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Oded Ailam

Oded Ailam

Oded Ailam is a former head of the Counterterrorism Division in the Mossad and is currently a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA).

Israel can, and should, begin to act not merely as a state defending its survival, but as a proactive regional power shaping the future of the Middle East.
The coming weeks are critical in determining the trajectory of Turkish politics. While the current crisis exposes Erdogan’s vulnerability, if he weathers it—as he has others—he is likely to emerge emboldened, with even fewer internal constraints on his foreign policy ambitions.
Israel must abandon the revolving door policy of arrest-release-rearrest and transition from a preventative approach to a preemptive elimination strategy.
Israel has decided to break the paradigm by resuming military action. While this step does carry risks for the hostages, the alternative—giving Hamas more time to prepare and solidify its control—is far worse.
The regime’s hardliners view recent setbacks as temporary tactical challenges that must be navigated before resuming their broader objectives.