Israel’s Legal Rights to Self-Protect and to Punish Terrorists
By the fundamental principle known formally under international law as a jus cogens (“compelling law”) rule, each state is required to assist other states imperiled by terror-violence. The most important historical figures in creating and explaining this requirement were the Swiss jurist Emmerich de Vattel and the English jurist William Blackstone. Blackstone’s Commentaries became the […]
Israel’s New Strategic Opportunity
Israel’s 2022 integration into the US regional military command for the Middle East, CENTCOM, is a game changer. It is not a formal alliance, yet provides many of the advantages of a defense treaty: stronger deterrence, coordinated defense with other US allies in the region, deeper strategic depth, and the capacity for joint action, while […]
No Stabilization in Gaza Without Dismantling Hamas
It is time to confront one of the most dangerous illusions of our time: the belief that the International Stabilization Force for Gaza can bring order, reconstruction, or peace without dismantling Hamas.
The View Over the Yarmouk River, An Israeli Reserve Officer on the Israel-Syria border
A young officer serving on the Golan writes about the challenges and the hopes across the border in Syria.
How to Flood Gaza with Aid without Enriching Hamas
The key to success of President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan is to remove Hamas from power, permanently. A key to achieving that is to take away Hamas’s profit centers in Gaza, which allow it to pay fighters and smuggle in weapons. Hamas currently makes money by taxing and exercising control over critical humanitarian supplies in […]
The Fragile Peace
The relief that swept across Israel this past week was profound. Twenty living hostages returned home from Gaza captivity. Families who had braced themselves for permanent loss suddenly found themselves whole again. For a few days, the streets filled with tears of joy. Mothers embraced sons they thought they’d never see again. In a country […]
The Battle for Gaza City
Gaza City, one of the last two Hamas strongholds, is the target of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in an ongoing operation. It is a large metropolitan area stretching from Shati, the historic refugee camp on the beach, through the wealthy neighborhood of Rimal, around to Zeitoun and the old quarter of historic Gaza. In […]
Make Hamas Face a Choice
There are no easy answers to the question of what Israel should do in the Gaza Strip. Hamas is demanding a complete Israeli surrender in exchange for releasing the remaining hostages, whom it has bandied about in horrific videos. The only option is to cope intelligently and soberly with a situation that is borderline impossible. […]
Closer US – Hungary Military Cooperation is Good for Both Countries
Hungary and the United States have been allies since Hungary joined NATO in 1999. President Donald Trump’s reelection augurs well for closer ties on defense policy. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Trump during the election campaign and called him “the man who can save the Western world.” Trump, in return, has said “there’s nobody that’s […]
Israel has No Genocidal Intent and is not Committing Genocide in Gaza
In Gaza, a brutal war is being fought against a still-active enemy whose sole purpose (as demonstrated on October 7, 2023) remains the elimination of Israel. At the same time, an information war is being waged in the West, using accusations of “genocide” against Israel as a tool, including by scholars who should know better. […]
