Section: Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (Israel)
Reassessing American Interests in the Middle East
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 382 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: President-Elect Trump has serious decisions to make about the Middle East, including what to do about Syria, how to tackle Islamic State, how to take on Iran, and, of course, how to handle the perennial Israel-Palestinian problem. Trump’s margin of error is narrow, especially since...
Trump’s Ambivalence Towards NATO Could Backfire
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 381 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: US President-Elect Donald Trump has toned down the anti-NATO rhetoric he employed on the campaign trail, but it remains uncertain whether he appreciates the value of the organization for American interests. NATO provides security insurance not only to Europe but also to the US. Trump...
America and Russia: Towards a New Partnership?
by Jiri Valenta with Leni Friedman Valenta BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 380 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: A pragmatist like Reagan, President Trump will face three urgent foreign policy issues: renegotiating the Iran nuclear deal with a US-Israel military option and Russia’s acquiescence; resolving the human catastrophe in Syria in partnership...
Lessons of the UNESCO Vote
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 375 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Israelis who cultivate the pipe dream of substituting Israel’s long-term bond with the US for an alliance with China and Russia should take a long, hard look at the votes of Moscow and Beijing at UNESCO, where they joined in denial of Jewish links to Jerusalem. Russian and Chinese...
Tip of the Iceberg: Russian Use of Power in Syria
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 371 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Russians are determined to reacquire some of the status once enjoyed by the Soviet Union of yore. They believe Western carelessness is to blame for the rise of Islamic State, and are using the Syrian theater to demonstrate their strategic capability. Russia’s status in the Middle...
Separation is not the Answer
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 368 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Contrary to the accepted wisdom regarding the effectiveness of barriers, there is no substitute for troops on the ground and for civilian settlements that anchor a dominant presence. Israel needs a flexible, dynamic form of security in full friction with the resident populations. An...
The Return of the Russian Bear to the Middle East
Middle East Security and Policy Studies No. 120 This study looks at the aggressive new posture in Russian foreign policy under President Vladimir Putin, in the wake of its intervention in Syria and the Crimean peninsula. Dr. Shay Har-Zvi is a researcher of the international system and the involvement of the superpowers in the Middle East. His...
Putin’s “Sacred Mission” in Syria
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 335, March 27, 2016 Russia’s intervention in Syria cannot be fully explained by strategic or economic factors. Russian political culture, which has been permeated since the fifteenth century by a messianic vision of apocalyptic redemption, has long been a significant guiding factor in the decision-making...
The Russians Are Leaving Syria. Why the Surprise?
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 334, March 23, 2016 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The partial departure of Russian forces from Syria reflects Vladimir Putin’s achievement of several well-defined goals, including the stabilization of Bashar al-Assad and the bolstering of Russia’s global diplomatic position. The resultant balance of power in...
Obama and Israel: The Final Year
Obama and Israel: The Final Year BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 330, February 17, 2016 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Israel needs a more active and aggressive diplomatic strategy to thwart what seems to be an escalating campaign of pressure from the international community on the Palestinian issue; a campaign that President Obama can be expected to lead...
