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Alex Fishman
Israel's Jordanian blind spot
Opinion: While Jerusalem is doing all in its power to sabotage Iran's efforts in the region, its complacency and hubris regarding the recent upheaval in Jordan serves to erode one of the most important cornerstones of Israeli security
(23:40 ,04/18/21)
Gaza power plan could electrify Mideast peace efforts
Analysis: The immense project to convert plant to modern standards and supply Hamas-run enclave with Israeli gas is becoming reality, thanks to unprecedented coordination between Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Hamas, PA and Quartet
(18:19 ,10/30/20)
Israel's leaders have to make tough choices on the virus
Opinion: Once the IDF takes control of the fight against COVID-19, the political echelon must impose a lockdown to help its efforts to stem spread of the virus, but that could put it in public's crosshairs
(22:14 ,09/06/20)
Hamas eyes another Israel fight as Gaza teeters on brink of collapse
Opinion: Terror group's leader Yahya Sinwar is preparing for fresh aggression in bid for political dominance ahead of October vote, even though coastal enclave is under total coronavirus lockdown and on cusp of economic and health disaster
(23:30 ,09/02/20)
Israel's latest round of fighting with Hezbollah isn't over
Opinion: Despite civil unrest in Lebanon and the erosion of the organization's credibility with the Lebanese public, Hezbollah will not let up its attacks against Israel until Nasrallah gets what he wants - at least one Israeli casualty
(23:50 ,08/27/20)
UAE agreement could usher in a new golden age for Israel
Opinion: The new accord with the United Arab Emirates will not only allow Israel to keep an eye on the Iranian threat in its own land, but it will also serve to open the door to treaties with other Gulf states and even the Palestinians
(23:39 ,08/16/20)
Keep the Shin Bet out of Israelis' lives
Opinion: The security service's chief has urged ministers to find a solution to need to track people exposed to COVID-19; the state must guarantee that this happens, for the agency must never be seen to interfere in civilian life
(23:53 ,06/23/20)
IDF is bracing for violence after West Bank annexation
Opinion: It is a mistake to believe that the Palestinian population is indifferent to Israel's looming plans for swathes of the territory and the military is preparing for different levels of conflict, from another civil uprising (intifada) or all-out war
(23:30 ,05/27/20)
Lifting the fog on the Israel-Iran cyber war
Analysis: If reports are to be believed, Iran's recent attempted attack on Israeli water infrastructure was retaliation for IDF strikes against Iranian interests in Syria, and Pompeo's sudden dash to Jerusalem only serves to reinforce this claim
(23:57 ,05/20/20)
Netanyahu lays first down payment for West Bank annexation
Opinion: PM pledges to give colossal loans out of Israeli taxpayer money to financially struggling Palestinian Authority in order to buy peaceful annexation; whether move works out or not, Gantz will share either the glory or the blame
(23:59 ,05/14/20)
Stop boasting, Iran has not left Syria
Opinion: Iran is reducing its activity in Syria to avoid severe Israeli attacks on its bases and on the Syrian areal defenses but will wait for the U.S. elections before it decides its strategy going forward
(14:28 ,05/06/20)
Israel's fight with Iran knows no coronavirus crisis
Analysis: With war-torn Syria further weakened by the epidemic, Tehran scrambling to reassert regional power and Moscow struggling to justify its investment in Assad, Jerusalem sees now is the time for decisive action
(23:05 ,05/08/20)
Coronavirus in Gaza is both a threat and an opportunity for Israel
Opinion: Although the northern border appears to pose no threat right now, in the Hamas-controlled enclave a massive COVID-19 outbreak might result in another cross-border flare-up, as the militants who rule the Strip grow wrathful at the lack of medical assistance
(23:29 ,03/29/20)
Gaza escalation was about bodies not bombs
Analysis: The IDF has claimed that the flare-up was because an Islamic Jihad militant was killed but the sight of his corpse being dragged away by a bulldozer incensed the street in Gaza; and if Israel does not realize this, it will all happen again
(23:46 ,02/25/20)
Iranian smoke and Palestinian mirrors
Opinion: Bennett and Netanyahu's election propaganda oversells Israel's might and splendor while underestimating its enemies, but this is the exact same kind of ominous hubris that plagued the country immediately before some of its biggest misfortunes
(23:38 ,02/20/20)
There could be trouble brewing for Israel in Syria
Analysis: Putin is tolerating Israeli military action across its northern border for now, but if the Russian president listens to his advisers who are less happy with IDF operations as it strives to bring stability to this war-torn country, Jerusalem could find itself on the wrong end of Moscow's ire
(23:40 ,02/21/20)
Israel's real military deterrence is its missiles
Analysis: Amid rising tensions with Iran and ongoing rumors about its experimental new missile, Israel has recently conducted test launches of its own to show that it is ready to face any future attacks and preserve its status as 'an unbeatable country'
(09:25 ,12/09/19)
IDF policy on Gaza could give rise to a more powerful enemy
Opinion: Even though we've experienced relative peace, that doesn't mean Hamas suddenly decided to change its policies regarding Israel, it could be nothing more than quiet before a very big storm
(00:41 ,11/28/19)
Gaza's Hamas rulers must choose between Iran and their own people
Opinion: Iranian financial and military aid to the terror group comes with strings attached that increase the strength of the Islamic Jihad and threaten improvements to the lives of Gazans through international investments
(23:56 ,11/23/19)
Killing Islamic Jihad commander was a calculated risk
Analysis: Unrestrained rogue element Baha Abu al-Ata was a guiding hand in previous - and future - attacks on Israel, and although it seemed necessary to cut off that particular head of the snake, the long-term ramifications could be dire
(18:34 ,11/15/19)
Words won't stop Iran, actions will
Opinion: The Islamic Republic has rebooted its efforts to obtain nuclear capabilities, but the government deadlock in Israel prevents the political echelons from making crucial decisions about these developments
(23:14 ,11/08/19)
An election season of Gaza violence
Analysis: As elections loom in both the Palestinian territories and Israel, politicians on both sides engage in populist moves, which could well lead to a military confrontation in the Hamas-run enclave
(23:31 ,11/05/19)
Electoral deadlock distracts Israel from growing threat in Gaza
Opinion: Israel is in the middle of a political impasse after two gruesome and inciteful election campaigns, but meanwhile, rising tensions in the Palestinian enclave are threatening to boil over and catch the country off guard
(23:59 ,09/25/19)
Hezbollah's missile misstep could ignite the Israel-Lebanon border
Analysis: The Iranian-backed terror group's failed attempt to strike Israeli soldiers is such a great blow to its ego that it might force it and its leader to make a regrettable error
(23:57 ,09/02/19)
Israel's new strategy just slapped Hezbollah across the face
Opinion: Israel is taking advantage of Nasrallah's vulnerabilities by challenging Lebanon to contain the Iran-backed organization or pay in either military strikes or natural gas revenue
(23:28 ,08/27/19)
Israel is taking Hezbollah seriously
Analysis: Hassan Nasrallah has threatened action against Israel that could come from either of its northern neighbors, and in Jerusalem they are wondering if Iran's patience is running out after dozens of unimpeded IDF attacks on its assets
(23:50 ,08/26/19)
Netanyahu's Gaza illusion
Opinion: There are solutions for the situation on the Gaza border and the IDF has presented them to the government, but they will have to wait for after the elections since the prime minister is avoiding escalation at all costs
(23:28 ,08/20/19)
Israel's clarion call on nuclear Iran
Analysis: With Trump pulling out of the 2015 deal, European leaders are unable to demand complete Iranian compliance and consider Tehran's violations mere tactical moves to force negotiations; meanwhile, Jerusalem is preparing its options to stop the Islamic Republic from going atomic
