Iran & the West, diplomacy and war- Jerusalem Studio 431
Over the past several weeks, the emphasis - in what can be regarded as the Iran crisis – has shifted from belligerent rhetoric to indirect diplomacy, as well as an apparent beginning of confidence building measures. Do the latest developments indicate a mutual effort at de-escalation or are merely a pause in an inevitable military confrontation?
Panel:
- Jonathan Hessen, host.
- Amir Oren, analyst.
- Dr. Raz Zimmt, Iran expert – INSS.
- Dr. Menahem Merhavy, research fellow, Truman Institute, Hebrew University.
The program offers the viewer deeper understanding about current events in Israel. The topics vary from domestic and foreign policy to social changes, archaelogy and religion.
The program is hosted by TV7 Israel News anchor Jonathan Hessen.
Lebanon-Israel negotiations - Jerusalem Studio 550
After years of intensive and mostly futile efforts, Lebanon and Israel have launched overt negotiations in order to demarcate their maritime border, between the port cities of Beirut and Haifa; and west towards the presumably offshore energy treasure that lays beneath the Mediterranean, in the direction of Cyprus. Delegations will be meeting under United Nations…
The Nagorno-Karabach conflict; Israeli perspectives - Jerusalem Studio 549
It is a story common to many regions of the world. Two neighbors and an enclave between them, with one country holding the edge in geography and the other in demography, leading to persistent conflict. This is the case in the dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the province of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized…
Iraq: a strategic overview between East and West – Jerusalem Studio 548
The death of Kuwait’s 91-year-old Emir Sabah al Ahmad al Jaber al Sabah in late September served as a reminder to the origins of the United States’ enhanced military involvement in the Arabian Gulf region, which go back to the Iran-Iraq war, including the “tanker war” and the reflagging of local vessels, and then to…
Turkey-EU relations amid EastMed dispute – Jerusalem Studio 547
Long before Turkish President Recep Tayep Erdogan came to power, Ankara tried to join the European Union in its various iterations, but was blocked by the Christian nations of Europe concerned by the political power to be given to a Moslem country according to its population - which is the rough equal of EU leaders…
Iran’s aspirations amid global quarrels – Jerusalem Studio 546
The Islamic Republic of Iran is in an extremely bad shape with setbacks in almost every issue set - health, economy, military ambitions and foreign policy. Yet for Tehran all is not lost, as it awaits the turn of events in the American political season. Iran has yet to fulfil its threat to avenge the…
The Eastern Mediterranean dispute: a strategic overview – Jerusalem Studio 545
During the Cold War, the Eastern Mediterranean Sea was considered a potential front involving American and Soviet Naval task forces. The Israeli Navy also clashed with those of Egypt and Syria. But now the picture is much more complicated: the main problem being Turkish policy under President Recep Tayip Erdogan, who has alienated Israel, Greece,…
Israel's vision for regional peace, security and prosperity - Jerusalem Studio 544
When U.S. President Donald Trump hosted the representatives of Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain at the White House for a ceremony hailing the normalization of relations between the two Gulf countries and the Jewish State, American as well as Israeli officials saw it as a new paradigm in the Middle East. No longer,…
Israel's battle against the Coronavirus – Jerusalem Studio 543
This is the annual time of Jewish High Holy Days when many Israelis are taking time off from work to celebrate with their families. But this year the situation is far from normal. The second wave of the COVID-19 crisis has hit Israel quite hard, with numbers of patients in need of hospital care steadily…
France’s growing Mideast presence - Jerusalem Studio 542
When European powers ruled the post-Ottoman Middle East, France was Britain’s junior partner and rival, concentrating on the northern part of the Levant - Syria and Lebanon. Following Lebanon’s independence in the 1940’s, France became more of a cultural than a political force – labeling the city of Beirut – Paris of the Mediterranean. While…
The Palestinian "cause" between diplomacy and conflict - Jerusalem Studio 541
The relationship between the two separate Palestinian entities, which border Israel but not each other, has made no real progress over the last 13 years since the Islamist Hamas organization seized Gaza by force and was in return was left out of power in the Palestinian Authority rule of the West Bank. Palestinian Authority President…
The Syria conflict: Latest developments - Jerusalem Studio 540
Before it began, 2020 was assessed to be the last year of the Syrian civil war, which erupted in 2011. This turned out to be either wishful thinking or an overly optimistic assumption which fell victim to the Coronavirus. As the year approaches its end, the conflict is still there, with most of the same…
