Israel

Policy Analysis on Israel

The New Middle East: Hamas Attack, Israel at War, and U.S. Policy

Veteran U.S., Palestinian, and Israeli experts and policy practitioners explore the broader strategic repercussions of the unfolding war, as well as the factors that enabled Hamas to reach its current level of malign regional influence.

Oct 13, 2023

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Robert Satloff
Ehud Yaari
Matthew Levitt
Neomi Neumann
Ghaith al-Omari

Brief Analysis

Hezbollah Miscalculations and the Gaza War

The group might be content with its existing political gains from the conflict, but Washington should still try to shift its calculus given the grave risks of a wider war.

Oct 12, 2023

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Hanin Ghaddar

An Arrow anti-missile rocket fires in a test launch in a joint exercise between U.S. and Israeli forces - source: Department of Defense

Brief Analysis

U.S. Wartime Support to Israel: First Steps and Future Considerations

The Biden administration views its defense support to Israel as sufficient at the current level of hostilities, but that may change as the war progresses and, potentially, expands.

Oct 12, 2023

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Grant Rumley

Articles & Testimony

The War Hamas Always Wanted

Despite the completely surprising nature of the attack, Hamas did in fact give multiple signals that a major operation was in the works.

Oct 11, 2023

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Matthew Levitt

Articles & Testimony

What Israel Must Do

The long-suffering residents of Gaza deserve a better future, but getting there will require the international community to demilitarize Gaza after the war and disarm whatever is left of Hamas.

Oct 11, 2023

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Dennis Ross

An Israeli flag is projected on the Eiffel Tower in Paris in response to the Hamas terror attacks on Israel in October 2023 - source: Reuters

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

International Reactions to the Hamas Attack on Israel

At least forty-four nations have condemned Hamas and decried its tactics as terrorism, but regional players such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Syria, and Iraq have pinned responsibility on Israel.

Oct 11, 2023

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Cleary Waldo
Gabriel Epstein
Sydney Hilbush
Aaron Y. Zelin

◆ Tracking International Reactions to the Hamas-Israel War

Brief Analysis

Syria and the Hamas Attack: Another Potential Iran-Backed Front?

New Golan attacks and deployments by Iran-sponsored militias and Syrian forces are creating a worrisome distraction as Israel deals with the crisis on its southern front.

Oct 11, 2023

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Andrew J. Tabler

Articles & Testimony

Israel Focused on the Wrong Iranian Threat, With Deadly Results

Although the existential nature of the nuclear threat understandably demanded attention, Hamas and other Iranian proxies have dramatically increased their capabilities in the meantime.

Oct 10, 2023

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David Schenker

Articles & Testimony

A Minefield of Critical Questions Remains After Hamas’s Stunning Attack on Israel

As the IDF deals with residual infiltrators in the south, it is already clear that the lessons of the surprise 1973 war need updating.

Oct 9, 2023

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Simon Henderson

Egyptian President Sadat meets with generals during the 1973 October War.

Video

Brief Analysis

Implications of the October War: From Warfighting to Peacemaking

In the opening panel of a special three-day anniversary event, experts and former officials from Egypt, Israel, and the United States discussed the conflict’s enduring lessons for peacemaking and statesmanship today.

Oct 5, 2023

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Mohamed Anwar E. al-Sadat
David Makovsky
Efraim Halevy
Abdel Monem Said Aly
Martin Indyk

◆ The October 1973 War Redux

Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir meets with U.S. President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at the White House in 1973. Source: Library of Congress

Articles & Testimony

Miscalculations and Legacies: A Look Back at the 1973 War Half a Century On

Historians continue to debate “what if” scenarios about the pivotal conflict that reshaped the Middle East.

Fall 2023

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David Makovsky

◆ The October 1973 War Redux

A Palestinian woman walks by a mural in Bethlehem

Articles & Testimony

Peace With Saudi Arabia Is Transformative But Requires Choices

Riyadh understands that immediate Palestinian statehood is not an option, but it still needs Israel to take steps that demonstrably improve daily life in the West Bank and curtail settlement growth.

Oct 4, 2023

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Dennis Ross

In-Depth Reports

Oslo at 30: Personal Perspectives from Washington Institute Scholars

A Compendium

This remarkable compendium marks the thirtieth anniversary of the landmark Oslo I accords and includes personal perspectives from former diplomats, analysis of public opinion among Israelis and Palestinians, and policy recommendations for U.S. officials.

Sep 29, 2023

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Dennis Ross
David Makovsky
Neomi Neumann
Ghaith al-Omari
Mohammed Dajani
Nickolay Mladenov
Zohar Palti
Catherine Cleveland

◆ Oslo at 30

Video

Brief Analysis

The October 1973 War Redux: Lessons for Today’s Middle East Policy Challenges

Watch a week-long series of expert webcasts exploring the origins and lasting impact of the October 1973 war.

October 3-5, 2023

◆ The October 1973 War Redux

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

The Battle for UNIFIL’s Independence (Part 2): Facts on the Ground

The secretary-general’s latest report documents Hezbollah’s expanding violations—and the growing role that Lebanese government officials and military commanders play in abetting this activity.

Sep 21, 2023

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Matthew Levitt
Assaf Orion

United Nations headquarters building in New York - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

The Battle for UNIFIL’s Independence (Part 1): Hezbollah at the UN

Renewing the force’s mandate while blocking Hezbollah’s bid to formally hamstring it are welcome developments, but more concerted diplomatic action will be needed to reverse the downward security trend.

Sep 21, 2023

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Assaf Orion
Matthew Levitt

President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu meet at the United Nations in New York in September 2023 - source: Prime Minister's Office

Brief Analysis

Saudi Dealmaking to Top Biden and Netanyahu’s New York Agenda

The long-delayed meeting should clarify the contours and possible requirements for normalization with Riyadh, though Israel’s ongoing domestic turmoil and policy toward the Palestinians may necessitate some difficult political choices.

Sep 19, 2023

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David Makovsky

Fikra Forum

A Third of Saudis Want Business With Israel Now, Even Without Formal Ties; “Muslim Rights” Top List of Public’s Terms for Full Normalization

A unique new public opinion poll from Saudi Arabia sheds light on popular attitudes there toward a potential deal to “normalize” relations with Israel.

Sep 18, 2023

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David Pollock

Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1993 - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

An Inside Look at Rabin’s Oslo Expectations

A previously classified cabinet transcript reveals a mix of shrewd judgments, prophetic concerns, and miscalculations by the late prime minister.

Sep 15, 2023

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David Makovsky

◆ Oslo at 30

Bread vendor outside the Old City of Jerusalem

Fikra Forum

New Polling and the Legacy of the Oslo Accords

When examining the legacy of the Oslo Accords, one clear outcome is the way in which diplomatic breakthroughs—along with their failures—have deeply shaped public attitudes towards the conflict. Thirty years later, fresh polls emphasize the deep erosion of trust and support for the two-state solution in Palestinian (along with Israeli) society, but a lingering hunger for some kind of breakthrough.

Sep 14, 2023

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Catherine Cleveland

◆ Oslo at 30

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Featured experts

David Makovsky

David Makovsky is the Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations.

Dennis Ross

Dennis Ross, a former special assistant to President Barack Obama, is the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute.

Ehud Yaari

Ehud Yaari is the Lafer International Fellow at The Washington Institute.

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