The stakes are high in the upcoming Congressional elections, with partisan dominance of both chambers at stake. Currently, Democrats hold a slim majority in the Senate with 53 seats, including two held by Independents who usually caucus with them, while Republicans enjoy a 25-seat margin in the House of Representatives. The November 6 presidential election is seen hinging mostly on the US economy, with foreign policy taking a back seat. With consumer confidence at all-time lows, and most Americans believing that both the economy and...
Rebel activity against Bashar Assad’s regime, which began in March 2011, was initially limited to certain areas, while Syria’s large cities remained more or less undisturbed. During the first months, there was noted hesitancy on Washington’s part regarding the best course of action for the United States in this crisis. While avoiding making a decision, the administration repeatedly called on President Assad to institute democratic reforms in Syria. When Assad consistently refused to do so, the administration heightened its...
This article will examine various aspects of maritime enforcement and prevention methods in the context of Iran, first and foremost a naval blockade, for the purpose of stepping up pressure to thwart proliferation of non-conventional weapons. In addition, it will discuss the ramifications of these enforcement and prevention measures and the relevant alternatives available to the international community.
Israel’s strategic environment of mid 2012 differs significantly from that of a few years ago. In the current environment, the military force application that Israel is liable to need differs in purpose, constraints, and the accompanying military-political interface from the force application of the past. The purpose of this article is to discuss some of the particular characteristics of force application in this contemporary environment.
Americans will choose their next president and Congressional representatives on November 6, 2012, i.e., in just under three months. At this point in the campaign, the economy continues to be the driving issue for voters. More than nine out of ten registered US voters say the economy is extremely or very important to their vote in this year’s presidential election (July 19-22 USA Today/Gallup poll). US economic growth slowed to an annual rate of just 1.5 percent in the second quarter, compared with 2 percent in the first quarter of...
The starting point for any analysis of the legality of an armed attack by Israel or the US against Iranian nuclear facilities must be the UN Charter prohibition against “the threat or use of force.” The UN Charter provides explicitly for only two exceptions to the prohibition against use of force. The first exception is if the use of force is authorized by the UN Security Council acting within its powers under Chapter VII of the Charter. It can be assumed with high certainty that China and Russia would veto any proposal...
No one who attended the May 29-30, 2012 INSS conference “Security Challenges of the 21st Century: Israel’s Search for Opportunities in a Turbulent Region” could have failed to come away with the impression that Israel is nearing the point at which it will have to make a decision on the Iranian nuclear question. The statements made by the Prime Minister, the Defense Minister, and Deputy Prime Minister Ya’alon left no room for doubt that time is quickly running out. Their remarks offered a clear glimpse at the...
The Republican presidential primary campaign passed yet another turning point last week, with frontrunner Mitt Romney handily winning the Illinois primary. Despite conservative challenger Rick Santorum’s victory Saturday in Louisiana, Romney likely will win the Republican Party’s nomination, after a primary campaign lasting longer than expected. Now, stepping back from the headlines, what lessons should Israel’s leaders draw from this election cycle so far?
The international media abounds with headlines on similar assessments by the Israeli and US intelligence agencies that the Iranian regime has not yet decided to produce nuclear weapons, as well as the apparent disagreements between the US and Israeli administrations on the seriousness of the situation. Any differences of opinion, however, are grounded in the knowledge of basic facts on the status of the Iranian program. What follows is a review of the basic facts, based on the recent IAEA reports – and recognizing that because of the...
There is no doubt that in the March 5, 2012 meeting between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu in Washington, the subject of Iran dominated all other issues on both leaders’ agendas. This meeting, the speeches delivered by both leaders at the 2012 AIPAC Policy Conference, and various recent media interviews make it possible to sharpen some ideas regarding the United States-Israel-Iran triangle.
One year after the uprisings known as the “Arab spring” erupted, this collection of fifteen articles explores what is evident thus far as to the regional and international ramifications of the upheavals, with special reference to the potential ramifications for Israeli national security. Among the questions addressed: Why did the upheavals occur now, and what do they portend for the future? How have the major powers and certain Arab states, ostensibly spared the turmoil, responded to the events? Where do Iran and Turkey...
In a February 5, 2012 interview with NBC, President Obama was asked if Israel intends to attack Iran. The President answered that he doesn’t think Israel has decided what it should do about Iran. The President clarified that Israel, like America, thinks that Iran must stop its nuclear development program. Israel, stated the President, is “rightly very concerned” about Iran’s nuclear program. The United States is “working in lockstep” with Israel in order to prevent the nuclearization of Iran.
