was a novelty, marking one of the first times in German legal history that a non-German national had to stand trial for the murder, during the Third Reich, of non-German nationals that took place outside of Germany proper.
Can Sanctions Stop Iran?
In the months ahead, Iran is likely to test the extent of the West’s commitment to the sanctions it is now proposing.
Russia, China Let Syrians Bleed
For Israel, the ineffectiveness of the U.N. Security Council in the Syrian crisis has underscored the continuing relevance of the political traditions established by Israel’s founders, especially the idea that its security must be based on its ability to defend itself by itself, and not on any international guarantees through bodies like the U.N.
Running Out of Excuses
For the negotiations in Jordan to have any chance, the Palestinians will have to engage their Israeli counterparts seriously and consider new ideas rather than just recite new excuses for abandoning talks.
The Iranian Navy, the Strait of Hormuz, and Beyond
Iran has been seeking to establish itself as the hegemonial power in the Middle East.
A Special Case? Direct Swiss Democracy, the European Debate on Islam, and the Diminishing Political Stature of Swiss Jewry
No. 115, 1 February 2012/ 7 Shevat, 5772 For some time now Switzerland has been at the forefront of the European debate on Islam, Islamism, and Islamization. The country is thereby abandoning its traditional approach of safeguarding its neutrality, staying on the sidelines of any major European conflict, and keeping out of the respective great […]
Can Iran Close the Strait of Hormuz?
But both sides are building up their capabilities for the future should a naval conflict break out.
‘Israel doesn’t have to face Iran on its own,’ says French envoy
Earlier this week, the EU voted to impose an unprecedented embargo on Iranian oil. This was not an easy task. For Greece and Spain, this marked a significant concession. France was one of the countries that worked tirelessly to win the agreement of the 27 EU partners. In recent years, France has been among the leaders in pushing a militant stance against the Iranian nuclear program. Still, sanctions are one thing, but talk of military action is another.
Iran: The Syrian Highway in the Fight Against Israel Is Still Open
The wave of protest in Syria has put to the test the strategic alliance between Iran (and Hizbullah) and Bashar Assad’s regime. Syria is the main state component of the “resistance camp” and serves as a logistical hinterland for Hizbullah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Iran sees its unequivocal backing for Syria as a demonstration of its ability to stay loyal to its allies despite the regional turmoil.
The Risk of Talking to Terrorists
But these are unlikely to be the conditions for talks with the Taliban, which will heavily influence their chances of success.
Assad’s Alawi Allies
They also could explain why Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz told the Knesset Foreign and Defense Committee this week that Israel must prepare for a wave of Alawi refugees who might seek refuge in Israel as the conflict continues in Syria.