(22:33 ,07/08/19)
Israel's free rein in Syrian skies to go after Iran
Opinion: As long as interests are aligned and understandings reached, actors in the Syrian arena stay out of each other's way, but that may not always be the case, so Jerusalem should choose its opportunities wisely
(12:44 ,07/02/19)
Our extortion arrangement with Hamas
Opinion: Israel might think its strong, but Gaza Strip leaders know we're as squeezable as ever, especially as elections near yet again; a strong country would have sent Hamas soul searching, with no gas or fishing perimeter, until they realize they have to stop the firebombs and explosives
(23:44 ,06/30/19)
Russia has unexpected message for Iran on Syria
Opinion: The fight over control of strategic assets in Syria has gone up a notch after Russia expels pro-Iranian militias from Tartus port, ahead of Russian-American-Israeli summit over future of Syria and recognition of the regime by US, Israel in exchange for restricting Iranian activity in the country
(23:15 ,06/04/19)
Israel's civilian military dictatorship
Opinion: Thanks to a prolonged election season, the cabinet is a rubber stamp and the Knesset is dissolved, leaving just Netanyahu – who is both prime minister and defense minister – making decisions regarding army operations
(23:12 ,06/03/19)
A U.S.-Iran confrontation will inevitably include Israel
Analysis: There are four likely scenarios in which the Jewish state will find itself under attack by Tehran and/or its proxies, and Israeli defense establishment is not taking the threat lightly
(23:05 ,05/15/19)
Iran's nuclear standoff has left it in a bind
Analysis: Tehran's 60-day ultimatum to Europe, China and Russia to renegotiate the 2015 agreement brokered by Obama and rejected by Trump could leave the Islamic Republic with no option but to go cap in hand to the Americans, unless the ayatollahs are playing a more dangerous game
(23:22 ,05/13/19)
The real Gaza showdown is just around the corner
Opinion: Israeli leadership trying to end this round of violence at least until summer, but events will be dictated by casualty numbers; and while Netanyahu may fold now, Hamas will be expected to pay the price sooner or later
(10:36 ,05/05/19)
Israel should prepare for the day China will rule the Middle East
Opinion: Israeli government has so far been dangerously indifferent to Chinese plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Syria over the next 30 years, effectively cementing their presence in the war-battered, neighboring state
(01:24 ,04/30/19)
Escape of the Gaza elites
Opinion: The Gaza Strip is facing a future without its strongest members. Under Hamas, life is just too hard. 40% of youth say they would like to leave many of them never to return.
(23:02 ,04/15/19)
The Gaza time bomb is still ticking
Analysis: The way ahead for Israel and Hamas is clear, with a plan to incrementally improve the situation on the ground; it is impossible to say whether it will work, but the terror group has been told it is now answerable to Egypt for any further 'mistaken' rocket launches and the IDF is acting with restraint
(20:24 ,03/31/19)
The Gaza agreement for calm is coming
Analysis: After telling Sinwar that they will not save him from Israeli airstrikes, the Egyptian general brokering a calm period is heading back to the Strip with a memorandum of understanding in hand that will lead to a long period of quiet
(14:05 ,03/27/19)
IDF playing the same old game in Gaza
Analysis: With elections, Eurovision and Passover looming, the army has a limited timeframe for its current operation against Hamas; so instead of taking a bold step to change the situation on the ground, it finds itself trying to achieve limited goals that look good in pictures
(11:01 ,03/26/19)
Bracing for Gaza’s ‘million man march’
Analysis: The West Bank is at a boiling point, the Palestinian economy is weak and the motivation for terror attacks high, and now Hamas is planning its biggest demonstration ever to mark the anniversary of the ‘March of Return’; Israel fears events may spin out of control with dozens of casualties and a possible military confrontation
(23:35 ,03/21/19)
Israel will turn a blind eye to rocket mishaps if it signals Hamas distress
Analysis: Jerusalem is watching as the people of Gaza rise up against the terror group that has ruled them for more than a decade, and is willing to accept a spurious claim of a technical mishap it means pressure on Hamas
(23:30 ,03/18/19)
Gaza negotiations are futile; conflict is inevitable
Opinion: The clock is ticking toward another military confrontation in Gaza as militants demand cash and generous economic concessions but are not willing to offer Israel any concrete guarantees regarding security and the Israelis being held hostage in the Strip.
(14:24 ,03/22/19)
Islamic Jihad is the real threat from Gaza
While Israel is busy negotiating ways to calm tensions in the coastal enclave, it would do well to pay attention to the organization that does not listen to Hamas and is only trying to make the situation worse.
(04:17 ,03/08/19)
Starving the Palestinians of money will cost Israel dearly
Opinion: The government in Jerusalem should be able to see the end result of the decision to withhold tax refunds from the PA; it's not like they haven’t been through this exercise in futility before.
(20:37 ,02/18/19)
Israel must stop dancing to Hamas' tune
Opinion: Israel's security bodies keep warning about the chaos that would hit Gaza should Hamas' regime fall, while in fact this so-called status quo is a fancy euphemism for Israel's surrender to the terror organization's terms.
(23:31 ,02/11/19)
How Iran walked into Israel's trap
Opinion: Just like last May, the IDF set up the Iranians in Syria with a well-laid plan to take out their military installations, but while it celebrates this achievement, it should also beware of unforeseen consequences.
(23:27 ,01/22/19)
By breaking its ambiguity on Syria, Israel backed its enemies into a corner
Opinion: When Netanyahu and Eisenkot decided to end Israel's plausible deniability regarding its airstrikes in Syria, they damaged the country's deterrence, and there is no knowing how all of this will blow up in our faces.
(23:25 ,01/14/19)
Hamas knows election time is the ideal time to extort Israel
Analysis: After the stormy weather settles down, chiefs of staff change, and Israel elects its new prime minister, the security situation in Gaza will remain as it is now—unstable.
(00:00 ,01/12/19)
Failing to deal with West Bank violence is a boon for Hamas
Op-ed: Sunday's shooting attack in Ofra was another piece of the increasingly violent puzzle of the West Bank. But with the Israeli government failing to act and the PA weakening by the day, Hamas is expected to fill the vacuum.
(17:47 ,12/11/18)
Israel bolsters Hamas at PA's expense
Op-ed: Israeli PR aside, Israel handed Hamas a windfall with its recent policies, blundering the last confrontation and erasing any previous gains. Weakening the PA will inevitably result in a dangerous escalation in the West Bank.
(15:04 ,11/27/18)
Hamas has run out of credit
Op-ed: The IDF is done giving Hamas leeway and is ready to retaliate to any provocation within minutes. With Israel on the verge of general elections, Hamas should not take its cue from the Israeli leadership, but from the public. Elections time triggers military pyrotechnics, and not just on the Gaza front.
(15:29 ,11/21/18)
Netanyahu fighting for his 'Mr. Security' image
Op-ed: The prime minister's speech Sunday is one of the most dangerous deliveries heard in recent years; Netanyahu strikes fear in our hearts, and could even launch military operations just to survive another term; the longer he succeeds in delaying the next elections, the more likely it is a military conflict might arise.
(13:44 ,11/20/18)
Hamas's 'wait and see' strategy in Gaza ceasefire talks
Analysis: The terror group is curbing the violence on the border until it becomes clear what it can get from Israel and the PA. With Israel on the verge of calling early elections, Hamas knows it can get whatever it wants, including a seaport. Meanwhile, everything Israel does on the border lacks real direction, while the government makes populistic decisions, which might cause a flare-up in the West Bank and Gaza.
