Ten years Since Israel’s Campaign Between the Wars – Jerusalem Studio 758
It was either January or March of 2013 - depending on whose position - when Israel’s Air Force struck a target deep inside Syria, with no response from Damascus.
This turned out to be the quiet start of what Israel called “the Campaign Between the Wars” (with the Hebrew acronym MABAM).
Hundreds of strikes later against Iranian, Tehran’s proxies and Daesh (Islamic State) targets, it is time to take stock and ask whether MABAM was a ‘success story’ and whether Israel is better off for it and about to outlive its usefulness.
Panel:
- Jonathan Hessen, Host.
- Amir Oren, Editor at Large, Host of Watchmen Talk and Powers in Play.
- Maj. Gen. (Res.) Gershon Ha-Cohen, IDF Army Corps Commander.
- Col. (Res.) Reuven Ben-Shalom, Co-Panelist of TV7 Powers-in-Play, Cross-Cultural Strategist and Associate at the ICT, Reichman University.
- 4951 views
- Published: March 24, 2023
- Duration: 28 min
Jerusalem Studio
Episodes
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Operation Shield & Arrow: Recap, Lessons learned – Jerusalem Studio 774
After five days of exchanging blows, Israel and the minor but well-equipped Gaza-based organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad stopped this particular round, another in a seemingly endless series. As expected, both sides issued self-serving claims of victory. Obviously, propaganda and politics aside, they each have different standards by which to measure their respective balances, as does…May 23, 2023 9163 views -
Post-election Turkey: What’s next? Jerusalem Studio 773
This episode focuses on the 14 May elections, including the run-off vote between the two leading presidential candidates later this month on the 28th. All conclusions are therefore ‘interim’ regarding the performance at the polls by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan performance, who may yet emerge victorious despite failing to gain majority vote I the first…May 19, 2023 8687 views -
Iran’s Growing Influence over Damascus; Regional implications – Jerusalem Studio 772
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi visited Damascus last week for talks with his counterpart Bashar Al-Assad. The main issues were economic, but the visit - the first since the Syrian civil war erupted a dozen years ago - also signaled Tehran’s growing influence over the Assad regime, secondary only to the Russian role in the war-torn…May 16, 2023 8636 views -
Israel’s state of deterrence: Credible Military Threats vs. Adversaries – Jerusalem Studio 771
As a nation whose defense doctrine was based on keeping the smallest possible regular military force backed by reserves to be mobilized in emergencies, Israel put a lot of stock in deterrence, hoping for wide intervals between wars. But deterrence has many levels and many target audiences, and Israel has in recent years struggled with…May 12, 2023 15104 views -
Israel-US Naval Cooperation amid rising maritime tensions – Jerusalem Studio 770
"Binational boats beyond Bab-el-Mandeb:" This could be a fitting headline for a groundbreaking - or in this case perhaps sea-breaking - activity undertaken in March but revealed only about a week ago. The Israel Navy and the US Fifth Fleet linked up far away from Israel’s borders, more than 2,000 kilometers south of Eilat, as…May 09, 2023 15526 views -
Russia’s bid to normalize Syria-Turkey relations – Jerusalem Studio 769
In late April, for the second time in four months, Russia convened a multi-party meeting of defense and intelligence chiefs attended by Syria and Turkey. This time, Iran also participated. The main item on the agenda has been the Turkish insistence on military presence within the territory of Northern Syria, in order to fight Kurdish…May 05, 2023 6634 views -
The Arabian Gulf: Shifting Sands amid global developments – Jerusalem Studio 768
Whether you call it the Persian Gulf - as the Iranians see it from its Eastern Shore, or the Arabian Gulf from a Western perspective, its waters have always been tense. There are competing regional powers such as Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and even lesser ones that are still energy and economy powerhouses due…May 02, 2023 9122 views -
Sudan: Internal Discord, geopolitical implications – Jerusalem Studio 767
Sudan, a poor country strategically located south of Egypt, along the Nile and on the Red Sea, has in recent weeks descended into chaos and destruction due to a conflict between two Generals who were supposed to share power. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s Armed Forces and General Dagalo’s Rapid Support Force have spared neither each…April 28, 2023 8720 views -
Memorial and Independence Days: Israeli Stocktaking at 75 – Jerusalem Studio 766
The State of Israel this week marks a day of mourning which at sundown will morph into a day of celebration - Memorial Day, then Independence Day. At 75, the Jewish State has reached a maturity which allows us to take stock and assess its position, both absolute and relative to where it has been…April 25, 2023 6140 views -
Israel’s challenge of facing multi-sector threats – Jerusalem Studio 765
