Israel’s decision not to abide by the Turkish ultimatum about the need to apologize for the May 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla incident brought the promised “Plan B” punishment: Turkey has decided to expel Israel’s ambassador to Ankara, downgrade its diplomatic ties to the lowest possible
In an article published in 1998 by the Middle East Quarterly, Dr. Ely Karmon described the patterns of Iranian terrorism and its ideological and strategic motivations since the beginning of the Khomeinist regime in 1979. His recommendation at that time was that the West must convince
Israel is extremely worried that Sinai could become the new platform for Palestinian terrorism from Gaza, possibly allied with al-Qaeda and Egyptian Salafist elements. Military strikes against terrorists in Egyptian territory, not sufficiently secured by its authorities, could seriously endanger the already sensitive relations with
In a June 2012 Jerusalem Post article titled “A devil’s advocate view of ‘new’ Mideast”, I stressed that one of the results of the so-called “Arab Spring” is the growing competition between Turkey and Iran for hegemony in the Middle East, on the one hand
Le Pen is betting on Sarkozy’s defeat on May 6th, followed by an implosion of his party, the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP). This will permit her party to run in the best conditions for the legislative elections this June, for what she terms
On May 2, 2012, Issues 8 and 9 of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s English-language jihadi magazine Inspire were posted, probably to balance the Obama’s administration’s celebrations of the killing of Osama bin Laden.
Those who evaluate, as they did wrongly in the past, that Hezbollah’s Lebanese interests and internal political agenda will prevail and Nasrallah and the other leaders will disobey orders from Tehran, do not grasp the umbilical religious, political and economic bond to Iran. Hezbollah’s behavior
In the event of Iran’s vital interests being threatened by the international community, by the U.S. or by Israel, Africa could be a preferred ground for retaliation, directly or with Hezbollah’s support. First published by Haaretz.
Under pressure after the recent Al-Jazeera nine-month investigation of Arafat’s death, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has given final approval to dig up Yasser Arafat’s remains and is also pressing for an international investigation of his predecessor’s death. Suha Arafat, who after his death had blocked requests
Since the beginning of the year, a worldwide Iranian-sponsored terrorist campaign against Israeli targets has been underway. Several attacks were foiled until mid-July, Bulgarian citizen, and wounding some 30 Israelis.The current wave began with a spate of failed attacks in January, in Bulgaria, Azerbaijan and Thailand.
Il momento della verità è arrivato, ma Obama finge che non sia così. First published by Panorama
Past U.S. presidents have had a poor record of standing up to Tehran, so how should Israel regard Barack Obama’s promises to attack before Iran goes nuclear? First published by Haaretz
The uprising in Syria will have a tremendous influence on the future strategic landscape of the Middle East. The struggle inside Syria between the Alawite regime and the amalgam of opposition forces is the battle-ground for powerful regional players: Iran’s Shi’ite coalition against the recently
After a long series of Islamist bombing campaigns in big Indian cities in the last two years, including Mumbai where 209 people were killed in July 2006, the multiple Mumbai terrorist attacks could signify a major escalation in the conflict between India and Pakistan.
Suicide bombings in 2008 surpassed last year’s figures, with 61 attacks so far, killing at least 889 people and injuring 2,072, a source in the investigation agencies disclosed to The News. The total number of suicide blasts in Pakistan since 2002 has risen to 140
Among other disadvantages, a lack of clear victory on Hamas would utterly change the balance of power between the moderate Arab states in favor of the radical coalition Iran-Syria-Hizballah-Hamas, thus farther destabilizing the Middle East and enhancing Iran’s hegemonic status in the region as a
Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz met on Sunday with his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Geneva, a day before Jews worldwide commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Until a few weeks ago, Hezbollah was on its way to take control of Lebanon through legislative elections; in Iran president Ahmadinejad was on the point to win a second term in power; in Pakistan, the local Taliban was moving towards the capital Islamabad after
Op-ed commentary on the subject Is Brazil’s Lula Taking the Right Approach With Iran? for the Washington Latin America Advisor, Inter-American Dialogue Newsletter, August 11, 2009, p.3.
Among other disadvantages, a lack of clear victory on Hamas would utterly change the balance of power between the moderate Arab states in favor of the radical coalition Iran-Syria-Hizballah-Hamas, thus farther destabilizing the Middle East and enhancing Iran’s hegemonic status in the region as a
This article will shortly be published in the annual “Anti-Semitism Worldwide: 1998/1999” by The Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism and Racism at Tel Aviv University, Nebraska University Press.
In order to decide upon an approach for the countering of NBC terrorism we should first evaluate the real threat presented in this field by terrorist organizations, on the short and medium term. The present analysis is based on a research led by the author
In light of the revolutionary events and the growing instability in much of the Greater Middle East and South Asia and the growing threat of failing states losing control on their chemical, biological and nuclear assets, an international effort to monitor, control and foil CBRN
The plan to disarm Syrian chemical weapons is unrealistic, not least because they are the Assad regime’s doomsday weapon to preserve the survival of its own Alawite community. First published by Haaretz
The abduction of the 15 British soldiers aboard the HMS Cornwall three days ago is Iran’s way of telling or reminding the world that it is a powerful military and regional force, and that the international community should be advised against overstepping its boundaries when
This essay will deal with the regional and global implications of Iran’s would-be nuclear bomb. Furthermore, it will try to answer what the consequences would be if the Iranian regime obtains the bomb in nationalist hegemonic ambitions.
This paper gives a short comprehensive overview of Pakistan’s historical role in the emergence, development and radicalization of jihadist movements since the 1980s. India, as well as faraway states like the US and the UK, has suffered from this jihadist phenomenon. Since the early 1990s,
The war in Iraq has produced a tremendous change in the Middle East and in the Muslim world at large. For the first time in history, an Arab country is controlled by the Shi’a. The West does not grasp yet the full meaning of the
In my previous op-ed of December 23, “Needed, A strategy against Hamas”, I advocated that Israel’s main strategic goal in a future military operation, should be the prevention of Hamas’ increased military and political strength and the shattering of the organization’s exclusive control of the
Hamas’ show of strength during its mass rally on December 14, 2008, celebrating its 21 anniversary, and the threatening declarations of its leaders in Gaza and Damascus, culminated in the cancellation of the six-month cease-fire (tahidyeh) with Israel. This stands in contrast to the lack
Among other disadvantages, a lack of clear victory on Hamas would utterly change the balance of power between the moderate Arab states in favor of the radical coalition Iran-Syria-Hizballah-Hamas, thus farther destabilizing the Middle East and enhancing Iran’s hegemonic status in the region as a
It is a clear and known fact that Hamas deliberately uses the strategy of human shields in its operational terrorist and guerrilla activities. This commentary provides an elucidated review of the Hamas’ usage of Palestinian civilians as human shields in their efforts to exploit the IDF’s
Hamas-ruled Gaza emerged on Israel’s southern border as an extremist state, allied with Iran, Syria and Hizballah, with a good chance of taking over the West Bank and affecting the stability of Jordan, Egypt and possibly also the Islamic Movement in Israel. It is imperative
