1) At the INSS, Kobi Michael and Yoel Guzansky analyse ‘The Language of the Arab Initiative for Gaza’s Reconstruction’.
“An analysis of the official statement on the Arab initiative for Gaza’s reconstruction reveals a highly problematic declaration. Published in Arabic, the statement glorifies the resilience of the Palestinian people against Israeli aggression and includes harsh rhetoric condemning Israel’s alleged “crimes.” This language implicitly elevates and legitimizes Hamas, despite the statement’s token denunciation of terrorism—without explicitly condemning Hamas, Hezbollah, or Palestinian militants in the West Bank.”
2) At the JCFA, Oded Ailam discusses ‘Iranian Subversion in Jordan and the West Bank Post-October 7, 2023’.
“Tehran’s modus operandi is deeply rooted in the exploitation of instability, systematically infiltrating societies from within. The Iranian regime has demonstrated this approach time and again—engineering the rise of Hizbullah in Lebanon, empowering the Houthis in Yemen, and now setting its sights on Jordan and Judea and Samaria. Wherever Iran detects societal fissures, political fragility, or governance failures, it moves in to cultivate influence from the ground up, establishing deeply embedded networks that subvert sovereign authority and advance its long-term regional ambitions.”
3) The Long War Journal’s David Daoud and Ahmed Sharawi provide ‘A comparison of IDF and LAF activities in Lebanon post-November 27 ceasefire’.
“The LAF has fallen far short of Lebanon’s obligations under Resolution 1701 and the November 27 ceasefire agreement. There is no evidence—from LAF statements or independent reporting—that the LAF or Beirut has undertaken any significant action against Hezbollah. The LAF has not seized any significant military equipment, weapons, or other materiel from the group, nor is there evidence it has dismantled any of Hezbollah’s infrastructure above or below the Litani River. This is in sharp contrast to LAF’s open declarations of seizing and dismantling the infrastructure and weapons of other armed groups in Lebanon, like the PFLP-GC.”
4) At the Middle East Forum, Jonathan Spyer explains why ‘No One Should Be Surprised About the Syrian Massacres’.
“What has just happened in western Syria is what happens when Sunni jihadi fighters encounter a non-Muslim civilian population which they have defined as an enemy. It is what Islamic State did to the Yazidi people of the Nineveh plains in the summer of 2014. It is what happened to Israeli Jews near Gaza in October 2023.
The fact that western governments have chosen to believe in recent months that the current Islamist rulers in Damascus exist somehow outside of the known patterns and practices of Sunni jihadi organisations should not obscure the simple, and terrible, truth: the massacre of civilians is an inherent element of the Sunni Islamist way of war.”
5) Professor Boaz Ganor discusses ‘Terrorism, Antisemitism & The Swords of Iron War’at the ICT.
“…the Swords of Iron War, the longest and most difficult war in the history of the State of Israel, has been accompanied by an unprecedented wave of antisemitism, leading to a surge in hate crimes targeting Jewish sites and individuals around the world. This widespread and dangerous trend poses an immense challenge to decision-makers and law enforcement authorities across various countries, who appear to be struggling to provide an adequate and effective response. Many of these senior officials, like other influential leaders (particularly the heads of universities where antisemitic elements are active), stand helpless in the face of the growing wave of antisemitism. Some of them experience cognitive dissonance between recognizing Israel’s need to defend itself against terrorist organizations and an enemy state that have forced a difficult war on it — one that is being waged under extraordinarily challenging conditions — and the suffering of many civilians who find themselves unwillingly serving as human shields. This dissonance is further exacerbated by the disturbing images circulated in the media (images that are often accompanied by a biased — or even outright false—anti-Israel narrative.)”
