The Jerusalem Strategic Tribune, a new magazine on Israel-related issues, has gained a place in the highly competitive world of strategy and policy magazines in recent months.
"As it turns out, it has been able to draw some of the most impressive scholars and practitioners on both sides of the water – in Israel and in the United States – including the former national security advisors of both countries, and an impressive list of officers and ambassadors, as well as prominent figures from other nations, such as the former Director-General of the foreign ministry of Singapore," the publication said in a recent statement. "Moreover, this exciting new platform, which has the potential to significantly enrich the policy debates in both the United States and Israel, is also in itself a symbol of the new era in which we live," it continued.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
Ahmed Charai, a Moroccan publisher and a longtime Middle East policy adviser in Washington, created the magazine, which is a quarterly publication that serves is a potential political medium for policymakers in the American and Israeli sphere.
Charai, who has also strongly advocated for firm and friendly relations with Israel, recently wrote his first "letter from the publisher" in which he passionately lays out the rationale for this venture and its purpose.
With a deep knowledge of the American-Jewish community and its role in American life, he asks: "How can someone who loves America not value and admire the State of Israel?"
The publication further notes that if "once upon a time such a sentiment from a proud Moroccan Muslim would have been astounding, in today's regional dynamics – with the Commander of the UAE Air Force visiting Israel for the Blue Flag exercise – Charai still stands out as a pathbreaker, but the path is now well-trodden."
JST is thus a journal representing mainly Israeli and American views about world affairs, with occasional contributions from other figures of international standing, and dedicated to further mutual understanding. Under the editorial leadership of Dr. Eran Lerman, former deputy national security adviser for the Israeli government, the publication is committed to feature a range of opinions about the issues at the heart of each country's policies and politics, reflecting the concerns of the mainstream, the perspectives of academics, and the experience of practitioners, the paper said.
"Thus, the first issue included a debate on the two-state solution between former President Barack Obama's first National Security Adviser General James Jones and one of Israel's prominent analytical voices on this matter, Dan Scheuftan," the paper announced. "Ultimately, this is not only about a Moroccan Arab Muslim creating a US Israeli-based journal about the state of world affairs with an Israeli editor-in-chief at the helm. It is also a serious contribution to the key disputes and debates of this dramatic point in history, and a reflection of the singularity of this moment in the US-Israel relationship, Israel's relationship with the wider Arab world, and the United States' engagement with the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. But it also reflects a deeper desire to elevate the public discourse surrounding these three critical nodes of international security, ensuring that the US-Israel relationship remains a force for good in the region, and ultimately informing the decisions of policymakers."
As Charai adds in his opening letter, "perhaps such a platform could help policymakers and civic actors alike to better understand their own role in ensuring that this unique, time-honored relationship yields maximal benefit, both for them and their many allies."
With regular columns on diplomatic practices, military affairs, intelligence challenges, and more, the JST website offers thought-provoking insights on a wide range of current issues, with the circumstances of its creation only adding to its inspirational impact. Lastly, it is also written in an easily approachable style, making it an easy introduction to weighty matters for those who seek a good and balanced resource on regional and international affairs, the JST said in a statement.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
