Recent activity in Jordan’s southern governance capitol, Ma’an, raises concern as to the emergence of radical Islam and its implication in-light of recent gains by the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS). Recent months have seen an increase in Jihadi rhetoric over the
At this hour, July 15 16:00, after Israel accepted the proposed ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt and hold fire since 9 am, Hamas rejected it and poured heavy rocket fire on South, Central and even northern Israel. Therefore Israel decided at 14:00 to resume the aerial attacks against
After making astounding territorial gains in its war against the Iraqi government, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria – which has refashioned itself “the Islamic State” – declared that it had reestablished the caliphate. The group’s gains put a spotlight on several questions related
The best alternative would be for the Palestinian Authority, with Egyptian support, to retake control of Gaza First published by the Jerusalem Report
Tunnels were used by the British Army during World War I, the Vietcong in Vietnam, Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, and even the rebels during the current conflict in Syria, tunnels have not been seen as a key strategic threat in decades – until they formed
Israel is not free from mistakes. Just as in previous wars and military operations, the IDF and Israel will investigate their actions after the current battle in Gaza comes to an end. Israel will draw operational conclusions, including those with moral implications. However, you my
The book also describes in detail the rise of jihadist networks in Spain, in the larger context of jihadist terrorism in Western Europe, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Operation “Protective Edge” began on July 8, 2014 in light of the serious escalation in rocket fire directed at Israel from the Gaza Strip by Palestinian terrorist organizations, led by Hamas. Hamas, which had refrained for many months from using the large rocket infrastructure that
Prepared remarks to ICT Conference on global counter-terrorism Herzliya, Israel – Tuesday September 9, 2014
Does the strategic, long-term threat posed by Hamas constitute an existential threat or not? I choose to leave the question open to the discretion of the reader. If a decision maker is convinced that the cumulative threat is indeed existential and manages to convince the
On February 26, 2014 and March 13, 2014, General John F. Kelly, Commander of the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), presented SOUTHCOM’s 2014 posture statement to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees respectively. Kelly maintained that “Iran’s involvement in the Western Hemisphere is a matter for concern”
At least 148 people, most of them children (132), were killed when Taliban gunmen attacked the Army Public School in Peshawar. The overwhelming majority of the victims were pupils at the school. Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan needs a comprehensive counter-terrorism
The Jordanian military confirmed on December 24, 2014 that one of its warplanes had crashed in northern Syria and that the pilot had been captured by the Islamic State (IS) (formerly ISIS or ISIL)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking at the weekly Israeli cabinet meeting on December 28, said Iran was increasing its efforts to arm the Palestinians in the West Bank, a move, he emphasized, was encouraged by the Palestinian Authority envoy to Tehran. First published in Times
It should be remembered that the first serious wave of Islamist terrorist attacks against those responsible for ” blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed” were the result of Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini February 1989 fatwa calling for the assassination of Salman Rushdie, in response to his depiction of
Cruel anti-Semitic attacks are “never solely about Jews,” Ruth Wisse wrote in the Wall Street Journal last week. Jews are the most vulnerable targets at hand to destroy the narrative of democracy that despots disdain—free speech, press, and religion. Such images are particular irritants to
Is Europe now ready to take the necessary political, legal and operational decisions to counter the terrorists? First published in the Jerusalem Report
This past semester, I taught in an Israeli university for the first time, teaching American history at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya, while on leave from McGill University. Best known for hosting an annual anti-terrorism conference, the IDC is the Start Up Nation’s startup
In the upcoming elections, the duty to vote is more critical than in all previous elections because these elections will determine the direction in which the State of Israel will be steered by its leaders. Will it be towards continued deadlock and lack of initiative?
