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    Dr. Yoel Guzansky is a senior researcher and head of the Gulf Program at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and a non-resident Scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C.

    Dr. Guzansky coordinated Iran and Gulf affairs at the National Security Council in the Prime Minister's Office. He served under four National Security Advisors and three Prime Ministers. Additionally, he has advised various government ministries, including the Ministry of Strategic Affairs and the Ministry of Intelligence.

    His research focuses on Gulf politics & security, and includes strategic issues in the Middle East, such as regime stability and nuclear proliferation. Dr. Guzansky has been a visiting fellow at Stanford University, an Israel Institute fellow, and a Fulbright Scholar.

    Dr. Guzansky contributes articles to numerous newspapers in Israel, having previously been a columnist for Maariv and currently writing regularly for Yedioth Ahronoth.

    He is a frequent participant in international conferences, writes for international research institutes, and publishes in leading international journals. Dr. Guzansky has published 700 articles, policy papers, book chapters, and academic articles, and has written, co-authored, and edited 13 books and memoranda.

    Yoel Guzansky
    Yoel Guzansky
    Senior Researcher
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    yoelg@inss.org.il
    03-640-0461
    INSS Insight
    President Trump’s Visit to the Gulf: A Shifting Regional Order and the Challenge for Israel
    What are the outcomes of Trump’s diplomatic visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates—and how do they affect Israel?
    19 May, 2025
    INSS Insight
    Saudi–Iranian Relations: Where Hedging Is Essential
    Against the backdrop of Trump's visit to the Middle East: A status update on the “détente” in Tehran-Riyadh relations – and the implications for Israel
    15 May, 2025
    INSS Insight
    The Qatari Challenge: Strategic Dilemmas and Policy Options for Israel
    How should Israel engage with a country that, on one hand, harms its interests and even supports its enemies, but, on the other hand, also serves its interests in many cases?
    17 March, 2025
    INSS Insight
    The Language of the Arab Initiative for Gaza’s Reconstruction
    An analysis of the final statement in Arabic from the conference on formulating a framework for Gaza's “day after” presents a troubling picture, suggesting little change or understanding of the post-October 7 reality
    11 March, 2025
    INSS Insight
    The Arab World and the Trump Administration 2.0
    Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Iran, and the Palestinians: What will Trump’s Middle East policy look like?
    5 February, 2025
    Strategic Assessment
    The Race for Soft Power in the Gulf
    For Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, the dominant and richest among the Arab Gulf monarchies, the accumulation of soft power is central to their preparation for the expected decline in global dependence on their energy exports. While each state has its own emphases, this paper identifies the pursuit of soft power by all of them as attempts to safeguard their global importance and, thus, their national security. It offers an original and holistic examination of the soft power strategies of the three states across the media, academia, sport, culture, tourism, religious tolerance, and diplomacy. The analysis outlines how those strategies are designed to reshape the states’ negative image and legitimize their values internationally, particularly within the West, thereby sidestepping external demands for changes in their internal conduct. By these means, they continually challenge Western moral superiority, which, at least in the case of Qatar, harms material Israeli interests.