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Yaakov Lappin

Yaakov Lappin

Yaakov Lappin is an Israel-based military affairs correspondent and analyst. He is the in-house analyst at the Miryam Institute; a research associate at the Alma Research and Education Center; and a research associate at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University. He is a frequent guest commentator on international television news networks, including Sky News and i24 News. Lappin is the author of Virtual Caliphate: Exposing the Islamist State on the Internet. Follow him at: www.patreon.com/yaakovlappin.

IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi at a ceremony for outstanding soldiers in the IDF Technology Unit, at the Glilot army base, on December 02, 2019. Photo by Tomer Neuberg/Flash90
Israel News
Israeli chief of staff’s speech underlines sobering fact that it’s fighting Iran alone
Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi shares his assessment of the growing risk of a direct clash with Iranian forces, saying that “it would be better if we weren’t the only one acting against them.”
Dec. 27, 2019
Yaakov Lappin
U.S. CENTCOM commander Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. (left) and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi in Israel, Nov. 11, 2019. Credit: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
Israel News
IDF’s International Cooperation Unit works to ensure room for operations in an increasingly crowded Middle East
From friends to foes, Brig. Gen. Erez Maisel sheds light on the behind-the-scenes work conducted by the International Cooperation Unit to ensure freedom of maneuver for the Israel Defense Forces.
Dec. 24, 2019
Yaakov Lappin
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads the weekly cabinet meeting, at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem on Dec. 1, 2019. Photo by Marc Israel Sellem/POOL.
Israel News
Is it time for Israel to codify its national security strategy?
For years, Israeli governments and cabinets have made strategic decisions without formal principles on how to conduct national security efforts, including the use of military power.
Dec. 16, 2019
Yaakov Lappin
Iranian Quds Force Commander Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
World News
Iran’s Qassem Soleimani controls a multi-national army that is destabilizing the Mideast
The commander of Iran’s Quds Force is more than a military leader, say Israeli observers. Active from Lebanon to Yemen, he is responsible for stirring up powerful “antibodies” in the region.
Dec. 9, 2019
Yaakov Lappin
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at United Nations headquarters in New York on Sept. 26, 2018. Photo by Avi Ohayon/GPO.
Israel News
Is now the right time for a US-Israel mutual defense pact?
The proposal has been met with criticism from some in Israel, who argue that it could limit Israel’s freedom to maneuver and constrain the Israel Defense Forces. But with the growing threat of Iran in the Middle East, proponents say now could be the time to sign the pact and boost deterrence
Dec. 6, 2019
Yaakov Lappin
A view of the new Tel Aviv-Jerusalem fast train, over the HaArazim Valley ("Valley of Cedars") just outside of Jerusalem, Sept. 25, 2018. Photo by Yossi Zamir/Flash90.
Culture and Society
Israeli defense firm develops cutting-edge cyber defenses to protect critical infrastructure
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems built a Cyber Security Operations Center for Israel Railways—a critical infrastructure that faces 10 million cyber-attack attempts a month.
Nov. 25, 2019
Yaakov Lappin
A satellite image of Israel's purported airstrikes on Syria showing damage to Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps/Quds Force headquarters near the Al Mazzeh Airport in Syria. Source: ImageSat International.
Israel News
By striking in Syria, Israel sends clear message to Iran that it will not be deterred
The IDF has been pursuing an active campaign of removing threats as it detects them, relying on intelligence and precision firepower to deal with ongoing Iranian challenges from Syria. The goal? To nip hazards in the bud.
Nov. 20, 2019
Yaakov Lappin
The Israel Air Force and jets from the United States, Germany, Italy and Greece take part in the international Blue Flag drill held from Nov. 3 to Nov. 14, 2019, at Uvda Air Force Base, north of Eilat. Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit.
Israel News
Israel’s Blue Flag international air-force drill was ‘most advanced’ to date
The introduction of the F-35 stealth aircraft to joint training helped the IAF integrate with other air forces, since the foreign aircraft all had NATO’s Link 16 communications system installed onboard—a system the IAF has not previously had.
Nov. 20, 2019
Yaakov Lappin
An Iron Dome air-defense system set up in Sderot in southern Israel near the border with Gaza on Nov. 13, 2019. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.
Israel News
After 50 hours of fire exchanges, Israel waits to see if Gaza Strip stabilizes
This round of fighting dealt a significant blow to Palestinian Islamic Jihad; defense chiefs are eyeing whether the halt in hostilities will allow Israel to keep its focus on the far larger threats to the north.
Nov. 14, 2019
Yaakov Lappin
Israeli soldiers at a staging area in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip, Nov. 13, 2019. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.
Israel News
Israel seeks to prevent further escalation on second day of conflict with Islamic Jihad
As Israel sought to contain the escalation—this time, without Hamas in the mix—a fragile situation emerged that could easily and dramatically change due to any significant civilian casualty on either side.
Nov. 13, 2019
Yaakov Lappin
Mourners carry the body of Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist field commander Baha Abu al-Ata during his funeral in Gaza City after he was killed by an Israeli airstrike in a targeted attack on Nov. 12, 2019. Photo by Hassan Jedi/Flash90.
Israel News
Airstrike assassination of Islamic Jihad commander in Gaza neutralized an imminent danger
In the first hours of battle between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hamas sat on the sidelines.
Nov. 12, 2019
Yaakov Lappin
U.S. CENTCOM commander Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. (left) and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi in Israel, Nov. 11, 2019. Credit: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
Israel News
Israel hosts foreign military delegations to share knowledge of battle simulations
The Israel Defense Forces has come to use increasingly powerful simulations as a key tool for military planning, factoring in field data about combat arenas on land, at sea and in the air.
Nov. 11, 2019
Yaakov Lappin
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