Jerusalem seeks to mitigate the potential risks of the president’s decision by shaping its implementation and obtaining U.S. security guarantees, though long-term concerns still loom. Israeli officials have been careful not to publicly criticize President Trump’s recent announcement that all U.S. military forces will be pulled out of Syria. Below the surface, however, they have… Keep reading →
The international community can help avert future chaos through measures to stem political, economic, and security deterioration, and Washington can reinstate funding for Palestinian development projects. Since mid-October, demonstrators have been gathering regularly at the Palestinian prime minister’s office in Ramallah to protest the new social security law. Implementation was first set for November 1… Keep reading →
Russia delivered advanced air-defense systems to Syria after the recent airplane-downing incident, but its desire to check Iran could permit continued Israeli operations in the Syrian skies. On September 17, the Syrian Air Defense Force shot down a Russian Ilyushin 20 (IL-20) surveillance aircraft following the latest Israeli Air Force (IAF) strike on Iranian precision-missile-production… Keep reading →
Two former policymakers discuss whether the longtime allies can move beyond tactical responses to their strategic challenges in the region. On April 18, Chuck Freilich and James Jeffrey addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute. Freilich is a senior fellow in the Belfer Center’s International Security Program and a former Israeli deputy national security… Keep reading →
The country’s continuing political and commercial challenges, including limited export possibilities, are hampering development of its Eastern Mediterranean natural gas. The development of Israel’s offshore natural gas resources, once seen as a wonderful economic blessing, has slowed to a painful crawl in recent months. On December 13, the government announced that it was awarding licenses… Keep reading →
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in partnership with Israel’s Ministry of Energy (MOE) and the Israel Innovation Authority announced $4.8 million for five newly selected energy projects as part of the Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Energy program. The approved projects will leverage cost-share for a total project value of $10.5 million… Keep reading →
The Palestinian president has maneuvered his way back into the political discussion — partly as a result of Israel’s failure to act promptly on diplomatic understandings with Jordan — but his call for “escalatory measures” could carry dire consequences. In a bid to reestablish his diplomatic and political relevance, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on July… Keep reading →
The following is based on remarks delivered by Ziegler Distinguished Fellow David Makovsky at a Washington Institute Policy Forum on February 8. His views on these issues are spelled out in greater length in the Transition 2017 paper “Toward a New Paradigm for Addressing the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,” coauthored with Dennis Ross. Read Robert Satloff’s remarks… Keep reading →
Although security cooperation tends to get the headlines, the two countries have been quietly pursuing other initiatives that could provide a desperately needed boost to Egypt’s trade, tourism, and energy sectors. On October 18, Ynet news reported that Egypt and Israel were planning to pursue joint economic projects after years of cold relations on that… Keep reading →
Jerusalem – The Minister of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources, Dr. Yuval Steinitz, and the U.S. Secretary of Energy, Dr. Ernest Moniz, this morning signed an amendment to an existing agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructure that will further enhance cooperation between the two countries.… Keep reading →