It has become a cliché to claim that Israel is facing simultaneous threats from several quarters - within it, on its boundaries with adjacent entities and territories and outside it. The challenges are always there, but most of the time they erupt serially rather than concurrently - and can be dealt with accordingly. In recent…April 18, 2023 13475 views -
Israel’s northern front amid rising tensions – Jerusalem Studio 764
When Israel looks north towards the two neighboring countries yet to sign peace agreements with the Jewish State, it also looks to east. That is, of course, because whatever happens in the frontlines with Syria and Lebanon is inspired and even directed by the Ayatollah regime in Tehran. This is why Israel takes a holistic…April 14, 2023 15273 views -
Rising US-Iran tensions in the Mideast – Jerusalem Studio 763
The Biden Administration has tried to separate its policy towards Iran’s de-facto pursuit of military nuclear capability from the other concerns it has with Tehran’s Mideast activities, as well as the brutal suppression of domestic dissent. While a revival of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal is officially off the table, there…April 11, 2023 16353 views -
Israel between two maritime fronts – Jerusalem Studio 762
Israel’s main coastline is on its west, facing the Mediterranean Sea. The country’s main naval adversary was once Egypt, but after four decades of peace with Israel, today’s maritime challenges emanate chiefly from Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. This has especially been true since discovery of an abundance of offshore energy resources, which is…April 07, 2023 17895 views -
40 Years since CENTCOM establishment: Objectives for the Mideast– Jerusalem Studio 761
When US General Michael Erik Kurilla presented the annual posture statement for his combatant command to Congressional committees recently, he chose to open it by looking back to its history. It has been 40 years since Central Command (CENTCOM) was carved out of the long-established European and Pacific Commands. As Kurilla mentioned, the original threats…April 04, 2023 3616 views -
Operation Waves Breaker, One year Anniversary of Counter-Terror Operations – Jerusalem Studio 760
To Israelis - now immersed in the unfolding political /civil /judicial drama, it may seem as if it all happened ages ago; but in fact it was last year at about this time that a wave of terror acts hit Israel’s cities. Armed infiltrators seemed to operate at will in population centers as security forces…March 31, 2023 2357 views -
Israel’s challenges emanating from Lebanon – Jerusalem Studio 759
For a decade and half now, the conventional wisdom has been that following the clash with Hezbollah in summer 2006, Israel’s frontier with Lebanon has been kept quiet due to the deterrence gained by the heavy blows inflicted by the IDF. This assessment was brought into question by a sudden terror act - probably conceived…March 28, 2023 15812 views -
Ten years Since Israel’s Campaign Between the Wars – Jerusalem Studio 758
It was either January or March of 2013 - depending on whose position - when Israel’s Air Force struck a target deep inside Syria, with no response from Damascus. This turned out to be the quiet start of what Israel called “the Campaign Between the Wars” (with the Hebrew acronym MABAM). Hundreds of strikes later…March 24, 2023 4951 views -
The Iran-Saudi deal vs Israel’s regional integration – Jerusalem Studio 757
In the 1970’s, when Iran was openly allied with the United States and less openly with Israel, the Shah was tasked by Washington in helping Saudi Arabia from falling into the Soviet orbit. Decades later, with Iran hostile to Americans and Israelis alike and Saudi Arabia openly allied against it with Washington and less openly…March 21, 2023 18188 views -
Israel's external challenges amid internal strife – Jerusalem Studio 756
While Israel has been undergoing its internal struggle, external challenges have not receded. They may even have risen, as hostile forces were glad to watch the Jewish State and its defense establishment tear themselves apart. This was the backdrop to successive visits by the highest military and civilian officials of the Pentagon, US Chairman of…March 14, 2023 6133 views -
Can Israel rely on the West vs Iran? Jerusalem Studio 755
In 1981 and 2007, Israel acted alone against Arab nuclear efforts. The strikes at the Iraqi and Syrian reactors were undertaken out of the blue and their limited nature helped convince Saddam Hussein and Bashar al-Assad to abstain from retaliation. This is not expected to be the case if Israel decides to send its Air…March 10, 2023 21532 views -
Russia’s state of play in the Middle East amid the war in Ukraine– Jerusalem Studio 754
Up until a year ago, the Middle East seems to be Russia’s most pressing business. Ukraine was always in the background, but between 2014 and 2022 Syria seemed to occupy center stage, with Russian bases, units and operations bolstering the Assad regime while carrying out Moscow’s own missions. Now that Syria and perhaps the entire…March 07, 2023 6481 views -
Military implications of Russia-Ukraine war for the Mideast – Jerusalem Studio 753