(23:21 ,11/06/18)
Russia-Israel crisis deepens after latest IAF strike in Syria
Analysis: Even after the Russian plane's downing, Israel attacked in Syria again. As a result, the personal ties between Lieberman and his Russian counterpart Shoygu have been severed, and the Kremlin is rejecting any attempt by Netanyahu to schedule a meeting with Putin.
(15:28 ,11/01/18)
Throw your frustrations at the IDF
Op-ed: Cabinet ministers are busy putting on a political show, making grand threats to flatten the Gaza Strip. It's a good thing the IDF and its chief are there to 'rein them in,' otherwise they'll have to launch a war they don't really want.
(23:27 ,10/25/18)
Sinwar's hidden message: Calm for Gaza rehabilitation or war
Analysis: The interview with Hamas leader in Gaza is a call for help, a moment before winter makes life in the strip hell and puts his rule at risk. And between the lines there's also a warning: this is the last chance for a change. If the stalemate in talks continues, Sinwar indicates he won't hesitate to go to war.
(23:45 ,10/06/18)
The Russian exploitation of a good crisis
Analysis: Russia really had no interest in hearing the Israeli version of the Latakia offensive. Moscow’s reception of the IAF commander to explain Israel’s version was merely a facade. For Russia, Israel’s culpability was a foregone conclusion, but what it really wanted was more information on how Israel’s intel works and to alter agreements regarding Israel’s freedom to act in Syrian skies.
(23:53 ,09/24/18)
The bluff of a Gaza sea port in Cyprus
Analysis: A dock for the strip in Cyprus—an idea being discussed as part of ceasefire negotiations with Hamas—would require the construction of a sea port in Gaza itself, which would in turn be a symbol of sovereignty for Hamas. The Israeli government, especially on the eve of elections, will not allow that.
(23:47 ,08/21/18)
The art of playing for time
Analysis: Israel is interested in postponing any military conflict that is not inevitable as much as possible. This is not a good time for a military conflict, as the smell of elections in the air and a war might leave the electorate with a bitter taste. So the government is trying to stall for time.
(23:34 ,08/16/18)
Gaza ceasefire plan: Much ado about nothing
Analysis: The Goldin and Shaul families could've been spared the exchange of blows with the PM's close circle if they only knew UN envoy Mladenov, who orchestrated the proposed ceasefire agreement, has packed his bags and gone on his annual vacation. Israel knows Mladenov's ambitious plan has no chance. Now it hopes it can turn back time and go back to the days before the 'March of Return' campaign.
(23:50 ,08/06/18)
The games at play in Syria
Analysis: The Israelis have given a clear ultimatum to Syria: a military force entering the buffer zone in Quneitra will be destroyed. Russia has made a commitment to Israel to keep Iranian forces 100 km from the border, while the US is holding Israel on a loose leash as the IDF prepares to pounce on Syria’s army the moment the Kremlin allows it to go too far.
(23:58 ,07/10/18)
With no more tricks up its sleeves, Hamas has become more dangerous
Analysis: After dozens of Palestinian fatalities and thousands of wounded, Hamas has reached a dead end. It has no answers to give its public. The failure of the ‘Marches of Return’ project has turned it into an even more radical organization, looking for a way into the Iranian axis. As a result, the anarchy on the Israel-Gaza border will continue.
(15:00 ,06/10/18)
An invitation to an unquiet border
Analysis: If the Americans pull out of Syria in 2019, any Israeli agreement with the Russians about the Golan Heights will be worthless. The really important agreement is between Israel and the US on keeping American forces in Syria.
(23:32 ,06/08/18)
The Gaza battle isn’t over yet
Analysis: Monday’s events left the Gazan street in a state of shock. As the bodies piled up and the hospitals collapsed, the leadership was forced to stop and think. Now, everyone is waiting: Will Hamas resume the violence in the coming days and on the weekend, or will it try to utilize the ease of restrictions offered by Egypt and Israel?
(17:44 ,05/16/18)
A preemptive strike in Syria
Analysis: Even if Iran had no intention of launching missiles at Israel on Tuesday, the alleged Israeli strike came along and conveyed the following message to the Iranians: You raised the likelihood of an attack on Israel, so we’re raising the threat level, despite the tensions.
(23:30 ,05/09/18)
It isn't too late to stop Gaza insanity
Op-ed: Seeing next week’s escalation in the strip as inevitable, Israel and Hamas are busy calculating the expected death toll from the border riots. An Israeli willingness to give a dialogue a chance may be the only way to stop what will likely turn into the next war in the strip.
(15:02 ,05/10/18)
Gaza protests: Hamas preparing its ‘victory picture’
Analysis: If thousands of Gazans leap to their feet undauntedly from the new tent line and start running towards the fence, the death toll from Israeli fire will grow to hundreds. Those who cross the fence will run amok into Israel to evade the fire. And that’s the exact outcome Hamas is hoping for.
(17:01 ,04/25/18)
Israel playing on Iranian nerves
Analysis: Israel's recent 'mistakes' surrounding the attack on the T-4 airbase in Syria are not coincidental, it's a policy. It's trying to provoke Iran into a direct conflict on Syrian soil so it could thwart Tehran's entrenchment before it has a chance to fully establish itself in Syria.
(08:08 ,04/22/18)
Syria strikes: Trump made the bed, now Israel must lie in it
Analysis: The US-led strike in Syria was a symbolic, cautious punishment, without risking a conflict with the Russians, who have signaled that they would defend Assad in any entanglement. As far as Israel is concerned, it remains in the exact same position of an escalating conflict with Iran.
(23:33 ,04/16/18)
With friends like Trump and Putin, Israel has no one to rely on
Analysis: If Monday’s strike in Syria was indeed carried out by Israeli planes, it wasn’t just a military move but a diplomatic defiance of both Russia and the US: If you fail to do what it takes to curb the Iranian entrenchment on our border, we’ll launch our own military operations.
(14:59 ,04/10/18)
Gaza protests: When there’s smoke, there’s fire
Analysis: Most of the Palestinians killed over the weekend were hurt while running amok towards the fence, as the IDF had no other way to stop them. So far, the Israeli army has avoided targeting substantial Hamas assets deep within the strip so as not to spoil Passover—but now that the Jewish holiday is behind us, the riots’ organizers could be targeted too.
(11:10 ,04/08/18)
How about some modesty, gentlemen?
Op-ed: Suddenly, years after the strike on Syria's nuclear reactor, everyone claims to have been there. They all offered advice, planned, sat in the ‘pit,’ knew and said something to someone at the top. Luckily, the ego trip festival was momentarily interrupted by former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, who reminded us that the Deir ez-Zor affair was an intelligence fiasco.
(00:17 ,03/23/18)
Decade of relative calm is behind us
Analysis: The Military Intelligence Directorate has been warning for over a year now that the territories are headed to a major violent outburst. The old order in the Palestinian society is crumbling before Israel’s eyes, and the ‘great return march’ along the Gaza border in late March could set the region on fire.
(23:44 ,03/19/18)
Netanyahu's show of weakness in Munich
Op-ed: The government and prime minister should deal with the security threats—in Gaza, Syria, Iran and anywhere else—with determination, rather than whine and make a mockery of Israel by presenting it as a country haunted by fears.
(22:31 ,02/20/18)
Is Israel headed towards an initiated war in Lebanon?
Analysis: If the Iranians keep building missile factories, Israel will be forced to decide whether two or three missile factories in Lebanon are a casus belli or not; this is the dilemma the government should present to the public: A war by choice or living under a growing threat of precision-guided missiles.