East Mediterranean disputes; Israeli concerns and interests - JS 539
The eastern Mediterranean Sea is located between Italy in Europe, Libya in Africa and the shores of Asia. While considered as the ‘cradle of human civilization,’ these areas have often served as a fighting arena from time immemorial. Conflict and cooperation in the modern era of nation states following the decline of ancient empires has…
Intra-Arab alliances, challenges and interests - Jerusalem Studio 538
In the 75 years since the creation of the Arab League, which grew from 6 to 22 members, countries of North Africa, the Levant and the Persian Gulf areas have never acted as a unified block - except at times against Israel. Now, with Iran and Jihadist groups as their mortal enemies, Israel at peace…
US maximum pressure campaign vs. Iran - Jerusalem Studio 537
In about two weeks’ time on September 20th, the global sanctions on Iran – which was lifted five years ago and included an embargo on conventional arms - will snap back into force due to an American decision to veto any United Nations Security Council action to avoid it. This is the latest move in…
Lebanon battles for survival amid deep-rooted distress - JS 536
Four weeks after the horrific blast on the port of Beirut, which killed close to 200 people, wounded thousands more and brought about the resignation of the cabinet - Lebanon is still beset by a series of crises - health, corruption and long-lasting political deadlock due to foreign influences. Is there a cure for the…
Challenges on Israel's southern front with Gaza - Jerusalem Studio 535
For several weeks now, the Gaza-Israel front has been simmering. Balloons strapped with incendiary and explosive devices are set-sailing by Hamas towards Israeli villages, towns and farmlands, sparking numerous daily fires under the scorching-sun and risking lives. In response, Israeli fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles and tanks hit Hamas positions near-daily, all-the-while refraining from targeting…
Israel’s rapprochement with the Arab world – Jerusalem Studio 534
A week after the United Arab Emirates and Israel announced their intention to normalize their relations and bring them from the practical level to an official one, there are mixed ramifications. More and more Arabian Gulf regimes react favorably and may soon follow suit, yet in Israel’s immediate vicinity, in Gaza, it is far from…
East Mediterranean - Turkey Greece tensions – Jerusalem Studio 533
When Homer wrote about “the wine-dark sea”, thousands of years ago, he referred to the same part of the Eastern Mediterranean which throughout history has been a naval battleground. Yet today history and geography converge once again with Turkey and its arch-rival Greece clash over gas reserves hidden underneath, and with regional powers such as…
Russia-Iran relations and interests – Jerusalem Studio 532
Several weeks ago, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif travelled once again to Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. As usual, they issued a most positive communique, but behind the nice words there lies friction between these two actors in the Syrian conflict, among other regional sectors of operation. Panel: - Jonathan…
Lebanon’s domestic and regional woes – Jerusalem Studio 531
The terrible explosion which brought death and destruction to Beirut on 4 August is still felt around Lebanon and may turn out to be a turning point in the country’s political history. Coming on top of social, economic and medical crisis, the horrendous harbor incident ripped apart not only hundreds and thousands of lives and…
China's growing influence over Iran – Jerusalem Studio 530
The old lesson about ‘politics abhorring a vacuum’ (including on a global scale) is apparently being learned once again in the Middle East. The United States is in the process of leaving Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. This policy could be reversed by a future administration, but for the time being, an assertive Russia stepped in…
Israel's Imminent Security Challenges – Jerusalem Studio 529
In recent weeks tensions along Israel’s northern front have erupted on several locations – steeply exacerbating the prospects for wider escalation. Are we on the brink of war despite widespread domestic unrest in all the member-states involved? Panel: - Jonathan Hessen, Host. - Amir Oren, Analyst. - Brigadier General (Res.) Yossi Kuperwasser – Project Director…
Iran’s persistent efforts to preserve its regional agenda - Jerusalem Studio 528
Despite repeated efforts to portray itself as resilient, the Islamic Republic of Iran is in one of its worst situations ever. The Corona virus crisis has it Iran especially hard. Its economy is crumbling. Mysterious attacks on its nuclear infrastructure seem to have set it back even as the regime threatened to ignore its international…
Israel and the Mideast: a situation overview - Jerusalem Studio 527
The border between Israel and Lebanon flared up this week, as the leader of the Iranian-proxy Hezbollah, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, made good on his promise to retaliate for each time one of his operatives is killed in alleged Israeli attacks on Iranian targets in Syria. Israel, which counter-claimed that the Lebanese national killed in an…
