Policy Memorandum

The Policy Memorandum series consists of policy-oriented papers.

Space Wars

Col. (res.) Aby Har-Even | May 17, 2016

This study looks at the wars of the future in space. In particular, it explores the development of Anti-Satellite Weapons (ASATI), and the threats that they already pose, with particular focus on the US, Russia and China – all of whom are seeking such weapons and the defenses against them. (Hebrew).

Israel-Greece Relations

Ambassador Arye Mekel | September 14, 2015

This study focuses on the strengthening of Israeli-Greek relations, especially since 2010. The enhanced ties between the two countries allows for the emergence of a new pro-Western geopolitical bloc in the eastern Mediterranean. (Hebrew)

Perfect Storm: The Implications of Middle East Chaos

Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror | July 5, 2015

The storms now convulsing the Middle East are civilizational shifts of historical proportions. Anyone from the outside trying to influence these regional upheavals in a positive direction will find the task very difficult. Israel must focus narrowly on the greatest threat looming in its vicinity — the Iranian drive for nuclear weaponry.

An Integrated Imperative: Attack Iran and Launch a Regional Peace Initiative

Prof. Yehezkel Dror | May 1, 2012

Israel must destroy Iranian nuclear facilities and simultaneously launch a comprehensive Middle East peace initiative, relying in part on the Arab-Islamic Peace Initiative of ten years ago. A violent Iranian reaction is to be expected, but its maximum costs to Israel, the US, and all of the Middle East are much smaller than those stemming from Iranian possession of nuclear weapons.

Regional Alternatives to the Two-State Solution

Maj. Gen. (res.) Giora Eiland | January 1, 2010

Within the currently-defined, narrow confines of the conventional two-state parameters, no Israeli-Palestinian agreement is likely. Regional alternatives that widen the scope of actors taking responsibility for a settlement can creatively help break the impasse.

Russia Will Likely Collapse from the Inside

September 11, 2019 Emil Avdaliani

Russia is historically prone to internal collapse, as is shown by numerous examples from both the imperial and Soviet periods. The collapse usually takes place as Russia rests on the laurels of recent military victories while internal economic and social troubles grow. History teaches that the best way to deal with Russia is to keep intervention to a minimum and wait for its internal troubles to bring about its collapse.

The Day After an Iranian Nuclear Strike

September 10, 2019 Dr. Ori Nissim Levy

There is much discussion around the world about how to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. But few, if any, international bodies deal with the question of how to prepare for the day Iran achieves such capabilities, if that day has not already arrived.

“The Occupation” – How the EU Discriminates Against Israel

August 21, 2019 Prof. Hillel Frisch

Why does the EU single out Israeli “occupation” over other “occupations”? Because anti-Israeli, pro-Palestinian positions are one of the few rallying cries that unite Europe.

The Palestinians, Happiness, and the “Occupation”

August 15, 2019 Prof. Hillel Frisch

In an academic ranking of countries according to happiness level, the “Palestinian Territories” are far from the bottom of the list – something of a surprise, as the never-ending lamentations about the “Israeli occupation” would suggest a different outcome. The real tragedy is Tunisia, which achieved democracy but has not registered expected economic dividends. Its citizens are more discontented than the Palestinians.

The UN Agency for Palestinians Is Even Worse Than You Think It Is

August 11, 2019 Dr. Alex Joffe and Dr. Asaf Romirowsky

A corruption scandal involving sexual misconduct, nepotism, retaliation against whistleblowers, and lots of business-class travel has gripped the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). It represents a new low for UNRWA and is an indictment of the idea of an international agency dedicated to a single interest. But it’s also a unique opportunity to see behind the curtain of a billion-dollar UN bureaucracy and phase it out.

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.

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.

Policy Memorandum

Space Wars

Israel-Greece Relations

Perfect Storm: The Implications of Middle East Chaos

An Integrated Imperative: Attack Iran and Launch a Regional Peace Initiative

Regional Alternatives to the Two-State Solution

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Russia Will Likely Collapse from the Inside

The Day After an Iranian Nuclear Strike

“The Occupation” – How the EU Discriminates Against Israel

The Palestinians, Happiness, and the “Occupation”

The UN Agency for Palestinians Is Even Worse Than You Think It Is

Palestinian Settler-Colonialism

Myth: Israel Is the Largest Beneficiary of US Military Aid

The Oslo Disaster

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