Many IDF chiefs of staff have been accused of factionalism and favoritism. Few, however, have likely drawn as much internal criticism as Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi is for the close associates he is appointing to senior positions right now.
Israel's new government aims to mend relations with Jordan's leadership through gestures like economic and water deals, but the Palestinian issue and Iran remain major obstacles.
It is impossible to prevent an Arabic-Muslim demographic trickle from "Palestine" into Israel, particularly under conditions of peace. The current political crisis proves as much.
The unique challenges Israel faces, when accompanied by an inherent lack of fairness and integrity in global media coverage, has serious implications for the Jewish state.
When US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said US policy on the Golan Heights has not changed, he wasn't referring to Trump's recognition of the Golan as Israeli, but to the decades of policy that preceded it.
How President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett manage that relationship will shape the prospects for peace and stability in the Middle East.
Washington is apparently willing to lift economic sanctions on Iran almost entirely and make far-reaching concessions pertaining to the international monitoring mechanism on its nuclear activities. What are Israel's options?
The security cabinet will now convene frequently and on its agenda are an immediate decision about Iran, strengthening the preparations for war in the north, preparation for the possibility of aggressive action in the Gaza Strip, and above all -- defining the nature of the IDF's relations with Israeli society.
While Iran's president successfully navigated US sanctions, a financial crisis, and anti-regime protests, his time in office exposed the powerlessness of Iran's elected officials in the face of the ayatollah and Revolutionary Guards.
Benjamin Netanyahu exerted an understanding of U.S. politics and culture unmatched by previous Israeli leaders. Yet some experts believe that incoming PM Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid might have more clout among current administration officials.
