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Yoni Ben Menachem

Yoni Ben Menachem, a veteran Arab affairs and diplomatic commentator for Israel Radio and Television, is a senior Middle East analyst for the Jerusalem Center. He served as director general and chief editor of the Israel Broadcasting Authority.

Despite the renewed rapprochement between Jerusalem and Ankara, Israel must remain cautious.
P.A. head Mahmoud Abbas’s reluctance to have the P.A. fight terrorism emphasizes the fact that his role as a possible peace partner expired long ago.
Syrian dictator Bashar Assad is seeking to exploit the disaster to end his regime’s isolation.
Israeli security forces shut down the “Aqbat Jaber Battalion,” striking an important blow against Hamas and halting its attempt to establish itself in the Jericho area.
It is very doubtful the Biden administration can prevent a major outbreak of violence in eastern Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria ahead of Ramadan.
Iran believes an escalation in Israeli military activity is likely and Iran should prepare accordingly.
With his recent announcement, P.A. leader Mahmoud Abbas is playing with fire.
An agreement with Saudi Arabia, the leader of the Sunni world, may be only a question of time.
Ultimate power still lies with the Supreme Leader.
It will be interesting to see whether the Netanyahu government, too, will put up with the continuation of the terrorist activities of Hamas’s Istanbul branch.
With al-Sheikh seemingly sidelined, the battle over who will replace P.A. leader Mahmoud Abbas as become even more complicated—and more likely to turn bloody.
The Netanyahu government must clarify to the P.A. that its efforts in quelling the ongoing violence have not been sufficient.