The BRICS summit held in New Delhi in September 2026 demonstrated the organization’s gradual evolution from a forum based primarily on declarations and political and economic coordination into a framework that is also developing practical mechanisms in technology, industry, health, agriculture, and space. For China, this process carries additional significance: BRICS enables it to advance ideas and initiatives originating in Beijing within a multilateral framework it does not control, thereby contributing to the internationalization...
The rapid development of artificial intelligence capabilities is broadening the way China defines the risks posed by this technology. Alongside espionage, cyber threats, and familiar national security threats, Beijing is increasingly addressing the risks originating from advanced AI systems themselves—including autonomous operation and loss of control. At the same time, technological lag and dependence on foreign technologies are also perceived as risks to national security. Official publications from September 2026 show that...
Gaza’s social media discourse has recently shown a clear shift regarding the disarmament of Hamas. Once an ideological symbol whose relinquishment was seen as surrender, the issue has become the subject of pragmatic debate about the benefits of continuing the armed struggle weighed against the heavy price Gaza’s population is paying. The online debate falls into three main approaches: (1) Hamas’s critics, who support disarmament as a necessary step toward ending the war, preventing displacement, and beginning Gaza’s reconstruction,...
On October 15, 2026, the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) held a hybrid workshop, bringing together human experts and artificial intelligence to evaluate four alternatives for addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Continued conflict management – within an evolving framework and adjusting to developments on the ground.
The "Decisive Plan" – applying Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, dismantling the Palestinian Authority, and encouraging Palestinian emigration from the area.
A comprehensive...
In a recent expert discussion held in Tehran marking 46 years since the outbreak of the Iran–Iraq War, three Iranian researchers discussed the lessons of Khomeini’s decision to accept a ceasefire in July 1988 and their implications for the current conflict with the United States. The researchers pointed to Iran’s difficulty in defining achievable political goals and ending wars; the danger of overestimating its capabilities and missing diplomatic opportunities; and the impact of revolutionary ideology on the willingness to...
Recent public opinion polls conducted among the Palestinian public indicate a significant weakening of the “resistance is winning” narrative and reflect a profound conceptual shift. This shift moves the center of gravity from supporting Hamas’s strategy of resistance toward a pragmatic approach that is acutely aware of its costs.
This process of disillusionment is evident in the unprecedented drop in support for “armed struggle” as an effective means of achieving national goals, alongside a surge in...
While global attention has been focused in recent months on Hormuz, the battle over the Arabian Peninsula’s second chokepoint, Bab al-Mandab, is rapidly escalating. The intensifying war in Yemen and the heightened Houthi threat to shipping in the Red Sea no longer constitute a separate arena, but rather another front in the regional war with Iran. Saudi Arabia finds itself in an hour of crisis and extraordinary strategic predicament: Hormuz is disrupted to the east, the East-West pipeline has been damaged, the Houthis are attacking...
Despite its modest size and a population estimated at just three million, in recent years Armenia has become a focal point of interest for major global players. This interest stems first and foremost from Armenia’s geographic location, situated at one of the critical meeting points between Asia and Europe. Another reason is the dramatic pivot in Armenian foreign policy—the shift from exclusive reliance on Russia toward a pro-Western orientation, alongside the normalization of its relations with neighboring countries. Armenian...
The war with Iran has demonstrated that the Strait of Hormuz is a vulnerability not only for energy exports, but also for the connection of the entire Gulf economy to the wider world. Existing alternatives have proven their value, but also their limitations: rerouting Saudi oil to Yanbu increased exposure to Bab al-Mandab, which is under a Houthi blockade; Fujairah provides only a partial solution; there is currently no alternative route for Qatari LNG exports. Therefore, the goal is not to replace Hormuz, but to create an...
Amid the ongoing absence of Iran’s leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, the Iranian media has recently featured a growing number of references emphasizing his experience, qualifications, involvement in state affairs, and standing alongside his father, while also providing religious justification for his absence. Accounts from his associates and supporters reflect an intensifying effort to bolster the legitimacy of a leader who assumed office without significant formal public experience and limited religious standing, amid criticism over...
A growing public backlash is currently unfolding in the United States against Flock Safety’s license plate recognition cameras, sharpening the debate over the boundaries of using surveillance technologies for national security purposes. This article compares the American system with Israel’s “Hawk Eye” (“Ein HaNetz“) system, examining how the collection of traffic data and cross-referencing capabilities contribute to threat countering and law enforcement, while also posing risks to privacy, public trust,...
The publication of a tender for the construction of 1,234 housing units in E1 crosses a threshold that Israeli governments have avoided for years. Previous governments advanced plans for the area, but stopped short of the tender phase due to American and European opposition and the associated diplomatic costs. The current government has chosen to move toward implementing construction as part of its declared policy of establishing facts on the ground, aimed at eliminating the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state. The choice...
