Podcasts

Looking at social media, INSS researcher Orit Perlov analyzes the recent escalation in the Palestinian territories and within Israeli cities. What can be learned from social media about the involvement of Palestinian terrorist organizations in the escalation at the present time? Given that the perpetrators of the recent attacks do not share a uniform profile, does the latest violence represent an organized strategy or program by a number of organizations, or are these attacks merely coincidental? What role did incitement play in the recent attacks, and on what is it based? Does documentation of attacks on the traditional media influence the emergence of new violence? In response to the attacks, why has the IDF chosen to focus on the Jenin area, and based on recent discourse in the Palestinian social media, to what extent can the terror there be contained?

In recent weeks, the protests sweeping across Iraq and Lebanon have led observers of the Middle East to surmise that the region may be experiencing a second Arab Spring. Indeed, the unrest in Lebanon and Iraq comes on the heels of protests in Egypt and Jordan earlier this fall, and joins a protest movement in Algeria that has continued since February. What lies behind the latest round of social unrest? How do the protests in Iraq and Lebanon compare to one another, and to protests in North Africa? And what distinguishes the latest wave of demonstrations from the 2011 uprisings? INSS research fellows Dr. Sarah Feuer and Orit Perlov sit down to discuss the significance of the current upheaval, possible trajectories moving forward, and implications for Israel.

Approaching the 8th anniversary of the uprisings that swept the region in what came to be known as the “Arab Spring,” INSS research fellows Sarah Feuer and Orit Perlov sit down to take stock and review key elements of the region’s current political, security, and economic landscapes. Surveying developments in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia, Feuer and Perlov highlight noteworthy trends in the arenas of women’s rights, electoral politics, and political Islam across the Middle East and North Africa. The researchers conclude by discussing some of the implications of the Arab Spring for Israel, addressing new threats and opportunities emerging from the tumult of 2011.