(23:39 ,01/31/18)
Trump’s Mideast plan: Take it or leave it
Analysis: Knowing the US president, he won’t give anyone an early warning. He’ll just deliver a festive speech and present his ‘ultimate deal’ for the Middle East. There won’t be long negotiations with the sides or a peace conference. He’ll simply present everyone with a fait accompli—one that does not necessarily play into Israel's hands.
(17:17 ,01/24/18)
Israel’s calculated tunnel demolitions
Analysis: The IDF is likely capable of uncovering and demolishing a number of cross-border tunnels simultaneously; so far, however, it has chosen to destroy each tunnel separately, giving the other side an opportunity to digest what happened rather than pushing it towards desperate measures.
(18:50 ,01/15/18)
The Iranian wall of fire
Analysis: We must get used to the idea that Israel is likely engaged in a military conflict—so far, controlled—against an Iranian military force that is entrenching itself in Syria; at the same time, the Iranians are building a missile array in Gaza, requiring the IDF to divide its efforts between the north and the south.
(23:51 ,01/13/18)
Instead of making decisions on Gaza, Israel is waiting for a miracle
Op-ed: The stories we are being told about Hamas’ efforts to curb the rocket fire are aimed at justifying Israel’s ‘proportional’ responses, which are failing to convince Hamas to take responsibility for the situation in the strip; Israel’s political echelon is incapable of telling the public: A war isn’t something we need right now.
(10:46 ,01/04/18)
Trump’s gift to Abbas
Analysis: After being pushed into a corner by the Americans and Saudis, the PA leadership quickly understood the advantages hidden in Trump’s Jerusalem announcement and adopted a clear Palestinian strategy: To market to the world, particularly the Muslim world, the narrative of selling Jerusalem to the Jews—and it worked.
(19:12 ,12/31/17)
The new threats at the end of the tunnel
Analysis: The latest exposure of a cross-border attack tunnel made it clear to Hamas that it’s about to lose its most strategic weapon in Gaza; the alternative options considered by the terror organization include upgraded rockets, quadcopters armed with explosive charges, underwater tunnels and using car bombs to break through the obstacle being built by the IDF.
(23:55 ,12/23/17)
In battle against Jerusalem recognition, Palestinians united by Al-Aqsa
Analysis: Both Hamas and Palestinian President Abbas are trying to lead the national conflict to the religious plane and to the Temple Mount. As far as they’re concerned, an American Embassy in Jerusalem is not a diplomatic decision, it’s a crusader takeover of Al-Aqsa.
(12:37 ,12/06/17)
The Middle East just keeps bleeding, with no end in sight
Op-ed: Friday’s mosque massacre must serve as a wake-up call for the Egyptian authorities. Without recruiting the Sinai population for the fight, the Second Field Army will keep marking time there for many years to come, just like the Syrian and Russian armies and their allies will keep sinking into the Syrian mud.
(15:23 ,11/26/17)
Why Russia must take Israel’s interests in Syria into account
Analysis: As Putin, Rouhani and Erdogan meet in Sochi to divide Syria into spheres of influence, Israel remains the leading element capable of spoiling the party. The day the Iranian-run airport in Syria is erased, all agreements will go up in the flames ignited on the Israeli-Syrian border.
(14:29 ,11/22/17)
IDF chief’s Saudi interview: A gesture from Riyadh
Analysis: The rare and unusual interview Gadi Eisenkot gave a Saudi news website was part of an ongoing process to prepare the Saudi public opinion for bringing the secret relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia out into the open by stressing the interests shared by the two countries, including security cooperation.
(23:50 ,11/19/17)
Is Gaza tunnel era coming to an end?
Analysis: Following the recent tunnel demolition, part of Gaza’s military leadership feels it would be illogical to keep investing huge sums in the tunnels now that Israel has effective ways of dealing with them, not mention the underground barrier being built along the border.
(10:15 ,11/15/17)
As tensions rise on Israel-Gaza border, a flare-up is only a matter of time
Analysis: Islamic Jihad’s motivation to avenge the terrorist tunnel detonation is clear, while Hamas believes it can spur int. pressure on Israel to resume reconciliation talks. And when all interests to start a fire come together, that fire will burn.
(23:35 ,11/13/17)
In protection of Druze, Israel gave up security interests in Golan
Analysis: As the Middle East keeps producing uncertain situations with a potential for a regional crisis, Israel made a strategic decision Friday that its ‘covenant of blood’ with the Druze community is more important than its strategic support for the rebels working to drive the Syrian army away from the Golan Heights.
(21:09 ,11/05/17)
The national master of missed opportunities
Op-ed: The Iranians, who studied the way the Israeli security echelon under Netanyahu handled the nuclear crisis at the beginning of the decade, have no reason to assume that anything has changed. As a result, they are showing no signs of panic over Israel's threats to drive them out of Syria.
(23:32 ,11/01/17)
Tunnel explosion puts Palestinian reconciliation to the test
Analysis: If the Islamic Jihad—which isn’t committed to the Fatah-Hamas deal in any way—decides to fire rockets at Israel in response to the tunnel bombing, Hamas won’t be able to stop it. An Israeli response would drag Hamas into the fray, jeopardizing the entire reconciliation process.
(23:42 ,10/31/17)
It’s time to change Israel’s provincial defense policy
Op-ed: Our political-security echelon isn’t solving or dealing with problems; it's simply postponing them, passing them on to the next generation. It’s as if everything beyond Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran doesn’t exist. It’s as if the world around us hasn’t changed.
(23:49 ,10/28/17)
Israel is done threatening Syria
Analysis: After realizing that both the Syrians and the Iranians were not taking its warnings seriously, Israel could no longer afford to keep threatening Syria over its anti-aircraft fire without responding. On Monday, the IDF had an opportunity to fulfill the ‘open skies’ policy, while making it clear to the Iranians as well that the Israelis are dead serious.
(10:34 ,10/17/17)
Trump’s Iran deal speech: A recipe for a regional explosion
Analysis: The fragile structure of the nuclear agreement, which is based on conflicting interests, has already been undermined. Encouraged by the US president’s inability to deal with North Korea, Iran will step up its provocations in a bid to deter him from taking further hostile steps. All this has the potential of leading to instability, security tensions and a military escalation.
(17:19 ,10/15/17)
A hopeless reconciliation agreement
Op-ed: Israel cannot accept the agreement between Fatah and Hamas, as it would force it to stop treating the West Bank and Gaza as two separate entities. Regardless, Israeli officials believe the agreement would collapse within 3-4 months, so there is no reason to try and sabotage it.
(23:52 ,10/13/17)
Israel-Iran conflict in Syria reaching point of no return
Analysis: As Tehran keeps ignoring the Israeli warnings against an Iranian expansion in the Middle East, the atmosphere created by the Trump administration against the nuclear agreement is only adding fuel to the fire. The effort to prevent a deterioration will resume immediately after the High Holy Days, but if the diplomatic move fails—Israel is likely headed toward a conflict with Iran.
(10:31 ,10/08/17)
What if a war breaks out tomorrow morning?
Analysis: A clear answer on whether the IDF is properly prepared for war can likely be found in the Knesset subcommittee’s classified detailed report. The vague report issued to the public on Monday provides the following answer: It depends which war we find ourselves in.
(19:57 ,09/26/17)
Iran missile test: Nuclear deal’s rotten fruit
Analysis: The new ballistic missile Tehran tested is one of the prices Israel is paying for its failed conduct throughout the world powers’ negotiations with Iran, which led to Israel’s exclusion and inability to influence both the open agreement and its concealed and informal clauses.
