In Focus Article Search By Categories : All General Diplomacy      |       Search By Authors : Yechiel Leiter Dan Diker Speeches Interviews     Sharon's Strategic Legacy for Israel: Competing Perspectives 20/08/2008 Dan Diker  |  General Some Israeli opinion-makers, seeking to define Sharon's political legacy, are determined to transform him into a political dove due to his unilateral disengagement plan that pulled Israel out of Gaza. They claim that the "new" Sharon was willing to lead Israel in another major pullback - this time from at least 90 percent of the West Bank. This interpretation assumed the West Bank security fence would constitute Israel's eastern border. View Article >> Why Israel must now move from Concession-Based Diplomacy to Rights-Based Diplomacy 20/08/2008 Dan Diker  |  General Once Israel dropped its past reliance on a diplomacy based on its own rights and adopted a new concession-based diplomacy instead, its spokesmen essentially acquiesced to the Palestinian historical narrative. View Article >> America's Hamas Dilemma: Spreading Democracy or Combating Terrorism? 20/08/2008 Temp  |  General The Bush administration had not agreed for some time with the Israeli position that Hamas be excluded from the upcoming Palestinian parliamentary elections. At Princeton University on September 30, 2005, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was absolutely clear that Palestinian violence could not co-exist with Palestinian politics in the future. She also reiterated that Hamas was a terrorist organization. View Article >> Understanding the U.S.-Israel Alliance: An Israeli Response to the Walt-Mearsheimer Claim 20/08/2008 Temp  |  General Contrary to the assertions of Professors Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer, who claim that no compelling strategic argument can explain American support for Israel, the two countries have, in fact, developed strong strategic ties over the years that have evolved into a unique alliance. USEUCOM commander General Bantz J. Craddock stated on March 15, 2007, that Israel was America’s “closest ally” in the Middle East and that it “consistently and directly” supported U.S. interests. View Article >> The Coming U.S.-Russian Train Wreck - Is Israel Caught in the Middle? 20/08/2008 Temp  |  General The current elites define Russia’s strategic goals as being in opposition to the United States and its policies. The Moscow propaganda machine is only a step away from putting Israel on the “short list” of designated enemies. Jerusalem’s relationship with Moscow may deteriorate if Russia continues to treat Israel as an American satellite state. View Article >> The U.S. National Intelligence Estimate on Iran and Its Aftermath: A Roundtable of Israeli Experts 20/08/2008 Temp  |  General Between 2003 and 2005, the Iranians refrained from any nuclear activity under the influence of the impression created by America’s pre-emptive policies in the region, which served as the main instrument that enabled the Europeans to force Iran to postpone uranium conversion and enrichment. But when the Iranians realized in 2005 that there was no actual threat behind their fears of U.S. pre-emption, they decided to start conversion and then enrichment. View Article >> U.S. Policy at a Crossroads: The Relevance of the Roadmap in the Aftermath of the Hamas Victory 19/08/2008 Yechiel Leiter  |  General Mideast policy has been dictated by the Quartet-sponsored Performance-Based Roadmap, which was based on guidelines outlined by President Bush on June 24, 2002. A careful analysis of President Bush's speech, along with meticulous adherence to the Roadmap, might actually lead the way to a clearer policy toward Hamas. View Article >> Towards Annapolis: Is U.S. Policy Changing on Israel's Rights in a Peace Settlement? 19/08/2008 Temp  |  General The Bush Letter of April 14, 2004, received by Israel as a quid pro quo for the Gaza Disengagement, introduced new elements into the Israeli-Palestinian peace process that completely superseded the Clinton proposals. It is critical for Israeli diplomacy to protect the Bush Letter against those who seek to replace it with a new set of Israeli-Palestinian documents. View Article >> ISRAEL AND THE UNITED STATES: CAN THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP SURVIVE THE NEW STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT? 18/08/2008 Temp  |  General Editor's Summary: After surveying the history of the U.S.-Israel strategic relationship, the author discusses in great detail current cooperation regarding threats from weapons of mass destruction, especially in reference to Iran and Iraq. The article includes an examination of Israeli nuclear policy and the U.S. view, as well as Israeli perceptions on the reliability of American counter proliferation efforts. View Article >> Are There Signs of a Jordanian-Palestinian Reengagement? 18/08/2008 Dan Diker  |  General For the first time in Arab diplomatic history, the Jordanians drafted a peace proposal in March 2005 calling for normalization of relations with Israel before the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. King Abdullah's proposal omits past Arab preconditions to peace with Israel, such as a return to the 1949 Armistice lines and repatriation of Palestinian refugees. View Article >> Defeating the Iranian-Syrian axis in Lebanon 18/08/2008 Dan Diker  |  General Israel's current military operations to uproot Hizballah and to destroy it as a formidable military and terror organization is not merely an operation against another determined terror group like Hamas in Gaza. Hizballah has a disciplined, well-trained army with sophisticated weaponry, backed directly by Syria and Iran. View Article >> Re-energizing a West Bank-Jordan Alliance 18/08/2008 Dan Diker  |  General While the push for reconsideration of a Jordan-West Bank federation has come from Jordanians and Palestinians, Washington could play a valuable role in supporting and directing this process, which could ultimately lead to solution of the territorial dispute between Israel and the Palestinians. View Article >> Strategic Implications for Israel of the Gaza-Egypt Border Opening 15/08/2008 Dan Diker  |  General Gaza has transformed from its prior status as part of the Palestinian Authority to its new role as a mini-state that is now an integral part of the Arab world. Since the border opening, weapons have flowed unimpeded into Gaza, enabling the transfer of higher-grade weapons such as anti-aircraft missiles. View Article >> Tehran calling, Gaza edition 14/08/2008 Dan Diker  |  General Analysis of an Israeli ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza, its implications for peace talks with the Palestinians, and the effects on involved regional powers such as Egypt and Iran. View Article >> Rethinking the core issues 14/08/2008 Dan Diker  |  General As the United States make a continuous effort to mediate between Israel and the Palestinians over a lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict, Israel should rethink the core issues of negotiations. View Article >> 1 2 3