Obama Must Choose Between Israel and the Arab World

MENASource
Jun 24, 2025

Dispatch from the Gulf: Finding middle ground amid Israel-Iran war

By
Allison Minor

Congressional delegation visit coincided with Israel and Iran squaring off in a direct military confrontation.

Iran
Israel

Obama Must Choose Between Israel and the Arab World

MENASource
Jun 18, 2025

Dispatch from Jerusalem: Inside Israel’s bunkers as Iran war erupts

By
Sarah Zaaimi

The stakes are higher as two opposing rhetorics about the region’s future are at play: Pan-Abrahamism and Revolutionary Islamism.

Civil Society
Iran

Obama Must Choose Between Israel and the Arab World

Inflection Points
Jun 14, 2025

Israel’s Iran strike provides a historic chance for Middle East realignment

By
Frederick Kempe

History will remember this moment less for the Israeli strikes themselves and more for what follows.

Iran
Israel


Israel-Hamas war

Experts from across the Atlantic Council are providing insight and analysis at speed and in depth on the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, Israel’s response, and how the emerging conflict is upending the Middle East and the world.

Programs

The N7 Initiative, a partnership between the Atlantic Council and the Jeffrey M. Talpins Foundation, seeks to broaden and deepen normalization between Israel and Arab and Muslim countries. It works with governments to produce actionable recommendations to deliver tangible benefits to their people.

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Content

New Atlanticist

Sep 23, 2011

Obama Must Choose Between Israel and the Arab World

By Rena Zuabi

On the margins of the United Nations Security Council vote on the Palestinian Authority’s bid for statehood, President Obama met with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan this week in New York to discuss the future of Turkey’s deteriorating relations with Israel. Since Israel’s attack on the Gaza Flotilla in 2010, which killed nine Turkish citizens, […]

Israel

New Atlanticist

Aug 1, 2011

India-Israel: BFFs or Fair Weather Friends?

By Shikha Bhatnagar

Earlier this month, India experienced the first significant terrorist attack within its borders since the horrific events of November 26, 2008 (“26/11”). Although no conclusive evidence of perpetrators has been found to date and clues strongly suggest homegrown elements, the news clips, blogospheres, and twitter-universe were abuzz with conjectures on what India’s actions would and […]

India
Israel

New Atlanticist

Jun 29, 2011

Diplomatic Wounds Leave Half-Healed Scars

By Barbara Slavin

Turkey and Israel are close to resolving their dispute over last year’s flotilla fiasco, but the partnership that existed between them for more than a decade will almost certainly stay submerged. As a new flotilla of ships prepared to set sail for Gaza Tuesday, Turkish and Israeli officials and analysts said that only a major […]

Israel
Turkey

New Atlanticist

Oct 29, 2009

The Goldstone Report and Israel-Palestine Peace

By Etan Schwartz

Israel articulated three main objectives when it started its offensive against the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip last winter: stop the rocket fire into southern Israel, weaken the security infrastructure of Hamas in Gaza, and restore the deterrence that it felt had been lost after enduring years of rocket attacks, as well as the kidnapping of its […]

Israel
Middle East

New Atlanticist

Oct 23, 2009

Obama and Israel: Different Middle East Peace Strategies

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Unless former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, President Obama’s special Middle Eastern envoy, is prepared to commute by government executive jet for the next five to 10 years, this isn’t a bad time to turn in his badge. Moshe Ya’alon, Israel’s vice prime minister and minister for strategic affairs in Israel’s 32nd government, talked his way […]

Israel

New Atlanticist

May 3, 2009

Israel and the Iranian Nuclear Threat

By Don Snow

I attended a panel discussion Friday in which the topic of Iran’s nuclear program came up. The two principal commentators on the subject were the dean emeritus of the Center for Naval Warfare Studies (Dr. Robert S. Wood) and a retired U.S. Navy admiral, William Pendley, who has had direct experience by virtue of being […]

Iran
Israel

New Atlanticist

Mar 10, 2009

The Lieberman Question

By James Joyner

Several Haaretz correspondents worry that the expected appointment of hardliner Avigdor Lieberman as foreign minister in a coalition government led by Bijamin Netanyahu would harm Israel’s relationship with the United States.

Israel

New Atlanticist

Feb 11, 2009

Israeli Election: Netanyahu Loses, Right Wins

By James Joyner

While Binyamin Netanyahu and his Likud Party had a much poorer showing than expected, with Tzipi Livini’s Kadima Party apparently winning more seats, all indications are that Israel’s next government will be more nationalistic and strident than the current one.

Israel

New Atlanticist

Jan 12, 2009

The Crisis Beyond Gaza

By Don Snow

The Israeli assault against Gaza grinds on. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has put dusty boots on the ground (it doesn’t rain enough for them to be muddy), and the bombing and shelling by both sides continue. Civilians, as is usually the case in this part of the world, bear the brunt of the suffering. […]

Israel
Middle East

New Atlanticist

Jan 9, 2009

Can Israel Win?

By James Joyner

Time‘s Tim McGirk asks, “Can Israel Survive its Assault on Gaza?”  While rather hyperbolically phrased, it’s a good question.

Israel
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Experts

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Marcy Grossman

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Economy & Business Israel

Fellow

Shalom Lipner

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Crisis Management English

Staff

Jonathan Panikoff

Director, Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Economy & Business Financial Regulation

Fellow

Alex Plitsas

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Afghanistan Crisis Management

Fellow

Daniel E. Mouton

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Fellow

Jonathan R. Cohen

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Greece Iraq
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