(14:40 ,09/24/17)
The Egyptian maestro and his Palestinian marionettes
Analysis: Hamas may have given up the Gaza administrative committee, but it will keep running the strip. The announcement, which was used as bait to bring the PA delegation to Cairo, will allow Abbas to lift the sanctions and renew the economic aid to Gaza. This is an Israeli interest too.
(11:27 ,09/24/17)
If North Korea can do it, so can Iran
Analysis: Great Western experts have been explaining to Israel how complicated it is to move from an accumulation of fissile material to a nuclear warhead on a missile—and here comes Pyongyang and proves them wrong. Now, IAEA inspectors are searching for Iranian nuclear experts at Iran’s supervised facilities; but they’re not there—they’re in labs in North Korea.
(08:37 ,09/23/17)
Israel’s missed opportunity with Sunni states
Op-ed: Israel had a golden opportunity to reach agreements with region's Sunni countries on future of Middle East and Israel’s role in it. Unfortunately, someone waited too long, and now with Syrian President Assad's surprising survival, and Iran and Hezbollah's growing strength, Israel is recording yet another diplomatic failure.
(23:43 ,09/13/17)
Syrian regime caught in catch-22 with 'Israeli' strike
Analysis: On the one hand, the world understands Syria is a criminal country carrying out war crimes; on the other hand, the Assad regime is unable to refute the accusations on the production and use of chemical weapons in the facilities allegedly attacked by Israel, as it would have to invite inspectors to a site in which it likely has something to hide.
(10:19 ,09/10/17)
Exercises are important, but war is the real test
Op-ed: While Israel should definitely demonstrate its strength vis-à-vis the Lebanese government and Hezbollah, and emphasize its messages and intentions, the military exercise conducted by the IDF these days has the potential of lulling the public into a state of complacency and self-satisfaction.
(23:33 ,09/07/17)
Decades-long Jerusalem activity going down the drain
Analysis: In the not-so-distant past, the Muslim religious leadership in Jerusalem held a regular pragmatic discourse with the Israeli establishment. Many fires were put out in those meetings. After the Temple Mount crisis, it turned out the contacts on the Israeli side had either been erased, debilitated or become dysfunctional, and that the Waqf is no longer interested in a dialogue.
(23:40 ,08/02/17)
Behind the scenes of a resounding Israeli failure
Analysis: While the police considered the metal detectors a temporary solution ahead of an improved security system, the IDF objected to any change at the Temple Mount, including cameras; cabinet members were asked to sign a confidentiality agreement, but an hour later, everything had already been leaked; and Israel’s main lesson from the affair is that it mustn’t rely on the current US administration in the next big crisis either.
(10:30 ,07/31/17)
Israel looking for a way out of crisis without compromising pride
Analysis: It’s only a matter of time before metal detectors, which have become a symbol of a religious-national Palestinian struggle, gradually disappear from Temple Mount. Israel is trying to emerge from this crisis with minimum damage to its national dignity—and without a third intifada.
(19:07 ,07/23/17)
Sailing after the money
Analysis: Did Israel allow Germany to sell advanced submarines to Egypt in return for a discount on patrol boats to protect the natural gas rigs, which are both too big and too expensive?
(19:53 ,07/18/17)
How did massive defense deals slip under the public radar?
Analysis: Beyond the criminal aspect, the submarine affair has a serious public aspect too: Expert authorities from the inner circle meddle in defense deals worth millions, and the Israeli taxpayer knows nothing about it because it involves ‘state secrets.’
(19:26 ,07/11/17)
Israel a key player in Syria ceasefire deal
Analysis: The agreement signed between the US, Russia and Jordan would likely have never been born without Israel’s involvement, in light of its alleged influence on rebel elements in the Syrian Golan Heights. If it lasts, the truce could remove the threat of an Iranian-Hezbollah front in the Golan, but that is unlikely due to the difficulty tin restraining the groups operating on the ground.
(19:29 ,07/09/17)
Hezbollah taking Israeli war mongers seriously
Analysis: Even when Defense Minister Lieberman declares that Israel has no intention of launching a war in Lebanon, Nasrallah doesn’t believe him. He prefers to listen to the underground streams in the defense establishment and in the government, which are pushing for an attack as soon as possible.
(18:48 ,07/04/17)
Israel speaking Russian to Hezbollah
Analysis: Using the Russian model, Israel is sending a clear message to the terror organization that if it fails to back down on its effort to establish strongholds in the Golan Heights, Israel may take advantage of its weakness in southern Lebanon and attack.
(14:41 ,06/29/17)
A miserable failure for Iran’s military industry
Analysis: If there is any military-political message in the Iranian missile strike on ISIS targets in Syria, it appears to be directed at the Gulf states and Saudi Arabia rather than at Israel. Satellite images, if verified, indicate that the first barrage in 30 years of Iranian ballistic missiles at targets outside Iran was an operational failure.
(15:10 ,06/21/17)
Trump leak an intelligence catastrophe
Analysis: If there is even a grain of truth in the New York Times report that the classified information Trump disclosed to the Russians came from an Israeli cyber attack on ISIS, it is likely to cause serious damage to intelligence abilities that were acquired with a lot of hard work and at great risk.
(14:46 ,06/13/17)
Trump effect rocking the Middle East
Analysis: Even before the US president set foot in Saudi Arabia, different countries in the region were required to pay ‘earnest money’ to be able to join the Sunni bloc against Iran and ISIS. One of the demands was that all Sunni Arab states—particularly Qatar—would wash their hands off Hamas.
(22:54 ,06/06/17)
Gaza’s stench is penetrating Israel
Op-ed: We may not care about infant mortality in Gaza, but the seawater contamination in the strip is going to reach Israel’s shores and cause irreversible damage, including a possible shortage of desalinated water. By failing to deal with this, Israel is shooting itself in the foot.
(15:48 ,06/04/17)
American plan is to deal with northern Samaria first
Analysis: As part of the big package deal with the Arab world, the Trump administration has raised the idea of transferring lands from Area C to Area B. With his current coalition, however, Netanyahu will likely find it difficult to deliver the minimum that the US has promised the Arabs.
(23:33 ,05/29/17)
Israel cannot ignore damage caused by Trump’s Russia leak
Analysis: Leaking information that belongs to other countries is a betrayal of trust. The Americans went wild with the Pollard affair and never forgave Israel for selling technological information to China. What the US president is doing is as serious as that.
(11:03 ,05/18/17)
Greenlighting an Israeli attack on Iran in Syria?
Analysis: The Iranian takeover of Syria, as well as of Lebanon and Gaza, is no longer just Israel’s problem. There is a feeling in Jerusalem that if and when Israel is forced to put an end to the Iranian crawl into the Golan Heights, it will receive strong American backing.
(12:22 ,04/30/17)
Israeli officials are missing Obama earlier than expected
Analysis: Trump wants to reach a formula for an Israeli-Palestinian agreement within a year. His special envoy’s determination is making Jerusalem tremble, as no one knows how the US president will react if the Middle East deal he is concocting fails or is sabotaged.
(08:38 ,04/14/17)
Israel must take advantage of Hamas’ weak spot
Analysis: It’s true that Gazans hate Israel and want to see it destroyed, but they also want to live. Israel, however, is making no effort to create some kind of distinction between the leadership and the population in order to present an alternative to the military plan.
