- Prof. John Myhill
- Paper No. 137
The fall of the current Syrian regime would greatly increase the likelihood that Syria will precipitate a war against Israel.
Perspectives Papers
Perspectives Papers provide analysis from BESA Center research associates and other outside experts on the most important issues pertaining to Israel and the Middle East.
- Prof. Efraim Inbar
- Paper No. 136
The wisdom of a new Israeli peace initiative is not self-evident. While it may deflect some international criticism, it is unlikely to bring about conflict resolution, and it will propagate the fallacy of a two-state solution.
- Prof. Joshua Teitelbaum
- Paper No. 135
While unrest has rattled the Middle East in recent months, oil wealth and tradition have kept things quiet in Saudi Arabia.
- Prof. Shlomo Shpiro
- Paper No. 134
Covert action by the West, clandestinely providing Libyan rebels with funds, arms, communication equipment and intelligence information, will be crucial for the defeat of Gaddafi.
- Dr. Max Singer
- Paper No. 133
Three forces are competing for control of Egypt: the army, the Muslim Brotherhood, and various civilian opposition groups. The military and civilian opposition must understand that the Brotherhood is their common and most dangerous enemy.
- Prof. Efraim Inbar
- Paper No. 132
Turkey's foreign policy reorientation – away from the West and toward Islamist countries like Iran and Syria – changes the balance of power in the Middle East, negatively affects the pro-Western orientation of the Central Asian republics, weakens NATO, and threatens the East-West energy corridor.
- Lt. Col. (res.) Dr. Mordechai Kedar
- Paper No. 131
It seems likely that in the near term Egypt will be a society plagued by political intrigue and instability. The governments of the world must be vigilant for developments that could threaten the Suez Canal, the peace with Israel, and regional stability.
- David M. Weinberg
- Paper No. 130
An insidious new mythology is being advanced that replaces the Iranian threat with the "Israeli threat" to Middle East stability. This has the scent of incitement against, and demonization of, Israel. Political
attention must be redirected where it most urgently belongs: to the Iranian threat.
- Prof. Avi Kober
- Paper No. 129
Outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Ashkenazi's greatest achievement is the restoration of Israeli public faith in the IDF as an effective fighting force after the failures of the Second Lebanon War. An overall assessment of his tenure, however, also points to shortcomings in areas such as IDF battle doctrine and commanders' education.
- Prof. Jonathan Rynhold
- Paper No. 128
The dream of turning Cairo 2011 into "Berlin 1989" is a chimera; the challenge is to prevent "Tehran 1979." Obama Administration policy, however, threatens to widen the crack in the strategic foundations of regional stability that has served as the indispensable basis of peacemaking since the mid 1970s.