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Yaakov Amidror

Maj.-Gen. (Ret.) Yaakov Amidror is a senior fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies.

An Israel Navy vessel sails near one of Israel's natural gas rigs in the Mediterranean Sea. Credit: IDF.

The Israel-Lebanon maritime border agreement: Pros and cons

While there are several positive aspects to the agreement from Israel’s perspective, it may have a serious strategic downside.

November 1, 2022

The Middle East as seen from 250 miles above in this April 14, 2016 photo from the International Space Station. Countries seen, from left, along the Mediterranean coast include Egypt, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. Credit: NASA via Wikimedia Commons.

A new Middle East

Unlike the Oslo vision, the new reality taking shape in the region is genuine and devoid of fantasies. It must be protected and nurtured.

August 17, 2022

Negotiators meet in Vienna to discuss the Iran nuclear deal, May 2021. Source: Enrique Mora/European External Action Service/Twitter.

Why is Iran returning to the negotiating table?

The answer is simple: The 2015 nuclear deal is good for Iran. But negotiations or no, Israel must prepare for the possibility it will have to defend itself.

November 15, 2021

U.S. President Joe Biden on the phone with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan about ongoing efforts to safely drawdown the civilian footprint in Afghanistan. Source: White House/Twitter.

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan: What’s next?

The Middle East is doomed to remain brutal, repressive and culturally Islamist. Regional powers, including Israel, must come together to guarantee stability.

August 19, 2021

Signatures on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement with Iran. On the top left side is Persian handwriting by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, July 14, 2015. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

No agreement is better than another bad agreement with Iran

Israel-U.S. dialogue on Iran’s nuclear program is necessary, as a good agreement with Iran is a clear Israeli interest. But Israel must be prepared with a military option, as a last resort.

March 18, 2021

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attends the Great Conference of Basij members at Azadi stadium in Tehran, Oct. 4, 2018. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Iran keeps up its malign behavior, pandemic notwithstanding

In the meantime, it doesn’t seem as though Iran—the driving force behind most of the friction in the Middle East—is changing its plans or abandoning its dreams, whether in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq or even Yemen.

April 13, 2020

Smoke rises from a fire caused from a rocket fired from Lebanon near Moshav Avivim on the border with Lebanon, in northern Israel, Sept. 1, 2019. Photo by David Cohen/Flash90.

Prevent Iran from creating more Hezbollahs across the Middle East

Escalating tensions with Iran should be a warning that Tehran’s strategy of training and arming proxy terror groups throughout the Middle East is not being countered aggressively enough.

September 27, 2019

The site where seven Israeli soldiers were wounded when an Israeli army patrol came under anti-tank fire from Hezbollah operatives in the northern Mount Dov region along the Israeli border with Lebanon, on Jan. 28, 2015. Photo by Ancho Gosh/Flash90.

How far will the IDF go?

“Operation Northern Shield,” raises complicated questions about Israel’s initiative and willingness to enter a war to prevent the threat it sees growing.

December 16, 2018

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin meets with Chad President Idriss Derby on Nov. 25, 2018. Credit: Haim Zach/GPO.

Israel should maintain the Africa momentum

The Jewish state has three main interests in this regard: diplomatic, economic and ethical.

December 2, 2018