Red and Green Virtue-Signaling — An American “Intifada”?

The recent riots in the US underscore how identity politics have been hijacked by red and green alliances between socialist and Islamist ideologies. We are now seeing a conjoining of black American politics with Palestinian thinking, which is itself consumed by identity politics.

Post-Coronavirus Societies: Where We Are Right Now

Societal change is occurring very rapidly as countries emerge from the height of the coronavirus crisis. In some locations, major protests are being mounted against government measures. If a second wave of the pandemic strikes, popular resistance to future measures could be great. In addition to protests, we are seeing the first of what could become a massive stream of court cases. The revival of the economy is a priority for every government, but mistakes can come at a heavy price.

Israel and the Precision-Guided Missile Threat

Dr. Uzi Rubin
June 16, 2020
Paper No. 1607

he received wisdom that “missiles and rockets don't win wars,” always a dubious assertion, is now obsolete and demonstrably false. Modern precision-guided missiles have the same combat effectiveness as fighting aircraft yet are easier to operate and less vulnerable as they don’t rely on huge, immovable, target-rich air bases. Precision-guided missiles and rockets can paralyze the civilian and military infrastructures of entire countries, thus paving the way to their defeat in war. These weapons most certainly can win wars, and Israel should do everything in its power not only to prevent defeat by them but to use them to defeat its enemies.

Netanyahu’s Complex Dilemma

The issue of applying sovereignty to the Jordan Valley and the West Bank’s Israeli communities puts PM Benjamin Netanyahu on the horns of a difficult strategic dilemma, one of the most important in Israel’s history. At critical strategic junctures, decisions are always complex, and Netanyahu’s is complex many times over. But full Israeli control over the West Bank’s main traffic arteries is absolutely essential.

Thinking Beyond the EastMed Pipeline

While the construction of the EastMed pipeline remains a key goal of the Israeli-Greek-Cypriot cooperation during the COVID-19 period, economic adjustments will have to be made. The US has yet to actively support the project, making its implementation difficult. In the interim, the three countries can expand their cooperation by concentrating on other areas such as the fight against the virus, the relaunching of their economies, the battle against antisemitism, and synergies in the defense sector and cybersecurity.

Religious and Cultural Obstacles to China’s BRI in the Middle East

The successful implementation of China’s BRI strategy will largely depend on its ability to overcome the Middle East’s weighty political, economic, religious, cultural, and security problems.

Iran’s Anti-Israel Bill: Desperation Masquerading as Legislation

Ofira Seliktar
June 11, 2020
Paper No. 1603

Iran’s new anti-Israel legislation has banned all contact with the “Zionist enemy,” however indirect, even going so far as to criminalize the use of electronics that contain components manufactured by companies with branches in Israel. The law has also mandated the creation of a “virtual embassy” in Jerusalem to protect the Palestinians’ interests. For all its hardline posturing, the law reflects chaos within the regime.

Athens and Jerusalem Have a Diplomatic Opportunity

Greece, Israel, and five other countries of the Eastern Mediterranean have established the East Med Gas Forum. Turkey is not a member and is employing its own muscular approach in the region. The US would like the Forum to be more inclusive, specifically toward Ankara. Athens and Jerusalem could launch a diplomatic initiative to explore Turkey’s participation, as they have nothing to lose and much to gain from such an initiative.

Whitewashing Achille Mbembe’s Antisemitism

The African public intellectual Achille Mbembe was invited to be keynote speaker at this summer’s Ruhr Triennale music Festival in Germany (canceled due to coronavirus). His invitation was questioned due to his history of making extreme antisemitic statements. Mbembe claims, falsely, that his opponents were members of the extreme right who didn’t want a black speaker. A debate has ensued in which his supporters are demanding the firing of Germany’s antisemitism commissioner, Felix Klein. The Mbembe affair is one of the most aggressive campaigns to whitewash antisemitism seen in recent years.

Turkey: Are the Anni di Piombo Making a Return?

Burak Bekdil
June 8, 2020
Paper No. 1600

Turkey’s political polarization along conservative and secular lines is showing signs of being a slow-fuse time bomb. For most Turks, the domestic “political other” is not just a rival but a traitor, an enemy within—and Turks are increasingly expressing their willingness to kill or die to purge that other.

Perspectives Papers