Hizballah in Lebanon: The War Was Not Supposed to End This Way
Israel is not better off strategically than it was at the beginning of the war; this in itself is a Hizballah victory. Israel must prepare to win the next round decisively. The IDF knew that Hizballah could not be defeated without a major ground operation: its plan did not fail – it was never implemented.
Hamas’ Determination to Perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: The Critical Role of Hate Indoctrination
Prospects for peace in the Middle East have been dealt an enormous blow by the election triumph of Hamas in January 2006. Palestinian education, television shows, websites, and even families are all being mobilized in an intensified environment of agitated hatred toward Israel and Israelis.
Russia, Iran, and the Nuclear Question: The Putin Record
Vladimir Putin inherited a strong Russian-Iranian relationship from his predecessor Boris Yeltsin. Russia under Yeltsin made major arms agreements with Iran, selling Tehran jet planes, tanks, and submarines, and also began building a nuclear reactor for Iran at Bushehr. The two countries also cooperated on regional issues such as Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
Next Steps in Arab-Israeli Peacemaking
The U.S. military victory in Iraq did at first create a more congenial atmosphere among Palestinians for peace with Israel. However, the present situation in Iraq, as well as Iran and Muslim fundamentalism in general, have caused matters to move in the opposite direction. The Palestinians are further away from a spirit of reconciliation and compromise than ever before.
Understanding the Direction of the New Hamas Government: Between Tactical Pragmatism and Al-Qaeda Jihadism
Hamas has reaped the fruits of the "Green Revolution" that it led in recent years to win many local authority elections, obtain a stable majority in the Palestinian parliament, and take decisive control of executive authority. Hamas’ tactical agreement to play by the democratic rules was a Trojan horse.
U.S. Policy at a Crossroads: The Relevance of the Roadmap in the Aftermath of the Hamas Victory
Mideast policy has been dictated by the Quartet-sponsored Performance-Based Roadmap, which was based on guidelines outlined by President Bush on June 24, 2002. A careful analysis of President Bush’s speech, along with meticulous adherence to the Roadmap, might actually lead the way to a clearer policy toward Hamas.
Is Palestinian Statehood Still a Valid Option?
The cornerstone of Hamas’ program, its very raison-d’etre, is the destruction of Israel, replacing it with an Islamist, fundamentalist, intolerant state reaching from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River and beyond. The dominant theme of all their statements includes no territorial compromise – no peace even if Israel were to hand over all the territories and eastern Jerusalem; at most, some sort of temporary armistice (hudna).
First Do No Harm: A Critique of the Human Security Approach to Arms Control
When the President of Iran calls for "wiping Israel off the map," while his country provides weapons and training to terror groups, and the International Atomic Energy Agency officially declares that it is in violation of its commitments under the Non-Proliferation Treaty prohibiting the development of nuclear weapons, what can the advocates of human security and multilateral disarmament offer in response?
Al-Qaeda, Zarqawi, and Israel: Is There a New Jihadi Threat Destabilizing the Eastern Front?
For the first time, Israeli defense experts are noting that groups identifying with al-Qaeda – or the global jihad – are determined to acquire operational footholds close to Israel’s borders. The most dramatic sign was the announcement of "al-Qaeda Mesopotamia" – the organization led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi – that it fired four Katyusha rockets from Lebanon on December 27, 2005, that struck northern Israel.
Will the Next Generation of Palestinians Make Peace with Israel?
A peace agreement can only successfully end a conflict if it enjoys underlying, wide-ranging support from its respective populations. In particular, past efforts to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace have failed to deal with, or even acknowledge, the deep-seated psychological mechanisms of partisanship that are endemic in Palestinian culture.
Ahmadinejad Calls for Israel’s Elimination and Declares War on the West: A Case Study of Incitement to Genocide
Iranian President Ahmadinejad’s call for the elimination of Israel led to many condemnations, including from the UN Security Council and the European Union. This censure – though only verbal – differed from the usual Western silence concerning genocidal statements of Iranian leaders in previous years. Possible explanations for the West’s reaction include opposition to Iran’s nuclear program and Iran’s support for terrorism in Iraq.
The ICJ Opinion on the Separation Barrier: Designating the Entire West Bank as “Palestinian Territory”
The International Court of Justice in The Hague (ICJ) in its advisory opinion on the legality of Israel’s separation barrier uncritically adopted the UN General Assembly phrase "Palestinian territories" as applying to all the territories. The UN General Assembly is a political body. It is not a global legislature that creates international law through its resolutions.
After the London Bombings: Blair’s Israeli-Palestinian Detour from the Real Root Causes of Terrorism
Looking to explain to the British public the "deep roots" of the July 7, 2005, terrorist attacks on London, Prime Minister Tony Blair pointed to the underlying causes of the violence including the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Clearly, Israel is one of many international grievances cited in the Islamic world today, but the purported link between the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the rage of al-Qaeda and its supporters is patently groundless.
Democratic Universality and Its Adversaries
Judaism and Christianity emphasize man’s freedom to act morally. Their legacy provides a foundation of thought which effectively supports the proposition that democracy is for all, although it may require an extended time-frame. Some European elitists consider democracy to be the enemy of excellence, with the leveling effects of egalitarianism destroying genuine diversity and strengthening the weak.
The EU Constitutional Crisis and Its Impact on Israel
The rejection of the proposed European Union constitution in France and the Netherlands has weakened Europe’s overall status and may influence Europe’s role in the Middle East. While past EU policies have been heavily biased against Israel, as it enters a period of disarray, EU policies may become structurally less threatening to Israel. For many years, France has been the driving force behind anti-Israel political attitudes in the EU.