Each major war compels all defense establishments worldwide to reassess their priorities and doctrines. One does not have to be personally involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, directly in fighting it or indirectly in the supply of weapons, in order to be concerned with relevant lessons for one’s own challenges. So, what do we know so…March 03, 2023 4913 views -
Prospects of escalation amid elevated Israel-Palestinian tensions - Jerusalem Studio 752
The English American Poet T. S. Eliot famously wrote that “April is the cruelest month.” While the Middle East is the province of T. E. Lawrence rather than of T. S. Eliot, the next several weeks risk proving the poet right this year - even starting a week before April when Ramadan begins. During this…February 28, 2023 5889 views -
Iran’s efforts to restart talks on JCPOA revival – Jerusalem Studio 751
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, was revoked by then-US President Donald Trump almost five years ago. It has not been successfully resuscitated by the administration of President Joe Biden, as there was no meeting of the minds with the Islamic Republic - which responded to Trump’s decision…February 24, 2023 3149 views -
Israel’s northern arena amid earthquake devastation – Jerusalem Studio 750
Forces of nature have taken center stage on Israel’s northern frontier and beyond, where winter is always harsh, and the lack of energy supplies make conditions even more unforgiving. The 6 February earthquakes devastating parts of Turkey and northern Syria showed the generous and skilled face of the Israel Defense Forces, whose search and rescue…February 21, 2023 11918 views -
Israel’s path into Africa amid recent developments – Jerusalem Studio 749
When Africa emerged from its intense period of de-colonization in the late 1950’s and 1960’s, Israel was the most helpful nation assisting the emerging governments and societies to develop their agricultural and industrial resources. In return, Israel was the recipient of goodwill and some diplomatic support, but under Arab pressure these relations proved too fragile.…February 14, 2023 3059 views -
How credible is a Military Threat vs Iran’s nuclear program? Jerusalem Studio 748
In its first two years in office, the administration of US President Joe Biden was reluctant to threaten Iran with military action, should diplomatic moves to stop its progress toward nuclear weapons fail. Lately however, out of obvious frustration at Tehran’s refusal to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that was revoked by then-President…February 10, 2023 8560 views -
Operation Waves Breaker: status report – Jerusalem Studio 747
Last spring, Israel came under attack by a series of terror acts in population centers. The perpetrators usually came from Palestinian towns and villages in the northern part of the West Bank, formally under the Palestinian Authority - but in fact only lightly supervised by its security forces. The Israeli response was to launch the…February 07, 2023 7058 views -
Iran's race to nuclear weapon capabilities – Jerusalem Studio 746
When US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel, earlier this week, one of his top agenda items was obviously Iran’s nuclear program. Israeli officials have publicly claimed that they were successful in making the case to the administration of US President Joe Biden against re-entering the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, revoked by former…February 03, 2023 6710 views -
Making sense of Mideast alliances – Jerusalem Studio 745
Once upon a time, at the height of the Cold War, regional alliances were easily pictured. On one half of the court stood the United States, with Turkey as a NATO member, Iran as the guardian of the Persian Gulf and Israel as the strongest power in the Eastern Mediterranean. Also on this list -…January 31, 2023 3980 views -
The US-Israel alliance amid global developments – Jerusalem Studio 744
Washington and Jerusalem have long had a two-tiered relationship, with an underlying third one: that of the ties between people based on values, culture and identity. At the top, the political echelons interact, and right now there seems to be a built-in tension between the Biden Administration and the Netanyahu government. Professionally, the channels between…January 27, 2023 4289 views -
Israel Defense Forces: Change of Guard – Jerusalem Studio 743
In a smooth military transition - so unlike the chaotic political scene - Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi took over the IDF Chief of General Staff position from his fellow Paratrooper Aviv Kochavi. All speakers in successive hand-over ceremonies in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv mentioned the Iranian threat as a top priority, but also mentioned what…January 24, 2023 4666 views -
Is Israel’s democracy under threat amid looming judicial reform? Jerusalem Studio 742
After only three weeks in office, the Netanyahu government is involved in a heated debate with its opponents in the Knesset and public. Justice Minister Yariv Levin, with Netanyahu’s backing, has unveiled an ambitious plan to redo the country’s judicial branch, moving its center of gravity from judges and legal advisors towards politicians. Levin argues…January 20, 2023 4213 views -