(23:32 ,04/01/17)
The winds of war are blowing on Israel’s borders
Analysis: The Israeli strike in Syria, the Russian and Syrian responses, and the flare-up in Gaza, are bringing Israel one step closer to a military collision. The relative calm along the borders in recent years, which has become a symbol of security stability and deterrence, is gradually wearing out.
(13:22 ,03/19/17)
An inevitable conflict in Gaza
Analysis: Hamas has not responded to the recent Air Force strikes not because of political moderation or a desire to get involved in a regional solution, but quite possibly because it has yet to complete its preparations for another round of fighting.
(23:49 ,03/17/17)
What is Israel doing about the Gaza tunnels today?
Analysis: In the wake of the comptroller report, which pointed to significant shortcomings and failures in the defense establishment's handling of Hamas's terror tunnels, Alex Fishman examines what the IDF has been doing since Protective Edge to combat the threat.
(16:08 ,03/07/17)
Intimidation as a tool for political survival
Op-ed: Leaders should tell the people the truth and instill them with a sense of security, rather than provide them with regular doses of anxiety and panic in order to retain their grasp on power.
(09:09 ,03/10/17)
It’s time for a clear decision on Gaza
Analysis: IDF officials believe—just like on the eve of Operation Protective Edge—that neither Israel nor Hamas are interested in an armed battle. At the time, a series of military activities on both sides led to misunderstandings of the situation and to a comprehensive battle. We must not wait for an uncontrolled deterioration again.
(09:07 ,03/01/17)
Between the lines, between the tunnels
Analysis: Dealing with the Hamas tunnel threat should have been part of the IDF’s defense plan vis-à-vis the Gaza Strip. So how is it possible that, according to what has been quoted from the state comptroller’s report on Operation Protective Edge, the army was unprepared for it?
(13:51 ,02/26/17)
The subs, the defense budget and the risky monopoly method
Analysis: A criminal investigation into the ‘submarine affair’ may bring to the surface the way in which the Israeli defense establishment conducts its major and most expensive deals – and the benefits reaped on the way.
(23:29 ,02/12/17)
Hamas is hesitating, Israel is gambling
Analysis: Israeli officials are confident that the IDF can keep responding powerfully to occasional rocket fire from Gaza without the situation spiralling out of control. But that won’t last forever. At some point, the Palestinian organization may reach the conclusion that a certain strike is part of an Israeli plan to invade the strip.
(09:32 ,02/09/17)
The real lesson from Operation Protective Edge
Analysis: A country which perceives itself as a military power cannot afford to be dragged into, and worn out in, repeated rounds of conflict by some 40,000 Hezbollah fighters and some 30,000 Hamas fighters, however 'hybrid-style' the conflicts may be.
(23:34 ,01/31/17)
IDF preparing for Trump’s embassy decision
Analysis: Defense establishment officials believe any American move – whether declarative or practical – regarding the US embassy’s relocation to Jerusalem will echo on four circles in the Arab and Muslim world and lead to different levels of violent outbursts.
(17:45 ,01/24/17)
Gazans are fed up with Hamas
Analysis: The Palestinians on the Gaza street no longer believe that their living conditions will ever improve. The fiery protests of the past few days are an uprising in the making and have exposed, for the first time, the potential of toppling the Hamas government from the inside.
(23:04 ,01/18/17)
Even Russia understands alleged Israeli strikes in Syria
Analysis: Unlike previous incidents, the attack that took place in the Damascus area over the weekend prompted an official Russian representative to say that ‘Israel is naturally fighting organizations jeopardizing its security.’ In other words, even Moscow understands that Israel will not allow the fighting in Syria to spill over to the Golan Heights.
(13:21 ,01/16/17)
No ‘Azaria effect’ in East Talpiot attack
Op-ed: The cadets’ response to Sunday’s vehicular attack in Jerusalem exposed a professional failure in military training that has nothing to do with Elor Azaria’s faulty conduct in Hebron.
(10:22 ,01/09/17)  
The message behind the Tunisia assassination
Analysis: Whoever killed Mohammad al-Zawahri likely wanted Hamas itself to expose the man’s activity in the organization and to blame the Mossad for the assassination in order to create deterrence.
(12:33 ,12/20/16)
Israeli-Russian understandings put to the test
Analysis: Wednesday’s attack on a Syrian army outpost and Hezbollah arms convoy is seen as a ‘case study’ for the alleged limits of Israel’s freedom of action in Syria and Lebanon.
(23:26 ,12/02/16)
Netanyahu and the German submarines: The unanswered questions
Analysis: Why was the prime minister so eager to finalize such an expensive submarine deal with Germany, which would only be implemented at least 10 years later? And why did he ignore all professional elements and make the decision on his own?
(00:19 ,11/18/16)
Chemical warfare has become a routine in the Middle East
Analysis: Israel is facing a situation in which its potential enemies – radical Islamic states or organizations – have turned chemical weapons into legitimate warfare.
(14:05 ,11/01/16)
Mosul as an allegory of Gaza
Analysis: The fighting taking place in the Iraqi city is a practical model for the IDF, which has yet to deal with the occupation of a city as large as Gaza, consisting of thousands of gunmen driven by a jihadist ideology.
(23:31 ,10/27/16)
Why does Egypt need such expensive weapon systems?
Analysis: As long as the Egyptian army is growing stronger in order to transform the country into a leading force in the Sunni world and secure al-Sisi’s regime, Israel is silently trembling. But at some point, all that military strength could take on a different—perhaps hostile—meaning.
(23:42 ,10/19/16)
Aleppo is the real face of Obama's Mideast legacy
Analysis: The man who began his presidency eight years ago with an appeasing appeal to the Arab world, in his famous Cairo speech, is ending it with images of a massacre in light of another failed agreement brokered by his administration.
(13:17 ,09/26/16)
Turning a blind eye to deception
Op-ed: Hamas is still operating in Turkey with Turkish assistance, Iran is still enriching uranium, and the world - everyone from Israel to the US amd Europe - is keeping quiet about it.
(19:04 ,09/23/16)
Weekend's attacks are just the tip of the iceberg
Analysis: The Shin Bet receives warnings of 50-60 potential lone-wolf terrorists at any given time. Meanwhile, there are about 15 terrorist cells in the West Bank that have carried out shooting attacks or are planning attacks in the coming days and during the High Holy Days.
(15:11 ,09/18/16)
Conversation by fire
Analysis: Syria's rockets into Israel and Israel's response are really a conversation that conveys messages through fire rather than words.
(21:49 ,09/14/16)
A cold and calculated truce
Op-ed: Israel does not believe that the recently agreed upon ceasefire in Syria will be implemented, as its success lies in the confidential documents that outline it, and beyond that—in the outcomes of both the US and Iranian elections.
(13:27 ,09/11/16)
Burying NIS 600 million in the ground
Op-ed: The Israeli government is set to invest hundreds of millions in the initial phase of establishing a Gaza tunnel blockade. The problem is that there's no money allocated for the rest of the blockade; if the West Bank border fence is any indication, there never will be.
(20:20 ,09/05/16)
How the Turks deceived the Americans on Syria
Op-ed: The US simply joined the Russian-Turkish party in Syria, essentially allowing Assad's rule to continue—at least for now—and Iran and Hezbollah to establish their hold on the war-battered country. This is the worst possible outcome for Israel.
(15:53 ,08/31/16)
Closing in the ranks
Analysis: Faced with a constant attack from religious Zionists, the IDF is finally trying to halt them from taking the army over from within; ill it succeed, or will Bezalel Smotrich and his ilk have the last smirk?
(21:18 ,08/20/16)
Netanyahyu's mistake, or Barak's misunderstanding?
