In recent years, as China has grown stronger, the regime in Beijing has pursued a policy of punitive reprisals against countries that harm Chinese interests, sometimes due to activity related to the close ties of those countries with the United States. The punitive measures are aimed at the “soft underbelly” of trade in order to strike at a central manufacturing sector and delineate China’s red lines. This policy was put into practice against Norway, South Korea, Canada, Australia, and others. Will China take similar...
The State Comptroller recently criticized the way Israel operates regarding foreign involvement in national infrastructure. He said that the lack of mandatory consulting by regulators with the advisory committee could lead them to prioritize economic considerations over considerations of national security. The need to implement the State Comptroller’s recommendations intensifies as the rivalry between China and the United States heats up, and the US administration exerts pressure on allies to establish or strengthen investment...
The maritime border demarcation agreement between Greece and Egypt signed on August 6, 2020 represents a direct counter-response to the maritime border demarcation agreement between Turkey and the Government of National Accord in Libya that was signed in November 2019. The Greece-Egypt agreement was described by leaders in Athens and Cairo as a new stage in their bilateral relations. Furthermore, it signifies an important step in solidifying an anti-Turkish axis in the Middle East, which is led by Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, and Israel,...
French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Beirut following the massive explosion that rocked the city reflected the trend of growing French activity in the Eastern Mediterranean, especially in the context of the Libyan civil war and the conflict involving Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus. This activity represents an attempt to curb the weakening of French influence in the region in the face of mounting competition from other actors. Following the wave of terrorism that France suffered over the past decade, the Mediterranean has...
In January 2020, the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) hosted its 13th Annual International Conference. Entitled “Strategic Assessment for Israel: A Look at the Coming Decade,” the conference included discussions, simulations, and lectures on strategic issues important to Israel’s national security. The conference was attended by decision makers, opinion leaders, and leading researchers from Israel and abroad. We invite you to read the digital version of the booklet that summarizes the conference...
On July 20, 2020 the American oil giant Chevron Corporation announced its acquisition of Noble Energy, also an American company, which is a partner in the consortium that owns the Leviathan natural gas field, the site of two-thirds of Israel’s natural gas reserves. The official announcement of the acquisition states that Chevron was acquiring profitable assets in Israeli waters and strengthening its status in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin. The involvement of a large US corporation like Chevron will raise Israel’s standing in the...
On July 11, 2020, the New York Times published the draft of a 25-year strategic agreement between Iran and China leaked by sources in Tehran, to the dismay of Beijing. According to the draft, China will receive priority in billions of dollars of infrastructure investments in Iran, and a regular supply of oil and gas at a substantial discount, while military cooperation between the two countries will increase. It is believed that Iran has been working on this agreement since Xi Jinping’s 2016 visit to Iran. The Chinese are...
Sima Shine | Eyal Propper | Bat Chen Druyan Feldman
The involvement of foreign companies in strategic infrastructure in Israel is a complex economic-security issue that has recently been a subject of discussion between Israel and the United States. The regulation model for the Israeli electricity sector demonstrates how the influence of a single party on the country’s strategic infrastructure can be limited, be the party local or foreign. Decentralizing control and privatizing peripheral and operational infrastructure elements, while keeping the core of management and the other...
The “application of sovereignty” is a euphemism for the unilateral annexation of parts of the West Bank. This move would thoroughly upset the current state of affairs and change the rules of the game in the Israeli-Palestinian arena. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes that Israel is now presented with what is perhaps a one-time opportunity to change the reality in the conflict arena: “Until today, Israel has always been the one that had to concede, to give, to freeze, and to withdraw…Now President Trump has said that it is...
IDE Technologies, which specializes in water treatment solutions, won the bid for construction and operation of the Soreq 2 desalination plant. According to a May 24, 2020 Finance Ministry statement, the Israeli company was chosen over Hong Kong-based Hutchison on the basis of pricing considerations. The media, however, cast the decision as accession to a demand by the United States relayed during the recent visit to Israel by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who warned against Chinese involvement in infrastructures. Despite the sense...
In cyber warfare, an attack on essential civilian infrastructure is considered a serious attack. According to media reports, Iran attacked Israel’s water infrastructure, and Israel responded with a cyberattack against infrastructure at the Iranian port in Bandar Abbas. While these were not the first attacks between the two countries, they illustrate that the conflict theater includes essential civilian infrastructure. Israel has so far managed to deal with cyberattacks against civilian infrastructure without suffering much damage,...
The current economic crisis in the Gulf states stems from the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic on both the local and global economies, including the sharp drop in oil prices. This article examines how these states are contending with the crisis. Among the dilemmas facing the regimes: the extent to which the “contract” that guarantees overall welfare to the public can be compromised without upsetting stability; the extent to which employment of foreign workers can be curbed without harming economic performance; and...
