Saudi Arabia Is Sending Joe Biden Mixed Messages

Saudi Arabia appears to be drawing lines in the sand as the kingdom prepares for a new era in relations with the US once President-elect Joe Biden assumes office in January. The kingdom is seemingly signaling that it is willing to go only so far to get off on the right foot with the Biden administration.

The Turkish Air Force: Flying into the Abyss?

Turkey’s F-16s will be phased out in 10 to 15 years. Now that it has been kicked out of the US-led F-35 program and is facing US military sanctions, what can Ankara do to sustain aerial firepower? A Russian fighter seems the only feasible option, but even that may come too late.

The Common Israeli Destiny

Our Common Destiny, the new Israeli project launched during Chanukah and to be headed by President Rivlin, aims to strengthen the national solidarity of the Jewish people as a whole and within Israel in particular. This project is praiseworthy on condition that it is based on the Jewish moral values of freedom and justice and not on those of European liberalism.

The Hellenic Countries Are Integrating Into the Middle East

A lack of EU support against Turkey, as well as continued unfair economic policies, has seen Cyprus and Greece move away from Brussels and toward the Middle East.

Arrival of Sa’ar 6 Ships Marks Evolution of Israeli Naval Doctrine

The docking of the first of four German-made Sa’ar 6-class Israel Navy warships (dubbed Magen) at Haifa Naval Base marks the arrival of an advanced sea platform that will give Israel new capabilities to defend its critical offshore energy resources against a growing array of precision-guided enemy weaponry.

Arab and Iranian Responses to the Capitol Hill Riot

The Arab street and social media responded to the riot on Capitol Hill in Washington with a combination of gloating and appreciation for the relative restraint shown by American law enforcement in suppressing the violence. The regime in Tehran expressed satisfaction at the chaos while leaving an opening for improved relations with the incoming US administration.

Debating Yad Vashem

BESA Center
January 18, 2021
Paper No. 1891

The recent attempt by PM Netanyahu to appoint former IDF general and cabinet minister Effi Eitam as chairman of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center has stirred a heated public debate about the Center’s depiction of the Holocaust in recent years and its implications.

After Coronavirus, Governments Must Promote Health, Empathy, and Solidarity

Governments need to start planning for the post-coronavirus era. This will have to include more components than economic and social policies. Populations have to be given renewed hope for the future. Empathy, human warmth, and solidarity will be needed to support those whose lives were made more difficult by the pandemic. This will require the involvement of as many civil actors as possible.

The Future of Settlement in Israel

Having embraced a market-economy approach, the Israel Land Authority is blocking the growth of Jewish residence in, and control of, most parts of the country that are beyond the densely populated cities of the coastal plain.

The Interests Behind the Saudi-Qatar Rapprochement

Behind the ending of the dispute between the two Gulf States stands an intense fear of Iran as well as American pressure to renew diplomatic ties. Israel must bear in mind that ties with the Gulf States are not etched in stone.

Perspectives Papers