Perspectives Papers

Perspectives Papers provide analysis from BESA Center research associates and other outside experts on the most important issues pertaining to Israel and the Middle East.

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Muslim Hypocrisy: On the Violation of Religious Freedoms

No. 120

Prof. Jonathan Fox | November 14, 2010

Muslim protests against Western Christian violations of Muslim freedoms are clearly a case of people living in glass houses throwing stones. Any such violations pale in comparison to the pervasiveness and severity of violations of the religious freedom of Christians in Middle Eastern Muslim states.

The Struggle Over Religious Edicts in Saudi Arabia

No. 119

Prof. Joshua Teitelbaum | November 11, 2010

Recently, the Saudi Royals have moved to control the issuance of fatwas(religious edicts), restricting them to those appointed by the family as members of the Council of Senior Ulama; but the proliferation of media makes such control difficult.

Ending Oil’s Monopoly: The Role of Israel

No. 118

Dr. Emmanuel Navon | November 7, 2010

The West needs to end oil’s monopolistic status by promoting the use of biofuels and electricity for transportation, something in which Israel can assist thanks to its technological lead in electric cars and second-generation biofuels.

American Public Opinion Toward Iran’s Nuclear Program: Moving Towards Confrontation

No. 117

Prof. Eytan Gilboa | October 24, 2010

Contrary to common wisdom, an in-depth analysis of US public opinion polls shows that most Americans increasingly understand that the radical Islamic regime in Iran must be confronted; even, if necessary, with military force.

The Tide Could Turn Against Radical Islam

No. 116

Dr. Max Singer | October 10, 2010

The driving forces behind the growth of Islamic radicalism – the Islamic revolution in Iran and the immense Saudi funding for spreading Wahhabism – may not endure. By the end of this decade, the current strength of Islamism could be shattered.

Obama Should Withdraw From Afghanistan, Not Iraq

No. 115

Prof. Hillel Frisch | October 7, 2010

The US should withdraw its forces from Afghanistan because there are other states capable of shouldering the burden of stabilizing the country, and the threat to US security is no longer acute. Iraq, however, can be stabilized only by the US, and its long-term stability is a vital US interest with lasting and broad implications.

Is Israel More Isolated Than Ever?

No. 114

Prof. Efraim Inbar | September 14, 2010

Israel is not nearly as diplomatically isolated as its critics from within and without would have us believe; thus, Israeli diplomacy and security policies should not be dictated by panic over such “isolation.”

When the West Bankers Arrive in Washington…

No. 113

Prof. Hillel Frisch | September 1, 2010

Mahmoud Abbas cannot yet afford to lose the Israeli army presence in the West Bank as the threat of a Hamas takeover there still looms. Thus the peace talks are a pretense.

Handling the “Tectonic Shift” in US Foreign Policy Under Obama: A Strategy for Israel

No. 112

Dr. Max Singer | July 12, 2010

No president has the power to create a “tectonic shift” in US policy by himself. Israel must balance its acceptance of Obama’s policies with the reinforcement of parts of the American policy-making system that have not been converted to the President’s view.

Gazans Deserve a Better Future

No. 111

Prof. Efraim Inbar | June 30, 2010

The international pressure that led to Israel’s easing of the Gaza blockade indicates a gross misunderstanding of Israel’s right to self-defense as well as a grave misperception as to Israel’s responsibilities as a non-occupying power.

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A Different Perspective on the Temple Mount Crisis

September 8, 2017 Maj. Gen. (res.) Gershon Hacohen

Moderate leaders warn that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may turn from a national conflict into a religious one. Right-wing leaders claim it has been a religious conflict from the start. Both approaches have been applied to the Temple Mount crisis, and both are affected by a totalist perception of the understanding of the religious imperative.

Palestinian Settler-Colonialism

September 3, 2017 Dr. Alex Joffe

The concept of “settler colonialism” has been applied with almost unique vehemence against Israel. But the fact that Jews are the indigenous population of the Southern Levant can be proved with ease. In contrast, historical and genealogical evidence shows Palestinians descend primarily from three primary groups: Muslim invaders, Arab immigrants, and local converts to Islam. The Muslim conquest of Byzantine Palestine in the 7th century CE is a textbook example of settler-colonialism, as is subsequent immigration, particularly during the 19th and 20th centuries under the Ottoman and British Empires. The application of the concept to Jews and Zionism by Palestinians is both ironic and unhelpful.

Israel’s Possible Paths to Nuclear War

July 22, 2017 Prof. Louis René Beres

North Korea’s nuclearization has implications for Israel’s nuclear deterrence posture. There are several plausible means by which a nuclear conflict could arise in the Middle East. It may be time to consider a phase-out of Israel’s “deliberate nuclear ambiguity” and to focus Israeli planning around evaluations of enemy rationality.

Ehud Barak: Blatantly Ignoring Danger

May 31, 2017 Maj. Gen. (res.) Gershon Hacohen

Former PM Ehud Barak’s arguments in favor of withdrawal from Judea and Samaria undercut Israel’s security and are a departure from the Oslo Accords’ security vision. Israel would be wise to present President Trump with actual facts on this issue.

Myth: Israel Is the Largest Beneficiary of US Military Aid

February 10, 2017 Prof. Hillel Frisch

Many American detractors of Israel begin by citing that Israel receives the lion’s share of US military aid. The very suggestion conjures the demon of an all-powerful Israel lobby that has turned the US Congress into its pawn. But these figures, while reflecting official direct US military aid, are almost meaningless in comparison to the real costs and benefits of US military aid – above all, American boots on the ground. In reality, Israel receives only a small fraction of American military aid, and most of that was spent in the US to the benefit of the American economy.

The Oslo Disaster

September 4, 2016 Prof. Efraim Karsh

The Oslo diplomatic process is the starkest strategic blunder in Israel’s history and one of the worst calamities ever to have afflicted Israelis and Palestinians. Twenty three years after its euphoric launch on the White House lawn, the Oslo ‘peace process’ has substantially worsened the position of both parties, and made the prospects for peace and reconciliation ever more remote.

Perspectives Papers

Muslim Hypocrisy: On the Violation of Religious Freedoms

The Struggle Over Religious Edicts in Saudi Arabia

Ending Oil’s Monopoly: The Role of Israel

American Public Opinion Toward Iran’s Nuclear Program: Moving Towards Confrontation

The Tide Could Turn Against Radical Islam

Obama Should Withdraw From Afghanistan, Not Iraq

Is Israel More Isolated Than Ever?

When the West Bankers Arrive in Washington…

Handling the “Tectonic Shift” in US Foreign Policy Under Obama: A Strategy for Israel

Gazans Deserve a Better Future

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Why Israel Needs to Win and the Palestinians to Lose

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A Different Perspective on the Temple Mount Crisis

Palestinian Settler-Colonialism

Israel’s Possible Paths to Nuclear War

Ehud Barak: Blatantly Ignoring Danger

Myth: Israel Is the Largest Beneficiary of US Military Aid

The Oslo Disaster

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