Commentaries

A decade after the most severe terrorist attack in human history, that has at once moved the world’s largest democracy from a state of peace free of security concerns to a state of on-going war, is an appropriate period of time for a comparative analysis

The Israeli-Palestinian peace process is once again at a dead end. Achieving real progress towards sustainable peace requires reorienting the existing diplomatic paradigm in a manner that will help Palestinians build the functioning, democratic state they deserve, while ensuring Israelis have a stable, responsible neighbor

Clearly, the dramatic changes the Israel-Turkey relationship have undergone over the past three years have a lot to do with the man who has been prime minister of Turkey since 2003. Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been especially outspoken in his criticism of Israel, and has

It is imperative that the United States take drastic measures to change AfPak, as it is clearly not working. Afghans are frustrated with the U.S. presence, as are many Pakistanis. Washington must understand that U.S. national security does not lie solely on having physical presence

On December 12, 2011, the Gadap Town Police in Karachi, the Provincial capital of Sindh, rescued 53 children chained in an underground dungeon at a seminary, the Jamia Masjid Zakaria Kandhelwi Madrassa Arabia, situated in the Afghan Basti in the Sohrab Goth area of Karachi.

What can we learn from the series of attempted and completed terrorist attacks against Israeli diplomats of the past two days? Even at this early stage of investigation of the three incidents – in Thailand, New Delhi and Georgia – it is possible to highlight

The passage of time since September 11, 2001, has not diminished the distrust many of us feel surrounding the official story of how 9/11 happened and, more specifically, who financed and supported it. After eleven years, the time has come for the families of the

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

News reports today have linked the Toulouse gunman responsible for the murders of seven people, now identified as French citizen Mohammed Merah, to a recently banned French extremist group with connections to Britain. Named Forsane Alizza (FA – the Knights of Pride), the group bears

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

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

Pakistan continues to play the role of a ‘good host’ to a multiplicity of Islamist terrorist groupings, prominently including al Qaeda and its many affiliates, as well as various factions of the Taliban operating in Afghanistan. As the US tinkers with its ‘strategy’ of phased

At present, it is difficult to say whether the citizens of Egypt elected Muhammad Mursi because of his personality and stunning charisma, or whether because the Muslim Brotherhood was the last organized party left standing in post-revolution Egypt, the only one that could really recruit

Shri P. Chidambaram, the Home Minister of the Government of India, has been quoted as saying on June 25, 2012, as follows: “Abu Jindal has been apprehended and remanded to custody of law enforcement agencies.” First published in the International Terrorism Monitor — Paper No.

The election of Muhammad Mursi to the presidency of Egypt, and the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood to power in Egypt 84 years after its founding by Hassan Al-Banna, is an historical, political earthquake which will be discussed for years to come, whose significance will

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.

Analyst tells ‘Post’ high levels of radioactive poison reportedly found on Arafat’s belongings likely placed there much later. First published by The Jerusalem Post.

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

The terrorist attack against a busload of Israeli tourists in Burgas, Bulgaria, poses a number of questions, and necessarily shakes up the security establishment. Although the attack in Burgas is still being investigated, the details published to date indicate that it was perpetrated by a

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 presidential candidate more likely to prevent a nuclear Iran should get the American vote. There are a number of other important issues in the upcoming elections, but preventing a nuclear Iran stands above and beyond all else. Everything else pales in comparison. First published

Today, September 11th, marks the day that the unthinkable occurred. For many of us, our innocence was lost, our sense of safety shattered, and our lives changed forever. On that clear, bright, terrible morning, eleven years ago, nearly 3,000 people were killed in vicious and

Have there ever been examples of despots and autocrats being moderated by being incentivised to do so by the international community? Can you think of any? The tides of tyranny have never been reversed by financial incentives. Presented at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT)

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

This survey examines Iranian-Sudanese ties and their implications for Sudan’s assistance to terror organizations and Islamic Fundamentalist groups.

Before presenting the Islamic evidences that such operations are Islamically legitimate, we need to emphasise that it is wrong to call such operations a “suicide”. Killing one’s self aggressively or casting one’s self into destruction, all of which are forbidden in the Qur’an “and do

Egypt was extremely shocked at what happened in Luxor recently. A group of criminals and murderers, seduced by the Devil, opened fire blindly on whomever they laid their evil eyes. They killed tens of innocent men and women who came to Egypt for tourism, to

The aim of Israel’s present policy in Lebanon is to maximize the security of Northern Israel, while disengaging itself from Lebanon’s internal affairs and the political aspirations that were part of the Israeli policy before and during the Lebanon War.

One of the main criteria in the Israeli initiative to implement resolution 425, and of the Israeli cabinet decision of April 1st, is the dismantling of the military capabilities of Hizballah, and the other terror organizations, and the cessation of their terror activities from Lebanese

On the 9th November, 1997, the U.S. President notified the Chairman of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, Mr. Jesse Helms, of the American government’s intention to remove Syria and Lebanon from the list of 30 countries who grow and distribute drugs worldwide.

The current situation in Lebanon isn’t the result of Israeli actions. Israel was dragged into taking military action in the wake of a Hizbullah attack and the kidnapping of its soldiers last week.

Hamas perceives the fighting in Lebanon as a kind of laboratory, where they were able to closely study the I.D.F.’s operations, and learn from Hizbullah’s guerilla tactics.

Deterrence is a topic that has been much on my mind since the early days of the “al-Aqsa Intifada”

Al-Qaeda could expand its activities into Lebanon exploiting the current conflict there. Such a move, already publicly urged by Al-Qaeda leaders, could not be ruled out despite the gap between the predominantly Sunni Muslim group and Lebanon’s militant Shiite Hezbollah.

Counter-terrorism authorities are concerned with the growing ability and skills of terrorists to spread their propaganda through the conversion of the Internet into a globally efficient recruitment tool.

Until about a year ago, IDF Intelligence estimated that “Israel was not being targeted by al-Qaeda”. Since these estimates were made public, reality has hit Israeli intelligence in the face. The global arena vis-à-vis Israel turned out to be rife with activity and al-Qaeda recently

As an officer in the I.D.F., Maj. Blizblau was injured in January 2005 during a suicide bomb attack in the Gaza Strip and as a result lost his eyesight. Since then, he has completed the Staff and Command course of the I.D.F. ground forces and

On December 22nd, 2006, a federal U.S. district judge ruled that the Iranian leadership was behind the attack and that it must provide compensation to the families of the victims in the sum of 254 million Dollars.

Unlike scores of other cities around the globe, Bangkok ushered in 2007 in tears rather than jubilation. A number of small bombs known as “M-4 bombs” were detonated by digital clocks in eight separate locations in the Thai capital killing three people and injured over

Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was executed by hanging on 30/12/2006. The execution was supervised by representatives of the current Iraqi government and was led by representatives of the American forces in Iraq. Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq between the years 1979 – 2003 and was

In series of videotaped lectures by Sheik Feiz Mohammed, head of the “Global Islamic Youth Center” in western Sydney, Jews were called “pigs” and pronounced “on their way to hell”, in addition to children being urged to become martyrs for Islam.