Analysis: Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected having the US military station advanced weapons in Israel, something which Ehud Barak harshly criticized the prime minister over; however, is there something going on behind closed doors between the Prime Minister's Office and the White House which neither Barak nor the public knows about?
(22:20 ,08/19/16)
Egypt's diplomatic games
Analysis: By sending his foreign minister to Israel, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was showing the world that Egypt means business, that it truly is the strongest player in the region, and that no one, especially not the US, should ignore it.
(14:04 ,07/13/16)
Conclusions stashed away
Analysis: New procedures for prisoner exchange negotiations have already been recommended by a national commission—five years ago. And yet, Israel seems like it may soon be dragged into another publicly contentious prisoner exchange with Hamas.
(23:46 ,07/05/16)
Will Dahlan be Gaza's next ruler?
Op-ed: Mohammed Dahlan, the Fatah leader with a base of support in Gaza, is supported by the pro-Western bloc in the Middle East; Israel also has worked with him previously and Avigdor Lieberman may see him as a tool to weaken the Palestinian Authority; however, not all bets should be placed on Dahlan.
(00:51 ,06/23/16)
Lieberman's trial by fire
Analysis: The Sarona Market attack is a test for the new defense minister; his previous polemic must be laid aside to follow defense procedure; his initial reaction has been to stick to previous methods, leading to an unimpressive response.
(23:44 ,06/10/16)
Liebermen's flexible future
The incoming Minister of Defense has been championing the idea of a comprehensive arrangement between Israel and the Arab world for a long while. Now, with Egyptian President al-Sisi promoting just such a move, Lieberman's commitment to his proclaimed vision will be put to the test.
(00:05 ,05/30/16)
Comings and goings in the Likud
As Moshe Ya'alon is squeezed out of the defense minister position and the portfolio is given to Avigdor Lieberman, the inner workings of Netanyahu's Likud party start to show.
(22:12 ,05/22/16)
Sting like a Bibi
Op-ed: While Sisi tries to promote peace through diplomatic agreements, the main rhetoric in Israeli politics is more about personal survival
(15:14 ,05/20/16)
Netanyahu and Ya'alon: To be continued
Analysis: The Prime Minister and Defense Minister have supposedly put their differences to rest, but the divide between them is deeper than it may seem. You can expect them to clash again, sooner rather than later.
(23:31 ,05/17/16)
What happens when you let the Shin Bet do its work
Analysis: The moment politicians stopped turning a blind eye, and the legal system quit buckling under pressure, Jewish terrorism finally started being handled properly.
(16:01 ,04/23/16)
Who's advising Netanyahu?
Op-ed: The prime minister has a pattern of preferring discreet security advisors who are often underqualified; the NSC still lacks a permanent head.
(23:41 ,04/20/16)
No need to panic about Hamas tunnel
Op-ed: The mounting panic about Hamas and imminent war is misplaced; the terrorist organization is in no state, operationally or mentally, to launch an attack any time soon.
(23:30 ,04/17/16)
No need to panic over S-300 deal
Op-ed: The S-300 missile deal between Iran and Russia is more symbolic than an actual threat; Moscow has yet to transfer the missiles, but Israel should do everything it can to ensure its security in an increasingly militarized Middle East.
(19:23 ,04/13/16)
How the IDF helps Hamas
Analysis: Israel's predictable model of retaliatory air strikes hours after a rocket attack actually helps the Gaza rulers preserve their image of a militant organization at the forefront of the fight against Israel – even if it wasn’t behind the rockets.
(21:53 ,03/15/16)
Netanyahu is pouting, Ya'alon is negotiating
Analysis: While the prime minister decided not to travel to the US to discuss the new 10-year military aid package to Israel, his defense minister did fly to Washington to talk business with his American counterpart.
(21:57 ,03/16/16)
No hope for Gazans
Op-ed: The IDF is preparing for the next round of fighting with Hamas, which is expected to be much more intense than in previous operations. Yet, the spark which may start the fighting this time will be different. The Gazan population is at its boiling point, and when it explodes, the entire region will feel it.
(15:34 ,02/23/16)
Gaza - a human time bomb
Analysis: We have more to worry about than just Hamas' terror tunnels. In 2015, 140 Gazans were caught trying to climb over the border fence into Israel, a number that could vastly increase in light of the political, economic and social crisis in the Strip.
(21:49 ,02/08/16)
Israel and Hamas both in a race against time
Analysis: An injection of US cash into Israel's anti-tunnel technology will speed up its development. But the increased activity on the Israeli side is liable to provoke Hamas into jumping the gun and launching an early surprise attack.
(21:06 ,02/02/16)
Beware of Hezbollah, prepare for Hamas
Op-ed: The real story of the current wave is the reawakening of Hamas' terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank to carry out attacks within the Green Line. The group feels that it has reached a sufficient level of preparedness to get through another war with Israel.
(20:22 ,01/21/16)
Living in a dream world: Obama's Hollywood vision of the Mideast
Analysis: The Americans may think the lifting of sanctions will lead to a utopian vision, but what's in store for Israel right now is increased vigilance. The danger has, at best, been postponed.
(23:43 ,01/17/16)
Impending lifting of Iran sanctions worries Israel
Analysis: Friday will see the removal of the sanctions regime imposed on Iran since 2007, and Russia is already deep in talks with Tehran on the sale of advanced weapons.
(12:21 ,01/12/16)
Are Israel's security organizations clueless about Arab sector?
Analysis: Capturing the Tel Aviv shooter within seven days is a reasonable - even fast - period of time; but with so many difficult questions that have emerged over this past week, the professional achievement seems very small.
(23:39 ,01/10/16)
Is an armed intifada underway?
Analysis: Rate of shooting incidents has been increasing in recent weeks, alongside a gradual drop in number of riots and stabbing and vehicular attacks. Hamas, seeking to create an escalation that will lead to PA's collapse, is behind institutionalized terror threatening to take over conflict.
(11:55 ,01/06/16)
Two sides of the same coin
Analysis: Tel Aviv and Duma murder suspects are not errant weeds, mentally Ill, lone wolf terrorists or confused young people. They are filthy fingers which should be cut off by Shin Bet, while ground they developed on should be handled like a spreading epidemic by both Jewish and Arab societies.
(20:00 ,01/05/16)
The ball is now in Hezbollah's court
Analysis: Were the rockets fired at Israel on Sunday a symbolic response to Samir Kuntar's assassination or do they mark the start of another violent conflict on the northern border? The fact that both Hezbollah and the Assad regime disagreed with Kuntar's activity in Syria could serve as a restraining factor.
(11:45 ,12/21/15)
We are being deceived on Iran
Analysis: Five days before the deadline for implementing the deal with the West: Intelligence officials let on that Iran is not meeting its obligations to dismantle its nuclear program.
(23:08 ,12/10/15)
Jewish terrorism: The missing link
Analysis: After years of failures, the Shin Bet has switched gears in its fight against Jewish terrorism. From technology to operations, the entire organization was enlisted to find the killers of the Dawabsheh family members, and the recent arrests indicate that at least some progress has been made.
(23:29 ,12/05/15)
The fourth stage of terror is on its way
Analysis: The defense establishment has already realized that Israel has no more gestures to offer the Palestinians. There are two options left: A real peace move or instructing the army to prepare to take over the West Bank completely.
(13:10 ,11/22/15)
ISIS: The black octopus
Analysis: With large oil reserves, organized government institutions, and partners from Nigeria to China, the Islamic State aims to keep expanding and spreading more terror in the West.