Even Italy, a country that has historically been fairly immune to the phenomenon, is now starting to realize the real potential threat stemming from the radicalization of its Muslim community. First published in the Jerusalem Post
US President Barack Obama expressed last June his concern about a possible influx into the US of European extremists who’d returned from Syria, taking advantage of the fact that they don’t need a visa to enter his country. He also mentioned that over 100 Americans
My article “The Strategic Imperative to Deny an Iranian/Hezbollah Base on the Golan Border” dealt with the attempt by Iran and Hezbollah to build a new strategic base in the northern Syrian Golan Heights and was posted on my Times of Israel blog at
Being a nuclear threshold state and a rouge regime is toxic: Tehran is both. Iran’s 1979 Revolution instructs its leaders to resist compromises, especially now because they expect Washington wants to cut any deal. But in case there is diplomatic stalemate, it is important for
In light of the agreement reached between the world powers and Iran on the subject of nuclear development on Iranian soil, and prior to the signing of the final agreement, it is important to clarify several key insights with respect to a change in the
At least 148 people were massacred and 79 were wounded when Al-Shabaab, a Somalian Islamist group, attacked a Kenyan university in the northeastern town of Garissa, on April 2, 2015. Kenya’s interior ministry said the dead included 142 students, three policemen and three soldiers
Malaysia has a consistent anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian foreign policy. Malaysia, Turkey and Qatar were the main supporters of Hamas during itswar against Israel in July – August 2014. Malaysia is a strategic ally of the United States in the war against terrorism (like Turkey and
Hamas, the organization controlling the Gaza Strip, has always been present in Yarmouk, together with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), however after the entry of the Syrian rebels it found itself the undisputed master of the camp. Hamas then began to bring weapons, operatives and
At least 27 people have been killed and 227 others wounded in a suicide bombing that took place during Friday prayer at a Shiite mosque in Kuwait City. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the first attack on a Shiite mosque in Kuwait,
On June 26, 2015 at 9:28 am, Yassin Salhi (a driver for a delivery company) entered the Air Products Gas Company in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier (next to Lyon), one of the largest industrial neighborhoods in Europe. Salhi, who was known by the guards and had all necessary
The civil war in Syria has clearly been the main trigger for the changes in the Australian jihadist arena since 2012. First published in the Jerusalem Post
Al-Qaida’s power has been steadily waning over the past six months. This decline is due to a series of targeted killings, carried out by the U.S., of its senior operatives, such as its leader in Yemen Nasir al-Wuhayshi, as well as the growing rivalry with
Tomislav Salopek, a 31-year-old Croatian was reportedly abducted in western Cairo in July 2015 and beheaded by the “Sinai Province” group, the Egyptian branch of ISIS, formerly known as Ansar Beit al-Maqdis. Ardiseis Egypt, a unit of French firm CGG, which specializes in oil and
On the backdrop of the recent Russian military deployment in Syria please see two apparently different viewpoints which however reveal the sad reality of the US and Russian involvement in the beleaguered Middle East. My colleague Bruce Hoffman’s article “ISIL Is Winning” argues that fourteen
Bin Ladin, a Saudi millionaire and veteran of the Afghan war of 79-89, came to see that conflict in the light of “Muslim believers vs. heretics.” In his view, the term, “heretics” embraces the “pragmatic” Arab regimes (including his homeland, Saudi Arabia), and the United
For the moment there are no real clues leading to the group or organization responsible for the murderous terrorist attacks in Kenya and Tanzania against the American embassies, which took the lives of so many innocents–Africans and Americans.
Recent reports concerning the reappearance in an Egyptian hospital of Sabri el-Bana–better known by his trade name, “Abu-Nidal”–has once more brought into the spotlight the matter of the many terrorist leaders still walking around free. It would seem that this time Abu Nidal may not
According to a number of recent reports in the Israeli Media, the Israeli security forces have been increasingly troubled by an upsurge in hostile actions on the part of Jewish settlers. There are reports of acts against the Palestinian population, possible attempts to target high-ranking
The US Department of State’s report “Patterns of Global Terrorism: 1997,” released in April 1998, states that “notwithstanding some conciliatory statements in the months after President Khatami’s inauguration in August 1997, Iran remains the most active state sponsor of terrorism [from a list of seven
On the background of the many threats by Hamas to avenge the killing of the Awadallah brothers on September 11th and to renew its terrorist activity in Israel, it is of interest to note some conflicting voices in the Islamic movement. On September 8th, two
In the past few weeks several articles have been published by prominent figures in Hamas hinting at a possible change–or at least rethinking and reevaluation–of its terrorist tactics. Yet another of these articles was published in the October 1998 issue of the monthly Filastin al-Muslimah,
Numerous critics in the Arab world have blamed the recent anti-American terrorist attacks on America’s support for Israel, and its “double-standard” with regard to the Middle East. However, a closer look at the ideology and strategy of Osama bin Ladin and his followers shows clearly
Over the past few years the public discussion of the problem of terrorism from Lebanon has centered only on two options: a Israeli unilateral withdrawal without prior security arrangements; or a withdrawal in the framework of a general settlement, which would enable Syria to reap
Syria under the rule of Assad is a state which affords patronage to terrorism, supports terrorist organizations and uses terrorism as a tool with which to further its strategic objectives. Syria is thus part of that small “club” of seven states sponsoring terrorism, which also
Recently three senior Hizballah leaders have made pronouncements concerning the future of terrorist operations in the case of a unilateral IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon. The three were: the head of the organization, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah; the head of the “Political Council,” Mohammed Ra’ed; and
One of the quandaries facing academic researchers, military and security professionals and politicians is the question of “defining terrorism.” The prevailing opinion is that there is no international agreement on the phenomenon of terrorism, nor can there ever be such agreement. Indeed, the number of
On April 21, the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, Shaykh Abd al-Aziz bin Abdallah Aal al-Shaykh, said that Islam forbids suicide terrorist attacks. This has raised a storm of criticism from supporters of the Palestinian intifada against Israel. However, the mufti may have been thinking
This morning, the text of the long-awaited Mitchell Commission Report, an account of the past seven months of Israeli–Palestinian violence written by a five-member committee headed by former Senate majority leader George Mitchell, was made publicly available. Conceived as a “committee of fact finding” at
The recent State Department Report on International Terrorism (issued on 30 April), together with the Turkish “non paper,” showing Iran’s involvement in terrorist actions in Turkey, provided yet another proof that Iran qualifies for the dubious title of the world’s leading “terror-sponsoring state.”