China's Mideast interests and challenges - Jerusalem Studio 517
China’s Ambassador to Israel Du Wei was found dead at his residence, and while there was seemingly no foul play involved - the timing was curious. Ambassador Du only arrived in Israel three months ago at the height of the coronavirus outbreak in his country, and his death came just days after a visit to…
U.S.-Israel bilateral relations 2020 – Jerusalem Studio 495
There was a span of eight months between the last elections in Israel and the anticipated U.S. elections scheduled for 3 November. During this time, Jerusalem’s next government and the Trump Administration will have to manage the political, diplomatic and security aspects of their relationship, as they lay the ground for a more thorough review…
U.S. ‘Deal of the Century,’ projections and implications – Jerusalem Studio 486
When U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his long-awaited vision for peace between Israelis and Palestinians- as expected it drew both praise and criticism. While Trump was given credit for trying to succeed where his predecessors failed, he was also faulted for various details of his so-called “Deal of the Century." Panel: - Jonathan Hessen, Host.…
Iran’s ideological aspirations and hurdles – Jerusalem Studio 484
Forty years on, the Islamic Republic of Iran is both an ideological power wishing to export its fundamental theology and a realistic nation-state aware of power politics. The two streams are reflected in the struggle apparently involving major figures in the regime – following the latest flareups with the United States. Panel: - Jonathan Hessen,…
Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, prospects and challenges - Jerusalem Studio 526
Is Israel’s aspiration to assert sovereignty over internationally-disputed territories on the West Bank of the Jordan River moving from a rhetorical standpoint to a proactive stage? Can we to expect an imminent historic declaration on 1 July? Panel: - Jonathan Hessen, Host. - Amir Oren, Analyst. - Dr. Eran Lerman, Vice President of the Jerusalem…
Europe-Israel relations amid talks of West Bank annexation - Jerusalem Studio 525
When Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz formed their co-equal cabinet several weeks ago, both Israeli leaders agreed that Jerusalem would start a move to extend its sovereignty over parts of the disputed territories on the West Bank of the Jordan River; provided the granting of Washington’s blessing over the designated territories and consequential measures involved.…
Iran’s unyielding pursuit of nuclear weapon capabilities Jerusalem Studio 524
With less than five months before the American Presidential elections, U.S. relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran seem to be moving on two parallel routes leading to heating up and cooling down. There has been a prisoner swap, with express calls on the American side to enlarge this opening for a comprehensive deal focusing…
Saudi-Israel relations and prospects of peace – Jerusalem Studio 523
Saudi Arabia is obviously the largest, wealthiest and most important country in the Arabian Peninsula. The Sunni House of Saud considers the militant Shiite regime in Tehran as its sworn enemy. There is thus common cause between the Saudis and the Israelis, as well as with the Trump administration in Washington. What is the current…
Libya’s conflict and strategic significance – Jerusalem Studio 522
The state of Libya, which is a country of significant strategic value in the south-central Mediterranean, continues to be torn between domestic forces supported by regional and global powers. The winning side of the ongoing conflict between the Western-based Government of National Accord and the Eastern-based Libyan National Army, will grant their respective allies control…
Israel’s growing security challenges, Part 2 – Jerusalem Studio 521
The first of this two-part series examined how Israel is preparing for a potential escalation on its Palestinian front if the planned annexation of parts of the West Bank comes to pass. Part 2 takes a look at other enemies and problems facing the Israeli military. Panel: - Jonathan Hessen, Host. - Amir Oren, Analyst.…
Israel’s growing security challenges, Part 1 – Jerusalem Studio 520
In recent days Israel has stepped up preparations for various contingencies which may arise ahead of or following a formal announcement of asserted sovereignty over parts of the West Bank, including the Jordan Valley and Biblical districts of Judea and Samaria as early as the beginning of July. Threats of massive conflict and other retaliatory…
Iran's regional activities in the face of Israeli active resistance – Jerusalem Studio 519
In recent weeks, Israel marked the 20th anniversary of its final withdrawal from Lebanon, thereby depriving the Lebanese Iranian-proxy Hezbollah of its main declared cause for battling Israel. Yet, the Islamic Republic of Iran has persisted in its anti-Israel campaign and is actively using Syria as one of several launching pads. As of late, Israel…