(20:23 ,11/20/15)
The intifada of the young and hopeless
Analysis: The young male and female murderers flooding Israel's streets are not lunatics from the margins of the Palestinian society; they are part of an army of unemployed academics and hopeless high school students who could care less about the regional political problems.
(08:42 ,10/14/15)
Anti-Israel incitement starts at home
Op-ed: Before complaining that Abbas is not doing anything to curb Palestinian incitement, Israel should crack down on its own provocateurs, emanating either from the Islamic Movement, the Knesset's Arab faction or Religious Zionism.
(12:57 ,10/11/15)
Preventing another Gaza war through 'Palestinian relief'
Analysis: Netanyahu and Ya'alon don't want to negotiate with Hamas, but are working through backdoor channels to prevent next conflict with a push to rebuild Gaza, including a port, solar farms, and joint industrial zones. There's even a Qatari envoy waiting with a billion dollars in his pocket.
(23:50 ,09/04/15)
Abbas' political stunts
Op-ed: Palestinian president is once again threatening to resign. While it doesn't seem like he's quite done yet, Israel is preparing for the day after he retires, and someone else takes over.
(23:59 ,09/02/15)
How the tides have turned for Gal Hirsch
Analysis: Gal Hirsch's problematic personality earned him no friends in the IDF, and won't help him much in the police; despite that, he's exceptionally brave with an impressive operational record. Would that be enough for the appointed police commissioner?
(23:32 ,08/29/15)
IDF chief Eisenkot is challenging the known order
Analysis: In releasing the IDF's grand strategy, the chief of staff has pushed the political leadership into a corner, while circumventing any weight held by the Locker report.
(23:53 ,08/17/15)
A new, extremely dangerous kind of Jewish fanaticism
Analysis: The Shin Bet has been dealing in the past year with a radical group of young messianic Jews aiming to bring down the Zionist state and replace it with a holy kingdom. In order to fulfill their goal, they are willing to sacrifice their lives and have no problem killing.
(11:49 ,08/03/15)
Israeli leadership must be capable of setting boundaries
Analysis: While Israel is known for its efforts to rescue citizens in life-threatening situations around the world, it's completely different when people are voluntarily taken captive and a terror organization wants murderers freed in return for their release.
(20:22 ,07/13/15)
Signing of Iran deal could help fix strained Israeli-American ties
Analysis: As nuclear talks face another crisis, Israel is quietly preparing for day a deal is finally signed between Iran and world powers; but several concerning issues arise: Funds Iran will now have to support terror, and crazy arms race in region.
(16:48 ,07/11/15)
Marketing a bad nuclear agreement
Op-ed: We are about to receive an Iranian product, which changes the balance of power in the region, with bright and aggressive American marketing. Had this US administration ran the Cuba crisis in 1962, the world would be controlled by the Russians today.
(20:38 ,07/07/15)
Israel’s intelligence flaws in Sinai
Analysis: For Egypt, the Islamic State’s murderous attack against its troops in Sinai is a price it has taken into account. Israel, on the other hand, cannot afford to allow a threat to grow right under its nose while it is plagued with intelligence flaws in this area. And the danger doesn’t just lie across the border – it’s already here.
(23:47 ,07/03/15)
Illegal Palestinian workers are an imminent danger to Israel
Op-ed: Working in Israel without a permit has become worthwhile; when the first terror attack involving illegal laborers takes place within the Green line, we will only have ourselves to blame.
(17:20 ,06/07/15)
Who needs a security cabinet anyway?
Analysis: With a professionally weak cabinet suffering from an inflation of titles and honors, Israel's security issues will once again be managed and supervised by the prime minister, the defense minister and the IDF chief of staff, just like in the Second Lebanon War.
(23:14 ,06/05/15)
Why no one is talking about Gaza 'rounds' anymore
Analysis: The main achievement of Operation Protective Edge is concealed in the fact that Israel and Hamas have discovered no one is going to help them and they will have to get along on their own.
(22:47 ,05/29/15)
The communicating vessels of terror
Analysis: The more Israel succeeds in damaging the infrastructures of institutionalized terror organizations in the West Bank, the higher the number of terror attacks committed by unorganized 'lone wolves.'
(23:55 ,05/21/15)
Israel must beware of the Syrian Druze trap
Op-ed: Limited humanitarian aid to ethnic groups in enemy states must not drag Israel again into imperial adventures and dreams about changing regimes and crowing kings.
(00:04 ,05/08/15)
Israel is up to its neck in Syria
Op-ed: The 'let them bleed' philosophy regarding the various parties fighting for control in Israel's northern neighbor has its exceptions.
(23:48 ,05/01/15)
Israel's secret cooperation with Hamas
Analysis: For several weeks now, official representatives of the Israeli government and defense establishment have been holding a real dialogue with the Islamic terrorist group in a bid to reach a long-term calm on the Gaza border.
(23:44 ,04/26/15)
Israel saving its anger for White House, not Kremlin
Analysis: Israeli officials have realized that Putin's decision to lift ban on arms sales to Iran is more of a declarative political move rather than a practical move in the foreseeable future. So why fight with two world powers simultaneously if you can fight with just one?
(00:15 ,04/16/15)
Russia gave US and its allies a hard slap in the face
Analysis: Putin's decision to lift the ban on sales of S-300 missile defense system to Iran is a reminder that Israel and the American administration are in the same boat, and that it may be time to stop rocking the boat and start to seriously talk to the captain.
(23:35 ,04/14/15)
Israel needs answers to tough questions on Iran deal
Op-ed: Obama may be vague on the details of the final nuclear agreement being drafted, but Israel cannot afford to be.
(00:21 ,04/09/15)
The US has sold Israel out with Iran deal
Op-ed: The Lausanne agreement is evidence of just how hard - and successfully - the Iranians fought to preserve the essential components for creating nuclear weapons.
(23:46 ,04/04/15)
The Americans are being naive about Iran
Op-ed: The US administration either believes that the supervision on Iran's nuclear program will be perfect, or that the Iranians have no intention of cheating. Either way, when the Americans talk about a historic deal, Israel and the Middle East react hysterically.
(23:03 ,03/31/15)
US foreign policy detached from reality
Op-ed: In two years from now, no one will remember Obama and Kerry who led to Iran's recognition as a nuclear threshold state, but the ruins they left in every corner they touched in the Middle East will remain with us for many years to come.
(01:05 ,03/30/15)
For Obama and Israel, the party is over
Analysis: Now that he is free of electoral pressures and has been challenged by Netanyahu, Obama is making it clear to Israel and its supporters that the presidential treatment of the Palestinian issue is about to take on a much more aggressive attitude.
(01:18 ,03/11/15)
Iran nuclear deal will be decided by Khamenei
Analysis: While Netanyahu stands on Congress podium, American and Iranian diplomats will be working on final details of fatal agreement which may remove sanctions imposed on Tehran. But will the Iranian supreme leader even approve the deal?
(15:42 ,03/01/15)
Obama is not the person to address on Iran
Op-ed: If Netanyahu really wants to influence the nuclear talks' outcome, he should deliver his speech in Paris and London, not in Washington – unless he has a different motive.
(00:17 ,02/09/15)
Iran's specific vows of vengeance
Analysis: A website with ties to the Islamic regime is threatening to assassinate three IDF officers, a threat with an added sense of menace.
(12:25 ,02/03/15)
A waiting game on the northern border
Analysis: If targeted assassinations on Syrian Golan were designed to prevent establishment of new front against Israel, result may well be exact opposite; but at least intelligence was accurate, for it can only be assumed perpetrators knew who was in vehicle, including general from Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
(00:42 ,01/27/15)
Photo: Avigail Uzi


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