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.
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.
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Post-election Turkey: What’s next? Jerusalem Studio 773
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Iran’s Growing Influence over Damascus; Regional implications – Jerusalem Studio 772
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Israel’s state of deterrence: Credible Military Threats vs. Adversaries – Jerusalem Studio 771
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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…
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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…
Memorial and Independence Days: Israeli Stocktaking at 75 – Jerusalem Studio 766
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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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Israel's external challenges amid internal strife – Jerusalem Studio 756
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Can Israel rely on the West vs Iran? Jerusalem Studio 755
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Russia’s state of play in the Middle East amid the war in Ukraine– Jerusalem Studio 754
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Military implications of Russia-Ukraine war for the Mideast – Jerusalem Studio 753
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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…
Israel’s northern arena amid earthquake devastation – Jerusalem Studio 750
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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…
Operation Waves Breaker: status report – Jerusalem Studio 747
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Iran's race to nuclear weapon capabilities – Jerusalem Studio 746
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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 -…
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…
Israel Defense Forces: Change of Guard – Jerusalem Studio 743
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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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
China’s growing influence over the Mideast – Jerusalem Studio 736
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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…
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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…
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…
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…
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…
