The Long Roots of the Yom Kippur War Debacle

The IDF’s difficulties at the outset of the 1973 Yom Kippur War stemmed from an inherent command flaw rather than an intelligence failure as is commonly believed. The roots of this flaw date back to 1957, when Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan decided on an early retirement age for IDF personnel so as to enable them to embark on a second career. Defense Minister David Ben-Gurion, who saw the dangers of the decision, opposed it but did not use his authority to revoke it.

Trying to Forecast Post-COVID Society

In times of major uncertainty it is important for the strategist to define key issues that could be relevant in shaping the future. By following their developments and gradually adding additional subjects, one can get a clearer picture of where society is headed. The longer the COVID-19 pandemic lasts, the more likely it is that there will be major areas in which the post-virus reality differs significantly from the pre-virus reality.

Why Do the Arabs Hate the Palestinians?

For many reasons, the Arab world is not at all interested in giving the Palestinian Arabs a state. The Palestinian Arabs don't really want one either, because why kill the "refugee" goose that lays the golden eggs?

The Palestinians Have Been Lying For Years. Can They Still Get Away With It?

The Palestinians have been lying in all directions for far too long. A gullible liberal public might buy into their lies for a while, but not forever. The UAE and Bahrain are no longer swallowing Palestinian lies, and other Arab states might join them.

The Dangerous Waters of the Mediterranean

The national agendas of Greece and Turkey continue to clash in the Mediterranean. Even if Turkey discontinues its explorations south of the Greek island of Kastelorizo in the medium term, it will be difficult for the two to conduct a productive bilateral dialogue. The European idea of a multilateral summit of all Eastern Mediterranean countries is more promising, but not yet concrete. Israel supports the right of Greece to delimit its continental shelf and favors regional cooperation as a member of the East Med Gas Forum (EMGF), but understands that as matters stand, the possibility of a breakthrough is limited.

The Kishinev Pogrom as a Catalyst to the Russo-Japanese War

Historians covering the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 tend to focus on the strategic and regional ramifications deriving from the unexpected victory of the Japanese. Less attention is paid to the motives behind Japan’s decision to launch a surprise attack on Russia. An article written in 1935 by Israeli historian Prof. Joseph Klausner may solve this mystery. Based upon the testimony of a Japanese intelligence agent, the article points to the 1903 Kishinev pogrom as the decisive factor that led the Japanese to initiate war with Russia.

Is the Muslim Brotherhood Helping Iran Skirt US Sanctions?

Many western analysts wonder how much longer the Iranian regime will be able to survive under the weight of backbreaking US sanctions. What they are missing is that the regime has been skirting the sanctions through the aid of long-time collaborators around the world. Evidence strongly suggests that the Muslim Brotherhood is chief among those collaborators.

The Strategic Benefits to the US and Israel of Offering F-35s to the UAE

The official normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a rare victory for the United States’ overall political and military strategy in the Middle East and has significant global implications. Should Israel elect to accept a measure of risk by supporting the sale of F-35 fighters to the UAE, both parties could see immediate as well as longer-term benefits.

Despite Everything, Another Lockdown

In attempting to handle an elusive global pandemic that is rife with unknowns, experts must often make decisions based on the worst-case scenario. Israel’s upcoming three-week lockdown is a legitimate and necessary tool that can curtail the surging rate of infection, just as lockdowns did during the first wave in Israel and around the world. There is no escaping the impression that many critics of this measure, particularly those ascribing it to PM Netanyahu’s self-serving interests, are aiming at a general breakdown as a means of removing him from office.

Repairing the World by Embracing Antisemites: American Jews and Black Lives Matter

In a recent public letter permeated with distortions published in The New York Times, 600 Jewish signatory organizations identified themselves with Black Lives Matter (BLM). This decentralized movement was founded by Marxists and had in its original platform expressions of extreme anti-Israel incitement. BLM is a racist, anti-capitalist, anti-democratic movement that should be exposed as such and fought. It intends nothing good for Jews or Israel, regardless how many Jews proclaim their allegiance to it.

Perspectives Papers