Relieving Gaza’s Electricity Burden After the War

The Gaza Strip's heavy dependence on electricity and diesel supplied by Israel has turned from an Israeli strategic advantage into an economic and humanitarian burden for Israel. The reconstruction of postwar Gaza must include more independent energy generation capabilities in the form of solar PV expansion and the development of the Gaza Marine gas field. It must also include more grid connections to other electricity suppliers beside Israel, primarily Egypt. Otherwise, Israel will remain responsible for meeting the needs of millions of Gaza’s residents in the coming decades, regardless of who controls the Gaza Strip.

The Politics of Flooding and Stability in North Korea

In July 2024, torrential rain poured down on North Korea. Thousands of homes were flooded, and more than 40,000 people in North Pyongang Province and other nearby provinces had to be evacuated. This was not the first natural disaster North Korea has experienced during the tenure of Kim Jong-un. Under his father's rule, drought, heavy rains, and a dysfunctional government that was unwilling to allow foreign non-governmental organizations to directly assist North Korean citizens led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands. Kim Jung-un's decision on how to cope with this summer’s natural disaster gives us indications of how he governs the country.

Could Israel’s Nuclear Deterrent Support “Escalation Dominance” Against Iran?

In the aftermath of October 7, there is a clear need to reexamine Israel’s principles of defense. It is already clear that a considerable military build-up and additional investments will be required. However, we must be careful not to repeat the mistakes of the past. More of the same – the restoration of a strategy based on deterrence, greater firepower, a wider order of forces, and more durable fortifications – may prove unsatisfactory and even distracting. This study seeks to contribute to the formulation of a sustainable strategy. We will do this not by citing principles that should be added to the concept of security but by addressing the type of discussion that is required. Along the way we will question some of the automatic responses to the crisis.

BESA Post-Soviet Conflicts Research Digest No. 11 (August 2024)

In August 2024, the PSCRP analysis revolved mostly around the issues of Russia’s internal and external politics.

Governing the Sacred: A New Toolbox for Resolving Conflicts over Contested Sacred Sites

The Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher - these are places of utmost importance to multiple religious groups, and they often give rise to bitter disputes and even acts of violence. The question of how to effectively govern and manage such sites is of paramount practical significance. Until recently, no systematic models of governance for contested sacred sites have been proposed. This article describes a typology of five governance models in terms of their attributes, advantages, and disadvantages so that decision-makers, scholars, religious figures, and other stakeholders can apply them as needed to different sacred sites.

Old Allies, Close Friends: The Strategic Importance of Bulgaria for Israel

Bulgaria is one of Israel’s most reliable partners in the world, particularly in southeastern Europe. The two countries enjoy excellent relations and cooperate in the fields of politics, security, economy, trade and tourism, as well as in the fight against antisemitism. Bulgaria exerts influence in the Balkan region and helps mitigate the negative impact on Israel deriving from Israel’s complicated relationship with Turkey. Bulgaria serves as a gateway through which to introduce Israeli policies, business initiatives, and energy projects to the Balkan region and Europe as a whole.

The North Korean Coronation Process: Who Will Become Regent After Kim Jong-un?

Kim Jong-un's health problems and their implications for the continuity of the Kim family’s dynastic regime are critical issues for the North Korean dictatorship, which must prepare the next generation to rule the state. The question is, who will become the next leader if Kim Jong-un dies – his daughter or his sister?

The Secret War Behind the Exchanges of Fire in the North

The current war of attrition in Israel’s north is not just a series of reaction equations. It is a race to learn about the enemy and prepare for a battle in which both sides will try to overwhelm the opposing military force. The exchanges of fire are providing Hezbollah with an opportunity to study the Israeli air defense system in detail. This is a serious risk that deserves to be given its due weight.

Madness, Sanity and Nuclear War in the Middle East

In world politics, it would seem obvious that sanity is better than madness. Upon reflection, however, the risks of nuclear war could be as high or higher among “sane” adversaries. For Israel, a country smaller than America’s Lake Michigan, a failure to understand this counterintuitive truth could hasten the onset of unprecedented hostilities with Iran. Most ominously, it could mean Israel’s eventually suffering an Iranian nuclear attack.

It’s Not a Border. It’s a Front.

Israel’s flawed strategy of deterring and appeasing its adversaries has had a negative impact on military thinking. In recent decades, the border fence has turned from a tactical measure into a mental barrier. The fence was seen to distinguish between “their territory” and “our territory,” or between a dangerous space and an apparently safe one. The lesson of the failure of October 7 is not to erect stronger obstacles. We have built border barriers in the north and south many times over the decades, and they always fail. A border is a political concept, not a military one. The relevant military concept is a “front.” A front, on both sides of the border, is a challenging combat space that requires tactical independence for the forces, especially in the areas of combat gathering, fire support and air defense.

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