Special Publication

The main foreign policy issue that has preoccupied Egypt recently has been the war in the Gaza Strip. Egypt’s policy toward the war in particular, and toward Israel in general, should be assessed in light of two central factors: first, the prolonged war and its severe consequences in the Gaza Strip—an area that directly borders Egypt; and second, the war’s contribution to the growing prominence of the Palestinian issue on Egypt’s national agenda, which resonates deeply within Egyptian public opinion. In this sense, this current...

The concept of victory has become increasingly politicized, particularly the notion of an “absolute victory.” At the same time, the term “decisive defeat” is widely used but rarely defined with precision. This article examines the concept of victory through a professional, military-strategic lens, differentiating it from decisive defeat. The distinction is essential for understanding Israel’s achievements in the war against Hamas and for framing public expectations, especially regarding scenarios in which Hamas may continue to exist...

China’s relations with Iran were recently tested during the twelve-day Israel–Iran war and the US strike on Iran’s nuclear sites. While China’s diplomatic statements supported Iran verbally, they did little else. Chinese media reports covered the Iranian minister of defense’s visit to Beijing in June and mentioned the possible supply of air defense systems and fighter jets to Tehran, although China denied the former. As Beijing is typically cautious in its security, defense, and military cooperation with Iran, most public attention...

According to the German philosopher Hegel, history is written by universal reason, which reveals itself only when the future becomes reality and visible to the eye. This universal reason deceives the actors of history while they are preoccupied with the pursuit of political power, military conquests, glory, or wealth. Thus, the Israeli victory in 1967 brought down the barriers that had separated the various parts of the Palestinian people. At the end of the Six-Day War, the vast majority of the Palestinian nation found itself within...

In recent weeks, voices in the Israeli political arena, particularly from the settler lobby beyond the Green Line, have intensified their call for annexing territories in Judea and Samaria, as well as in the Gaza Strip—namely, the application of Israeli sovereignty to these areas—in response to the growing wave of declarations by many states to recognize a Palestinian state. Annexation, which is by no means a new phenomenon, is intended to block any path toward Israeli disengagement from the West Bank, either from it or within it,...

From the distance of the 19th century, Napoleon Bonaparte observes the Swords of Iron war. His motto in conducting wars is victory at any cost, and he moves the test of victory from the subjective realm of opinion to the objective realm of establishing facts. Among his insights are when the enemy is in flight, either a bridge of gold should be built or a wall of steel. Although Napoleon does not elaborate on strategy, he offers in this context a piercing observation: “Strategy is the art of making use of time and space.”

__________________ Overview The Middle East is undergoing an unprecedented transition sparked by Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack and the subsequent regional war. The war in the Gaza Strip provided Iran with its first real opportunity to implement its “unity of the fronts” concept through the simultaneous, coordinated activation of several fronts against Israel and the United States. Iran hoped to avoid direct involvement and the consequences thereof. Ultimately, however, it failed to employ its network of proxies to force Israel to...

Since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip, humanitarian aid has played a dual role: it is both a life-saving necessity for the Palestinian population suffering from severe and ongoing hardship and a flashpoint for disputes and struggles between competing interests. This article presents the developments in the humanitarian arena during the months of war, as well as the discussions and controversies that have emerged in this complex and charged context, divided into three distinct periods. Each period reflects a shift in the aid...

Israel’s swift strike on Iran was marked by precision and maximum surprise. While it has secured significant gains including degrading Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities, Israel must remain focused on its primary objective: delivering a decisive blow to Iran’s critical nuclear infrastructure. To achieve this, Israel should leverage its military campaign—alongside the credible threat of American involvement—to pursue a sustainable diplomatic outcome that denies Iran the capacity to have a nuclear weapon for many years to come.

Government spending on defence, particularly defence R&D, can have significant economic spillovers. This column argues that the forthcoming European defence build-up must include a long-term strategy to develop high-quality human capital. Military human capital development serves a dual-purpose role: it is crucial for the modern (largely non-combat) battlefield, and also valuable for long-run productivity growth. Israel provides a good example of how military service can become a driver of innovation, by giving recruits intensive...

Russia has a long history of nuclear energy cooperation with Iran. Until recently, it maintained a constructive position on international efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Russia balanced the benefits of its nuclear energy cooperation with Iran alongside its relationships with the United States and its commitment to the robust nonproliferation regime. However, recent developments may have affected Russia’s position on the Iranian nuclear program and could help Iran obtain nuclear weapons. The Joint...

This article discusses influence operations aimed at harming Israeli economic and security interests in the international arena, with a focus on two case studies in the United Kingdom and Japan. In both cases, Elbit Systems was targeted for economic and strategic influence and damage. The article describes the operational methods used in the influence operations on social networks, which include coordinating between activist organizations and coordinated inauthentic behavior networks on social media. In addition, it proposes initial...