The European Union in Turbulent Times: Challenges, Trends, and Signifcance for Israel maps, reviews, and analyzes the urgent issues on the European agenda. The essays in this collection review the political, social, and economic consequences of these issues and assess their significance, both for Europe and for Israel.
In Turkey’s June 24, 2018 elections, incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was elected for another term, and the ultra-nationalist parties grew stronger. This is significant first and foremost in the Kurdish context, since the nationalists can be expected to be among the main opponents of renewing the peace process with the Kurdish underground. This will also have extensive repercussions on Turkish foreign policy toward Syria and Iraq, and as such, on Turkey’s relations with the regional and global powers. While the Turkish public...
The sixth issue of Over the Net reviews a number of trends that in recent months have been at the center of the discourse in the Arab world. It first addresses the “Marches of Return,” a series of events that took place adjacent to the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel over a period of approximately six weeks, between March 30 (Land Day) and May 15 (the Nakba). These events are examined here on three levels of the public discourse in Gaza: survival, ideology, and narrative. The second topic is the recent elections in...
The familiar and new dynamics playing out in the current crisis between Israel and Turkey are first and foremost a clear sign that the relations themselves are at stake, not just the level of diplomatic representation. It can be argued that Israel has managed in many respects to compensate for the deteriorating relations with Turkey with relations with other actors – its blooming relations with the Republic of Cyprus and Greece, the quiet cooperation with Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and the growing military exports to India. Still,...
Turkey is one of the most technologically, economically, and institutionally developed countries in the Middle East. At the same time, it is one of the countries most exposed to cyber threats. The Turkish government has taken steps in recent years to narrow the existing gaps in defense against cyber threats, but its efforts in this area have not yet produced the desired results. This article analyzes Turkey’s national cyber defense deployment and cites a number of structural challenges resulting from long-standing Turkish policy. The...
Depicted at 2018 Munich Security Conference is a challenging view of the global security environment, marked by a dangerous combination of worsening trends regarding the world’s climate, economy, and society; weakening strategic architectures; challenging technologies; and volatile crisis areas, led by North Korea and Syria. The Palestinian issue was marginalized, given its low influence on Middle East problems in general. Indeed, the Middle East is a secondary focus of attention for the international community, currently occupied...
The war in Syria that began seven years ago is now on the brink of a new stage, as reflected in recent weeks by incidents on the various fronts. Inevitably, the complex fabric of interests among the many elements involved has resulted in conflicts and has renewed the sense of “all versus all.” During the events between Israel, Syria, and Iran on February 10, 2018, Russia worked to stop the escalation from becoming a violent round of fighting. The United States seemed at once present but absent; its voice was not heard...
Turkish-US tensions stemming from Operation Olive Branch in Afrin have brought the deteriorating bilateral relations of the past two years to a new low. Whereas the major aim of the US interests in Syria continues to be preventing the return of the Islamic State, Turkey will continue to take action to take advantage of the post-Islamic State reality in order to achieve its goals vis-à-vis the Kurds. The conduct of all the parties involved in northern Syria will likely continue to be characterized by a sensitive and volatile reality...
In the course of 2017, the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) conducted a research study to examine the situation in the Gaza Strip, with a focus on the prevailing political, economic, infrastructural, and security conditions, including their cumulative manifestations and their short term and long term implications. The aim of the project was to provide a knowledge base for reevaluation of Israeli policy toward the region and for an international reconstruction project. Underlying this aim is the understanding that the...
Turkey welcomed Israel’s disengagement from the Gaza Strip in 2005, and the anticipated implementation of the plan was the background to the one and only visit to Israel in May 2005 by then-Turkish Prime Minister and current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan also supported the idea of the Ankara Forum, a framework for cooperation between Turkish, Palestinian, and Israeli representatives for rebuilding the industrial zone at the Erez Crossing between Gaza and Israel. While to this day there are differing reports about who signed...
In a swift military campaign, the Iraqi government regained control of Kirkuk from the Kurds. This move was made possible when Iran, led by Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani, reached an agreement between the leaders of the PUK – the political enemies of Masoud Barazani, President of the Kurdistan Regional Government – and the Iraqi government regarding withdrawal of the Peshmerga forces from Kirkuk. The loss of Kirkuk is a severe blow to the economy of the region and severely damages the ability of the Kurds to realize their...