Israel's interests and challenges vis-a-vis West Bank annexation – Jerusalem Studio 518
In about one month’s time, the Israeli government would be able to start the process of extending its sovereignty over parts of the territories east of its border and west of the Jordan River. This move should be coordinated with the U.S. administration and has already raised strong objections by the Jordanian and Palestinian leaderships,…
China's Mideast interests and challenges - Jerusalem Studio 517
China’s Ambassador to Israel Du Wei was found dead in his residence last week. While there was seemingly no foul play involved, the timing was curious. Ambassador Du only arrived in Israel three months ago at the height of the coronavirus outbreak in his country, and his death came just days after a visit to…
Israel's newly formed national unity government – Jerusalem Studio 516
Earlier this week, the Israeli Parliament, or Knesset in Hebrew, ended 507 days of political limbo by voting into office a new government, jointly headed by Premier Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival turned Alternate Prime Minister, Benny Gantz. The uniquely structured government has a lot of domestic and foreign issues on its plate, but the…
Libya: latest update on the situation – Jerusalem Studio 515
The conflict in Libya, between two competing forces assisted by regional and global actors, has seemingly reached a deadlock. Neither the government headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, nor the militia commanded by Khalifa Haftar can defeat each other, and the costs in civilian casualties and infrastructure destruction keeps rising. Is there a solution in the horizon,…
U.S. regional challenges and interests – Jerusalem Studio 514
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Jerusalem for a few hours earlier this week, to confer with Israeli political and intelligence leaders. As usual, he touched upon the joint American-Israeli fight against Iranian aggression, as well as the so-called Trump Peace Plan and a possible change in the status of parts of the West…
Israel’s regional security challenges – Jerusalem Studio 513
Israel usually declines to comment on reports detailing alleged attacks by its Air Force and other units in Syria, mostly against Iranian targets. But according to reliable sources in Jerusalem, action against Iran and its proxies had indeed intensified, as of late. Meanwhile, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Islamist groups in Gaza have not laid down…
Egypt’s efforts to attain social stability & Security – Jerusalem Studio 512
With more than 100 million citizens mostly crowded in metropolitan Cairo and along the Nile river, Egypt is near-impossible to govern, as it is persistently plagued with social unrest, economic misery and security forces struggling against terror groups of various Islamist and Jihadists affiliations. Nevertheless, Egyptian President Abd-el Fatah a-Sisi seems to have relatively stabilized…
Iran's military advancement amid COVID19 - Jerusalem Studio 511
The Islamic Republic of Iran is suffering from several overlapping crises, which brought public approval of Tehran authorities to a new low. While Iran faces one of the most severe consequences of the corona pandemic, its Revolutionary Guards Corps defied international scrutiny by conducting a successful launch of a military satellite, an obvious signal of…
Israel's National Emergency Government amid COVID19 – Jerusalem Studio 510
Israel marked this week two of the most significant dates on its calendar, Memorial and Independence Days, to celebrate 72 years since its inception and to commemorate more than 23,000 soldiers and civilians who died in wars and terror-related attacks over this period. Yet, this two day pause in routine activities served to underscore an…
Syria vs Turkey amid the coronavirus crisis - Jerusalem Studio 509
The entire Middle East seems to be focused on the coronavirus crisis. While the spreading contagion is indeed a major issue everywhere, it is not the only one. In northern Syria, the Assad regime and Turkey are still in conflict, with various other powers involved directly or indirectly. To look at this persistent problem, which…
Israel's relentless battle vs the coronavirus - Jerusalem Studio 508
The Israeli political system, which has defined the coronavirus crisis, as severe enough to justify the establishment of a so-called national emergency government in Jerusalem – has earlier this week started to ease restrictions on the country’s economic and social activities. Should the consequences of alleviating the government-enacted measures prove hasty – is the decision…
Israel, the Palestinians and the coronavirus – Jerusalem Studio 507
Amid ongoing efforts by Israeli authorities to battle the corona contagion, Jerusalem is forced to consider the implication of the pandemic in the two Palestinian entities, neighboring the country. And while relations with the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah is institutionalized, the Jewish State has seen the mutual benefit of working with health authorities in the…
