Israel Project

Trump’s ‘Pretty Serious Mistake’ in the Middle East

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital does not advance the interests of the United States or the region, said James Cunningham, a former US ambassador to Israel US President Donald J. Trump’s decision to reverse almost seven decades of US policy and recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is “potentially, a pretty serious mistake,” […]

Fifty Years On, a Defeat at Israel’s Hands Haunts Egyptian Military Veterans

By Farid Farid

Staggering and confused from the heat and the rapid capitulation of the Egyptian army during the short lived Six Day War, Ibrahim El Sayed was dumbfounded when the Israeli soldier who was to capture him as a prisoner of war spoke to him flawlessly in an Egyptian Arabic accent.

Pipeline Diplomacy in the Eastern Mediterranean

By Firas Maksad and Jean-François Seznec

A creative solution to a quarrel over maritime borders could serve the interests of Lebanon and Israel Recent oil and gas developments in the eastern Mediterranean have brought back into the spotlight the issue of an ongoing maritime border dispute between Israel and Lebanon that has created uncertainty among prospective foreign investors over the potential […]

Arab Leaders Try to Get Trump’s Attention

By Shehab al-Makahleh

Eager to unlock the door to US-Arab cooperation on tackling regional issues following decades of disappointment with Washington’s lack of understanding of their concerns, three Arab leaders are engaging US President Donald Trump’s new administration over the next month. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met Trump at the White House on April 3; Jordan’s King […]

Lessons from a Regional Approach to Solving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

By Richard LeBaron

Towards the end of their press conference on February 15, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald J. Trump hinted at their evolving strategy to solve the Israel-Palestine conflict and broader Arab-Israeli differences through a regional approach.  Netanyahu: And I believe that the great opportunity for peace comes from a regional approach from […]

Trump Has Tweeted Himself into a Red Line, Says Lindsey Graham

In order to end the war on terror and attain a lasting peace in the Middle East, as well as protect US security interests, Donald Trump’s administration must invest in long-term solutions, or face the consequences down the road, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on January 10. “To protect what we have here, we have […]

Trump Must Reassure Israel, Gulf Partners Over Iran, says Retired Gen. David H. Petraeus

By Ashish Kumar Sen

This is Part 1 of a two-part interview. As the next president of the United States, Donald Trump should reassure both Arab Gulf partners and Israel of a US commitment to address the threat posed by Iran, said retired Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, a former director of the CIA who serves on the Atlantic […]

The Reality of Israel-Egypt Relations

By Moran Stern

While Israeli-Egyptian relations can be best described as “cold peace,” the security establishments in both countries have, in fact, developed impressive levels of cooperation in recent years. The outbreak of the so-called Arab Spring and the Egyptian revolution (or revolutions) that followed it have contributed to even closer relations between the states’ leaderships.

Shimon Peres: RIP

By Frederic C. Hof

Although age and infirmity had already curtailed the impact of Shimon Peres on Israel and its neighbors, his passing nevertheless measures high on the Richter scale of Israeli and regional affairs. For decades he represented his country and its citizens with great skill and impressive finesse. Yet the polish and sophistication he projected masked underlying toughness […]