US Election 2020: Most American Jews Don’t Care About Israel

Lev Stesin
December 18, 2020
Paper No. 1851

President Trump is exceptionally unpopular among secular American Jews, despite his groundbreaking approach to Middle East peace and active efforts on Israel’s behalf. Many American Jews have simply stopped caring about both Israel and Judaism, a point that has not escaped the notice of the American elites. If Jews stop caring about themselves, nobody else will.

The “Arab Spring” a Decade On

The 10 years of the so-called “Arab Spring”—the last of which is the year of COVID-19—have brought many Arab countries to the edge of the abyss. The worst may be yet to come if President-elect Joe Biden takes expected steps that would be in the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Israel Needs a Caucasus Strategy

Israel must maintain its deep historic relationship with Azerbaijan, but the Jewish people also have common bonds with Armenians. Jerusalem must seek a larger role in the region to broker peace and prevent Iran and Turkey from gaining a foothold in the area.

Do Not Give Diaspora Jews a Formal Voice in Israel

Israel’s Blue and White party and its minister for Diaspora Affairs, Omer Yankelevich, are supporting a new bill in favor of the radically misconceived idea that Israel should give a formal voice to Diaspora Jews regarding decisions that could affect Jews abroad. Israel is a sovereign state and should not share any part of its decision-making, however small, with Jews abroad. If the bill is passed, it is highly likely that Israel will find itself giving a voice to Jews who are outspoken opponents of its policies.

The Roots of the COVID-19 Pandemic

There has been a notable shift in thinking on the genomic origin and direct source of the virus that sparked the COVID-19 pandemic. While the possibility of a natural contagion has not been ruled out, the alternative of an unnatural if primarily accidental contagion has gathered momentum, and with good reason.

Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan—Iran’s Next President?

Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan, a commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has announced his candidacy for the Iranian presidential elections in June 2021. Dehghan has a toxic military background. In the 1980s he was responsible for the vicious crackdown on opponents of the Islamic regime, and he played a central role in the bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut that killed hundreds. He may well become the new president of the Islamic regime as more military men are expected to run for the office.

The Implications of a Military Figure as President of Iran

In 2021, Iran will be preparing for a presidential election even as it faces an unprecedented economic crisis. Some conservatives argue that a military figure could turn the country around by virtue of his “jihadist spirit” and “military charisma.” While the allure of such a person as president is attractive to some in Tehran, structural impediments remain. The power of the Office of the Supreme Leader will prove a formidable obstacle in the path of any military figure who hopes to ascend to the presidency in the near term.

In Jordan’s 2020 Parliamentary Elections, the King Won Hands Down

Despite non-stop forebodings that have gone on for decades among analysts and the intelligentsia about the inevitable fall of the Jordanian monarchy, the recent parliamentary elections proved that yet again, the King won hands down.

The Renewed Western Sahara Conflict and the Abraham Accords

The timing of the unanticipated provocation by the Polisario Front against Morocco could be related to the ongoing diplomatic initiative sponsored by the US for the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Morocco and Israel. Several foreign powers have an interest in disrupting the next stages of the Abraham Accords.

Erdoğan’s “Please Sanction Me” Challenge

The EU does not have the option of being indifferent to the antics of neo-Ottoman bully Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Doing so would discredit the EU and weaken its soft power. But sanctions, if miscalculated, could create new problems if they go beyond the desired target. Surgical precision will be needed.

Perspectives Papers