Israel Project

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 […]

A Middle East Agenda for Hillary Clinton

By Nabeel Khoury

As Hillary Clinton emerges as the presumptive Democratic nominee for the 2016 presidential elections after an endorsement by rival Bernie Sanders, challenges loom ahead, both as policy issues and as strategies that need to be planned for when a potential presidential term begins.

Turkey-Israel Rapprochement: Business as Usual

By MENASource

On June 26, Turkey and Israel announced the end of a diplomatic row reached a head in 2010, after eight Turks and a Turkish-American citizen were killed on an aid flotilla, the Mavi Marmara, bound for Gaza. Soon after the incident, Turkey withdrew its ambassador from Israel, and within six months had expelled the Israeli […]

The Politics of Israel: Hold on for a Bumpy Ride

By Richard LeBaron

While Americans observed the Memorial Day holiday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conceded to demands by his education minister (and former chief of staff) Naftali Bennett that cleared the way for the approval of Avigdor Lieberman as defense minister. Bennett has long wanted better access to information reserved for Israel’s security cabinet, but his willingness […]

Give (Arab) Peace (Initiative) a Chance

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Deal would elevate Arab-Israeli cooperation to take on challenges posed by ISIS, Iran, says Atlantic Council’s Bilal Y. Saab In the absence of a credible Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, Gulf Arab states and Israel will find it hard to elevate their security cooperation to deal with the threats posed by Iran and the Islamic State of […]