INSS Insight

The commemoration of Western holidays and pre-Islamic traditions in Iran, such as Halloween and Cyrus the Great Day, has recently sparked a public debate among conservative circles, who see these practices as a threat to the values of the Islamic Revolution and to religious faith, and those who believe that they reflect processes of change among the younger generation that must be accepted. As this debate unfolds, the authorities in Tehran are attempting to capitalize on Iranian nationalism, which swelled during Iran’s 12-day war...

The 70-year diplomatic relationship between Iran and Thailand has seen ups and downs in recent years. However, Iran’s desire to expand its influence over Thailand’s Shiite population and exploit it for its own interests had not changed over time. In the past year, these efforts have intensified significantly. This paper examines the mechanisms Iran employs to entrench its control over Shiite religious and educational institutions in Thailand, among them sending religious scholars from Iran to ensure that these institutions follow...

The deep trauma left by the October 7 war, along with the large budgets allocated to the defense establishment as a result, may lead the IDF to pursue a whole series of force buildup and procurement programs without clear priorities. Priorities must be set from the top-down by the General Staff, based on expected threat scenarios for the next war, should it occur. The main stresses and gaps in the IDF’s capabilities should be identified, and force-buildup investments directed accordingly. To a large extent, this is already happening....

After three years of being ruled by a coalition of pro-Iranian Shiite parties and militias, Iraq has reshuffled its political cards once again. The recent parliamentary elections gave incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani leadership of the largest bloc, creating a new challenge for the pro-Iranian governing coalition. Although al-Sudani is seeking another term, some coalition members oppose this. At the same time, an internal confrontation has emerged within the regime’s top echelon between the core leadership of the...

Recent accusations that Israel is committing genocide, enforcing apartheid, and practicing settler-colonialism did not arise in a vacuum. Their intellectual lineage traces back to UN General Assembly Resolution 3379, adopted fifty years ago, which declared that “Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination.” Although repealed in 1991, the resolution’s underlying logic endures. This paper traces how the Zionism = racism formula—conceived in Soviet Cold War propaganda—was institutionalized through UN bodies, NGO networks, and...

The visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Washington—with the designation of Saudi Arabia as a “major non-NATO ally” at its center—reflected a US effort to lock Riyadh more firmly into the American camp in an era of great-power competition. For the United States, this means deepening the security framework with Saudi Arabia, ensuring major investments and access to advanced technologies, and integrating the move into a regional architecture built around the Abraham Accords and gradual normalization with Israel. This...

In the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region—areas whose security and strategic importance for Israel have grown significantly over the past two years—lies Somaliland, an independent and pro-Western state that has yet to be recognized by the international community. Its primary objective is to secure recognition and to build alliances with states that can support it vis-à-vis its rival, the Somali government in Mogadishu. In recent years, Somaliland has cultivated close ties with the United Arab Emirates and Taiwan. Its leadership...

Over the past year, Turkey has been increasingly described as “the new Iran” in Israeli public discourse. Although this characterization is problematic in several respects—including because it downplays the Iranian threat, which remains in force, and because Turkey is a NATO member—it nonetheless reflects concerns about Ankara. Israel is particularly worried by Turkey’s military presence in Syria, Ankara’s involvement in the Palestinian issue, and the potential for friction in the Eastern Mediterranean. In addition, Turkey is growing...

The growing involvement of the Gulf states in Africa reflects their aspiration to establish new spheres of influence on the global stage while taking advantage of a window of opportunity created by the somewhat reduced American engagement on the continent. Alongside localized cooperation, the intensifying competition among Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Qatar for influence in Africa is creating friction—notably in Sudan and the Horn of Africa—and reflects a struggle to define the contours of the emerging regional...

Israel may seem far removed from the Arctic, yet it does have interests in the region, spanning defense, diplomacy, and economics. While the defense dimension has generally been beneficial, the diplomatic aspect has, at times, posed major challenges. The economic interests, although notable, are less significant compared to the other two. How Israel manages each of these areas could ultimately determine whether its engagement with the Arctic helps or harms its broader national interests.

The United States is determined to advance the implementation of President Donald Trump’s framework to end the war and reshape the Gaza Strip without Hamas, and with the area demilitarized of military and terrorist capabilities. The gap between the strategic objective and the challenges of implementation indicates that the success of the framework will require coercive and sustained American involvement, close coordination with Israel, and persuasive US efforts to convince moderate Arab states to take an active role in stabilizing,...

The conclusions of the National Committee for Accelerating the Field of Artificial Intelligence, chaired by Prof. Yaakov Nagel, which were published recently, proposed a wide-ranging vision for the role of artificial intelligence in the State of Israel. The report’s conclusions and recommendations carry significant economic costs and have led to extensive public criticism. A closer look at the recommendations—particularly those with significant costs—raises concerns that the Nagel Committee chose to focus on acquiring status symbols...