- Dr. James M. Dorsey
- Paper No. 1400
The killing by the US of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani has widened the opening for a potential restructuring of the Gulf’s security architecture.
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.
- Dr. Shay Attias
- Paper No. 1399
Soft power and coercive diplomacy tools have not worked for almost 20 years against “peaceful Iran” (as Obama used to call it), and America has opted instead to exercise hard power. Trump’s order to kill Qassem Soleimani exposes once again the vast gap between the US and Europe on the problem of Iran.
- Ofra Bengio
- Paper No. 1398
The killing of Qassem Soleimani could prove to be a turning point in the history of the Middle East as a whole, but first and foremost in Iraq. That country has been contending for months with a popular uprising that has produced chaos and turned it into an arena for a titanic battle between Iran and the US.
- Yaakov Lappin
- Paper No. 1397
Tehran doesn’t want outright war. It is sticking to the long game in its goal of ejecting US forces from the region and completing its takeover of neighboring Iraq.
- Burak Bekdil
- Paper No. 1396
The Turkish Foreign Ministry’s belated statement in response to the Soleimani killing was dry in its language, reflecting the government’s confusion over what position to take. While the government is expressing itself with caution, the Islamist pro-Erdoğan press is expressing a wide range of often contradictory responses. The lack of clarity in Ankara over the Soleimani affair betrays Turkey’s directionless regional policy.
- Dr. Edy Cohen
- Paper No. 1395
The killing of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani is being celebrated across the Arab world by Muslims who were cruelly victimized by him in the service of Iran’s imperialist ambitions. The Palestinians’ fulsome praise for Soleimani and accompanying support for Iran are raising eyebrows across the Arab world.
- Dr. James M. Dorsey
- Paper No. 1394
Like 2019, the new year—and perhaps the new decade—is likely to continue to be marked by popular protest, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. Protests are likely to produce uncertain and fragile outcomes at best, irrespective of whether the protesters or vested interests gain the immediate upper hand.
- Dr. Asaf Romirowsky
- Paper No. 1392
The American Jewish Left has once again fallen in line with the Palestinian demand that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict always be conflated to a problem of “occupation,” regardless of facts or history. By leaping to condemn Mike Pompeo’s factual statement that Israeli West Bank “settlements” do not violate international law, American Jewish leftists joined forces with the BDS movement, which views the entirety of Israel as “occupied.”
- Lt. Col. (res.) Dr. Raphael Ofek
- Paper No. 1391
The new DG of the IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi, charged upon taking office on December 3 that Iran has not yet provided an explanation for uranium particles found at a Tehran warehouse. He also protested the abusive behavior of the Iranian authorities toward the IAEA inspector at the end of 2019. However, he has not addressed Iran’s violations of the 2015 nuclear agreement, suggesting that he would like to avoid an antagonistic relationship with Tehran.
- BESA Center
- Paper No. 1390
Below are the ten most widely read articles published by the BESA Center in 2019. The selections reflect strong reader interest in Israeli national security, especially the looming possibility of direct confrontation with Iran; rising world antisemitism; and Israel’s relations with its Arab neighbors.