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Vision of a new Mideast – Jerusalem Studio 741
Saudi Arabia’s Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, world-renowned with his own acronym MBS, has an ambitious program and only eight years remaining to implement it. MBS calls it “Vision 2030” and is marketing its main features in terms intended to appeal to Western decision-makers and publics. He talks about weaning the Kingdom’s…January 17, 2023 6149 views -
Israel’s Security Assessment amid developing regional threats – Jerusalem Studio 740
Early next week the Israel Defense Forces will have a significant event, the changing of the guard. Major General Herzi Halevi will be elevated in rank and position to Chief of General Staff, making him the top military commander in the nation, of course subject to civilian political directives. His investiture was planned months in…January 13, 2023 6785 views -
The enhanced Russian-Iranian military relationship – Jerusalem Studio 739
With the war in Ukraine only several weeks away from its first anniversary, it has obviously become the most important issue for Russian President Vladimir Putin. He is going out of his way to salvage some part of his failed gamble on a clear victory. Putin is therefore now courting Iran - despite a lot…January 10, 2023 6396 views -
Prospects for 2023 – Jerusalem Studio 738
There is very little profit for prophets, it they are careless enough to predict the immediate future - tomorrow, next week, next month. With that in mind, we are going to peer into the haze and snow of early 2023, in an effort to see the general outline of the year mostly ahead of us.…January 06, 2023 6234 views -
Recap 2022 – Jerusalem Studio 737
As we send 2022 to its time capsule, for future generations and aliens from outer space to look up, let’s try to recap its most important events, trends and figures. Panel: - Miri Eisin, Host. - Col. (Res.) Reuven Ben-Shalom, TV7 Powers-in-Play Panelist, Cross-Cultural Strategist and Associate at ICT, Reichman University. - Eran Etzion Former…December 30, 2022 4093 views -
China’s growing influence over the Mideast – Jerusalem Studio 736
With the United States openly shifting its focus from the Middle East to the Far East - as a long-term hot spot though right now Russia’s war on Ukraine is uppermost on decision-makers’ minds, China is given an opening to enhance its reach into if not over this region. Beijing is methodically following its multi-decade…December 20, 2022 4916 views -
Israel’s Intelligence Assessment for 2023 – Jerusalem Studio 735
All intelligence assessments must be taken with a spoonful of salt. Who, in either Israel or abroad, could have predicted a year ago that at the end of 2022 a new government would emerge in Jerusalem with an unprecedented make-up, personally and functionally. That said, the Israeli intelligence community has fulfilled its task of giving…December 16, 2022 8298 views -
Egypt-Israel relations: a strategic overview– Jerusalem Studio 734
In one of his last official acts before vacating the office he held since spring 2020, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz went out of his way to praise Egypt as a peaceful neighbor and strategic partner. Gantz reacted furiously to a statement by a junior but crucial member of Benjamin Netanyahu’s emerging coalition, who insisted…December 13, 2022 4837 views -
Israel-US relations amid Jerusalem power change– Jerusalem Studio 733
The Biden administration has put the incoming Netanyahu cabinet on notice - try to make good on the election campaign pledges of right-wing and religious parties and bear the consequences in your relationship with Washington. Settlement activity, annexation, unjustified lethality and various other activities associated with a harder line towards Palestinians will put Netanyahu on…December 09, 2022 5060 views -
Israel under threat of terror– Jerusalem Studio 732
In late November, two explosions rocked the calm morning of Jerusalem. Charges were detonated at bus stops several kilometers apart, killing two Israelis and wounding almost twenty. Had this simultaneous terror attack taken place aboard buses, the result could have been horrific, much like those of thirty and twenty-five years ago, and public pressure on…December 06, 2022 10367 views -
Turkey’s looming offensive into Syria – Jerusalem Studio 731
The lethal terror attack on civilians innocently walking down Istanbul’s Istiklal Street on November 13 was probably perpetrated by a Kurdish underground cell fighting Turkish rule over this ethnic group. President Erdogan responded by air raids into Kurdish concentrations in northern Syria, bordering Turkey, and promising that a ground offensive will follow when conditions are…December 02, 2022 3641 views -
Russia in Mideast - Challenges to Moscow-Jerusalem relations – Jerusalem Studio 730
Until early this year, the most sensitive dimension in the relationship between Russia and Israel was the Syrian one. Moscow was determined to protect its foothold there and therefore prop up the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Jerusalem avoided friction with the Russians to keep fighting Iran’s forces and proxies in the Arab…November 29, 2022 6032 views