Israel’s “West Point” Increasingly Shapes the IDF Ground Forces

The Israel Defense Forces’ Tactical Command College (TCC), the Israeli equivalent of the West Point military academy, is increasingly shaping the professional cadre of the Israeli military’s ground forces and leaving its mark on future military leaders.

Biden and Russia: Pressure, But Not Too Much

As the world awaits Joe Biden’s inauguration as president of the US, Washington’s relations with China are under primary scrutiny. However, ties with Russia are no less important, as the two states have numerous differences across Eurasia. Washington will have to apply a careful balance of pressure on Russia to keep it from growing closer to China, and Biden possesses the statesmanship and experience to accomplish this. US-Russia relations under Biden should be strikingly different from what they were during the Trump administration.

Will RCEP Change the Game in Asia?

In a move that could represent another step in Washington’s decline and China’s hegemonic ascent in Asia, 15 state ministers signed the RCEP free trade agreement on November 15, 2020. The question weighing on policymakers across Asia, Europe, and the US is whether the RCEP economic bloc will change the global economic balance of power.

Turkey’s Boycott Threats Are Preposterous

Ankara first attempted to use a commercial boycott as a foreign policy weapon in 1998, when Rome refused to extradite Kurdish nationalist Abdullah Öcalan. Turkey has made scores of national boycott attempts since then, but they invariably lose steam quickly. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s most recent boycott threat against France will be no exception.

The IDF Must Revamp Its Strategies

If the IDF continues to operate according to its old conventions while Hezbollah continues to adapt itself to new realities, it could find itself defeated. IDF commanders need new capabilities to safeguard and support the forces on the ground.

The Emerging US Standpoint on Moderate Arab States

The return of a Democratic administration to the White House is considered a nightmare by both the Royal Court in Riyadh and the presidential palace in Cairo. The projected return of “politically correct” values to the center of US foreign policy, in addition to President-elect Joe Biden’s commitment to return to the JCPOA, should stimulate the leaderships of both Arab states to initiate an urgent dialogue with Biden to protect their critical interests in the region.

Post-Pandemic Culture Shock

The coronavirus pandemic has created a new kind of culture shock. It has affected essential and highly personal elements of many people’s lives within their own environments. A culture shock of this magnitude has not occurred since WWII. When the pandemic ends, societies will be quite different from what they were in the pre-coronavirus era.

Asia Is Waiting for Biden

While President Donald Trump’s Asia policy was not a central issue in the 2020 US presidential election, it had a huge impact on the American economy and security during his term as well as on Washington’s relations with countries in the region. President-elect Joe Biden will need to decide whether to tilt back toward Asia to balance China or leave Asia to China.

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.

Perspectives Papers