By Lt. Col. (res.) Dr. Raphael Ofek, July 6, 2020
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Three incidents, including two explosions at nuclear facilities, have shaken Iran in recent days. Were they connected? Were they caused by accidents or were they carried out by a foreign power? If the latter, were they executed via cyberattack? And what will be their domestic and international implications?
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By Maj. Gen. (res.) Gershon Hacohen, July 6, 2020
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The moment the issue of extending Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and parts of the West Bank emerged, it took on a dynamic of its own. Not only did the opposing sides’ positions grow sharper and more polarized, but the way claims are being made—accompanied by fear-mongering and threats—has changed the dynamic of the internal Israeli debate on the Israeli-Palestinian problem.
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According to a recent joint statement by Pakistan and Afghanistan, “The soil of either country should not be used against the other.” If Pakistani leaders are serious, Islamabad should no longer allow its soil to be used as a safe haven for Taliban leaders, argues Michael Rubin in a National Interest op-ed. It is time for Pakistan’s civilian government and the military to recognize that the reason no one in Afghanistan takes its diplomatic promises seriously is that the road map is clear on how to fulfill them, but Pakistan so far refuses to even start moving in the right direction. Continue here.
Countering China as an economic power and alternate political and development model is a centerpiece of US national security policy. Countering China in the Middle East, however, has proved challenging due to inconsistencies in US policy and with the growing perception of China's attractiveness to the region, notes Karen Young in Al-Monitor article. Framing the discussion of China’s role in the Middle East as a zero-sum game of choosing either US or Chinese patronage has only increased Beijing’s clout in the region. But there is no stark choice for the Gulf states to decouple from Washington or Beijing, only opportunities lost. Learn more here
by Marilyn Stern
Middle East Forum Radio
July 5, 2020
https://www.meforum.org/61185/borshchevskaya-on-russias-military-activity-in-liby
By Irina Tsukerman, July 2, 2020
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Islamist Quartet consists of Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan, and Malaysia. The seeds of its agenda were planted by Qatari Emir Hamad’s and Libyan dictator Muammar Qhaddafi’s plot to take down the Saudi royal family and divide the Kingdom. Qatari lobbyists have since managed to bury the long history and strategic depth of these relationships by reshaping the narrative with a focus on the 2017 Gulf Crisis.
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JNS
June 25, 2020
https://www.meforum.org/61175/can-palestinian-despair-lead-to-end-of-conflic
· https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2020/06/19/the-caesar-act-and-a-pathway-out-of-conflict-in-syria/
· https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/lebanon-ambassador-hezbollah-shea-media-ban/2020/06/28/15adec2a-b89f-11ea-9a1d-d3db1cbe07ce_story.html
· https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/.premium-iraq-s-leadership-is-finally-setting-limits-on-iranian-intervention-1.8962450
Middle East Quarterly
Summer 2020 (view PDF)
https://www.meforum.org/61032/how-putin-is-winning-in-syria
Foreign Policy
July 1, 2020
https://www.meforum.org/61178/trump-syria-policy-is-working
// Emma Beals
Western negotiators must give no ground in Moscow's attempts to evade its responsibilities.