Section: Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (Israel)
Russian Strategic Logic
Russian soldiers after the seizure of Perevalne military base, Crimea, 9 March 2014, Wikipedia CCBESA Center Perspectives No. 549, August 2, 2017 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Western observers are often astonished by Russian military decision-making, which defies the principle of waiting for full knowledge of the enemy before acting. The Russian approach...
Another Attempt to Solve the Cyprus Problem Ends in Failure
UN Secretary-General António Guterres (left) with Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades (center) and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, photo by Jean Marc Ferre via UN image libraryBESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 526, July 12, 2017 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Another round of talks attempting to solve the Cyprus problem has ended in resounding...
What Trump Can Learn from Oliver Stone’s “Putin Interviews”
Oliver Stone and Vladimir Putin, screen capture from RT.com YouTube video, courtesy ShowtimeBESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 520, July 6, 2017 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The July 2015-February 2017 interviews with Vladimir Putin by US filmmaker Oliver Stone, now streaming on Showtime, provide surprising insights into the mind of the Russian leader. “We...
Washington and Moscow: Confrontation or Cooperation?
Executive Summary: Behind the ongoing media frenzy, America seems deeply divided over whether to pursue a hard line with Russia or to cooperate with it. With Donald Trump favoring the latter course, Moscow “voted” for him in the 2016 elections. But the Kremlin’s cybernetic interference in the election has led to ongoing Russo-gate and...
Turkey: NATO’s Odd One Out
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, image via Presidential Executive Office, KremlinBESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 491, June 9, 2017 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Discounting the sincerity of Turkish President Erdoğan’s fiercely anti-western rhetoric ahead of the April 16 referendum is akin to disregarding bitter facts about once staunch NATO ally Turkey....
The Six-Day War Was a One-Time Event
Six-Day War, image via Jewish Virtual LibraryBESA Center Perspectives No. 487, June 5, 2017 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The events of the Six-Day War of 1967 are often used by proponents of withdrawal from the West Bank as proof that Israel can defend itself from behind the “green line.” Since Israel won the 1967 conflict from this starting point, they...
A Border as a Dynamic Space
Viewing Syria and Jordan from Israel, Oct. 18 2015, D. Myles Cullen/US Department of DefenseBESA Center Perspectives No. 477, May 26, 2017 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Israel aspires to permanent borders. Yet a nation, a homeland, a state, and permanent borders are not necessarily congruent, and this complexity is not unique to Israel. Israel should...
Arrow Intercepts a Syrian Missile: Technological, Operational, and Political Aspects
Stages of missile interception by Arrow system, via WikipediaBESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 437, April 2, 2017 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Israel’s Arrow recently made its combat debut with the interception of a Syrian anti-aircraft missile. Remarkably, the 1991 vintage Arrow missile defense system managed to track, engage, and destroy a type of...
Turkey: A Sunni Iran in the Making?
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan via Presidential Press and Information Office of the Russian Federation www.kremlin.ruBESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 431, March 22, 2017 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The rising tide of an aggressive blend of nationalism and Islamism might be prompting Ankara to pursue its own WMDs, and its preference appears to be...
Decoding Flynn-gate: Russia, the Middle East, and the US Elections
US Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn testifies before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in Washington D.C. on Feb. 4, 2014. (US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathan Lovelady, via US Department of Defense)BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 418, March 6, 2017 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The FBI has concluded that ousted National Security...
