Israel's Survival Strategy

In this podcast, Emily Donahue speaks to Global Security Analyst Thomas Abi-Hanna about the nearly 20 years of Israeli presence in Lebanon, and the 20 years since its withdrawal.

To protest Israel's aggressive annexation push, the Palestinian Authority has threatened to end decades of cooperation, raising the risk of violence and unrest in the West Bank.

Gantz’s new role as defense minister and prime minister-in-waiting will enable him to assert his more diplomatic approach to Iran’s nuclear program against Netanyahu’s more aggressive stance.

The Iran-backed militant group’s COVID-19 relief efforts could pay dividends for its own political future at the expense of Lebanon's stability.

As long as the pandemic continues to cripple Israel’s economy and that of Hamas’ major sponsor, Qatar, both sides will be compelled to find new ways to cooperate.

The government’s unprecedented lockdown measures could see the ultra-Orthodox Haredi community become more integrated into Israeli society.

The outbreak has prompted Israel’s political factions to finally form a government. But like previous Israeli coalitions born of crises, it won’t last long past the emergency.

The coronavirus outbreak is forcing Israel's political factions to do what three elections in one year failed to: form a government. But once the health crisis subsides, so too will any unity forged to combat it.

A caretaker government has capably addressed core Israeli foreign policy issues, but the country's political deadlock is delaying increasingly necessary domestic reforms.