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Eyal Zisser

Eyal Zisser is a lecturer in the Middle East History Department at Tel Aviv University.

In its current iteration, Hezbollah cannot function outside the Lebanese system in which it exists and without the government institutions from which it draws its power.
The Palestinian leadership repeatedly embraces ‎terrorists, offering prisoners and their families ‎generous financial assistance, thus communicating to ‎the Palestinian public that these individuals are ‎heroes when it should be denouncing their actions.‎
Hezbollah had hoped that seizing an IDF outpost or community in a surprise attack by way of the underground tunnels was its ace in the hole. Israel has taken this card away.
Over time, Israel proved it had the ability to defend itself, and was a regional ally and genuine strategic asset for the United States.
No Arab country rushed to stand by the Palestinians ‎against Israel, and most simply sought to restore the calm to the ‎region.‎
Hamas seems to believe that Israel is more concerned ‎about war than it is, and the terrorist group is determined not to blink first.
There is no doubt that Israel and the Arab world have crossed the Rubicon on the path to establishing a stable—and even close and unconditional—relationship with Israel.
As of now, Israel and the United States don’t have another partner in the region, not one as reliable and stable as Saudi Arabia.
Even without Russian indifference, it’s ‎hard to imagine that Israeli airstrikes would make the Iranians rethink their plans for ‎Syria. ‎
Israel and Hamas are not the only players that are bracing for a possible conflagration. Over in Tehran, the ayatollahs know that renewed hostilities would help distract the world’s (and Israel’s) attention from their regional aggression.
Overall, it doesn’t truly harms ‎Israeli interests, which is why Jerusalem is showing ‎patience towards the hostile winds blowing ‎in its direction from Jordan.
Iran, we must remember, is the only one that stands ‎to gain from a conflagration in Gaza, as it would ‎divert everyone’s attention from what it is doing in ‎Syria and what it is trying to do in the region.‎