Security Council Resolution 2334 is a harsh finale to eight years of a frozen political process between Israel and the Palestinians. Extremely problematic for Israel and the peace process alike, the resolution is the outcome of a Palestinian strategy that prefers to contend with Israel in international institutions rather than through negotiations, and problematic policies and behavior by both the Obama administration and the Netanyahu government. The two leaders have awarded the Palestinians a diplomatic prize, and the Palestinians...
The battle for control of Aleppo, the second most important city in Syria, has seen a victory for Assad’s forces, supported by the pro-Assad coalition. In effect, the international community, including the United States, abandoned the Syrian people, and failed in both halting the bloodbath that to date has claimed nearly half a million victims and preventing a humanitarian disaster. Russian President Vladimir Putin made every effort to finish the campaign in Aleppo before President-elect Donald Trump enters the White House, and to...
The United States’ stature as a leading global power in the Middle East has eroded in recent years. The administration’s decision to play a reactive rather than a proactive role in the Middle East created a vacuum in the region that was filled by elements that worked against the interests of the United States and its regional allies. The new US administration will be under the scrutiny of the international community, and the first steps that it takes will have critical implications for the way in which the various actors in the...
The election of Donald Trump may well prove to be a strategic opportunity for Israel to improve its relations with the United States and expand coordination with it on all matters pertaining to Israel’s essential strategic interests. Yet despite the strategic opportunity to improve its relations with the United States, excessive enthusiasm and identification with the election of Trump is liable to lead to a series of negative developments. The Israeli leadership should leverage the opportunity that Trump’s victory may provide, but...
Tensions and contradictions marked some of the foreign policy positions articulated by Trump during the campaign, and his precise policy vis-à-vis Israel is likewise difficult to define. What is clear, however, is that Trump’s very election, as well as the administration he will form, reflects change more than it does continuity. Under these circumstances, Israel now has the opportunity to begin a new chapter in its relations with the US. Therefore, when Prime Minister Netanyahu is invited to the White House in the coming months, he...
In their second televised debate, which focused on US foreign policy issues, first and foremost Syria, Clinton and Trump disagreed on the identity of the enemy, how to reach a resolution in Syria and Iraq, and the role the United States should play in resolving the refugee crisis triggered by the fighting in these states. The difference between the two presidential candidates is deeply ideological and not merely tactical, and carries with it long term ramifications, assuming that the policies articulated by each candidate will be...
On October 3, 2016, the US State Department announced the suspension of bilateral talks with Moscow seeking a ceasefire in Syria, and cancellation of a Joint Implementation Center for action against the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. Statements by the American administration contain explanations for the failure of US political efforts, and point at the blatant gaps between the current US approach and Russia’s strategic culture and approach to the use of force. The cumulative result is that at all times Russia and the Assad regime have a...
Despite Syria’s repeated violations of Security Council Resolution 2118, including use of chemical weapons, and the public and official recognition of these violations, the Obama administration continues to avoid any enforcement or any direct action against the Assad regime, out of policy considerations and the desire to limit US military involvement in the Syrian civil war. This ongoing policy, however, has negative implications for the United States and its ability to wield influence in Syria;; its status vis-à-vis other powers,...
The widespread popular belief, as well as the operating assumption of US law enforcement agencies, was that it was Russian hackers who broke into the computer network serving the Democratic National Convention, as part of a cyberattack aimed at Democratic Party institutions. Apparently as a result of tensions between Russia and the US, a cyberwar is already underway that goes beyond the ongoing activities of intelligence gathering and espionage. Causing damage to the democratic process, perhaps by means of tendentious exposure of...
Although the Syrian regime welcomed the Russian-American ceasefire agreement, President Assad was quick to proclaim his determination to reestablish Syrian state control over all parts of the country that are currently in the hands of “terrorists.” He also demonstrated no willingness to move ahead with regime reform. Yet alongside the clear difficulties threatening the success of the ceasefire agreement, there are significant factors that may enable it. The major issue that should trouble Israel in light of the ceasefire agreement is...
The agreement between Russia and the United States on a ceasefire in Syria is a compromise between rival powers. The respective political objectives of the two sides led the parties to the negotiating table, but likewise made it difficult for them to conclude an agreement. The divergent goals may also make it difficult to implement the agreement. Moreover, although the agreement serves the interests of the United States and Russia, it still lacks a guarantee that the fighting will stop, and it does not have a formula for the full...
The Obama administration nears the end of its tenure frustrated by its failure to advance the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and it appears that by the end of its term, it seeks to have laid the groundwork for a new framework regarding the process. The Israeli government should therefore make a concerted effort in the existing circumstances to reach understandings with the Obama administration on questions involving the peace process and the settlements. This would likely assist Netanyahu’s efforts to persuade the American...
