United States

Israel

Lebanon

Energy

Politics

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The office of Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati said President Michel Aoun has agreed to invite U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein to mediate Israel and Lebanon's negotiations over maritime demarcation, Reuters reported June 6.

Israel, Lebanon: U.S. May Mediate Countries' Maritime Demarcation Dispute

Israel's Survival Strategy

United Arab Emirates

Economics

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tweeted that Israel and the United Arab Emirates signed a free trade agreement after rapid negotiations, AP reported May 31.

Israel, UAE: Governments Sign Free Trade Deal

Turkey

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in Jerusalem, Israel, to ask for increased cooperation, and the ministers agreed to relaunch the Joint Economic Commission and work on a new civil aviation agreement, AP reported May 25.

Israel, Turkey: Prime Ministers Discuss Economic Cooperation

Turkey's Resurgence

Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi, a member of Israel's left-wing Meretz party, said she would return to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's government, possibly in return for the release of funds earmarked for Arab towns that had been sluggishly distributed, The Times of Israel reported May 23.

Israel: Meretz Lawmaker Returns to Coalition

Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi, a member of Israel's left-wing Meretz party, resigned from the country's governing coalition, saying the government had prioritized its right wing over its other coalition partners too often, The Times of Israel reported May 19.

Israel: Lawmaker's Resignation Relegates Bennett-Lapid Government to Minority Status

Russia

Iran

Syria

Military & Security

A Russian S-300 missile system in northwest Syria fired on Israeli jets on May 13 during an Israeli air raid on targets near Masyaf, The Times of Israel reported May 17.

Israel, Russia: Russians Reportedly Fire on Israeli Jet in Syria

The Syrian Civil War

Security

Iran's Arc of Influence

Palestinian Territories

Israel's Defense Ministry authorized 4,427 more settlement homes near the Israel-West Bank border and deeper inside Area C, which constitutes approximately 60% of the West Bank, The Times of Israel reported May 12.

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Israel Approves Thousands of New Settlement Homes

Prominent Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh was killed while covering an Israeli operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, the AP reported May 11.

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Al Jazeera Reporter Killed in Jenin

Israel lives under difficult geopolitical circumstances. A small country with limited resources and surrounded by potentially hostile neighbors, Israel survives by allying with powers that do have the resources to manage the balance of power in the Middle East — namely, the United States. Its geographic position also means that Israel must manage complex relations with its Muslim neighbors by quiet collaboration, by exploiting divisions and by parlaying its technological and economic advantages into strategic dependencies. To navigate all the challenges presented by its position in the Middle East, Israel will remain agile in its diplomacy and, when the situation warrants, steadfast in its pre-emptive strikes, its covert activities and its economic relationships.

Israel's geographic position also means that it must manage complex relations with its Muslim neighbors.

Jordan

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

The Pulse of Political Islam

The Jihadist Wars

Assessments

Japan

Thailand

U.S. President Joe Biden (R) and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (C) and Samsung personnel on May 20, 2022, at the Samsung Electronic Pyeongtaek Campus in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. U.S. President Joe Biden will arrive May 24 in Japan, where he is expected to provide details about the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.

Asia-Pacific: Among Great Powers

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Biden's Asia-Pacific Trip Continues, Turkey's Foreign Minister Visits Israel

Columns

On Geopolitics

Palestinians run for cover during clashes with Israeli security forces near the Israeli settlement of Beit El in the occupied West Bank on April 11, 2022. 

The prospect of an Israeli state that includes at least some of the Palestinian territories is growing amid both sides' disinterest in a peace process and Israel's continued West Bank expansions. 

Cyclical Violence Is Laying the Groundwork for an Israeli-Palestinian Unity State

Europe

Ukraine

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (R) and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Feb. 20, 2022, in Jerusalem. Israel's attempts to remain neutral during the Ukraine war may not survive Russian escalation in Ukraine or a new Israeli prime minister in 2023.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Israel's attempts to remain neutral during the Ukraine war may not survive Russian escalation in Ukraine or a new Israeli prime minister in 2023.

Israel's Difficult Balancing Act Between Ukraine and Russia

The Ukraine Conflict

Guidance

A man holds up a sign during an anti-government protest staged by Israeli right-wing supporters in Jerusalem, Israel, on April 6, 2022. 

A key defection to the opposition has left the government on the verge of collapse, which could see the country hold new elections for the fifth time in four years.

 What to Watch For as Israel Enters Another Political Crisis

Mourners attend the funeral of Yaakov Shalom, one of the five people killed in yesterday's shooting attack in the religious town of Bnei Brak, at the Yarkon cemetery in the Israeli city of Petah Tikva on March 30, 2022.

Additional attacks could ruin the peace between Israel and the Palestinian Territories, and they could even spark another war in Gaza.

Terror Attacks Threaten Fragile Peace Between Israel and Palestinian Territories

The Fight Against the Islamic State

Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi is seen in Jerusalem on Nov. 29, 2021, after Israeli Prime Minister Bennett said Iran was re-entering talks on its nuclear program to seek sanctions relief in exchange for ''almost nothing.''

Cyber

While it remains remote, the risk of a major conflict breaking out between the two regional rivals is slowly growing.

Recent Attacks Bring Israel and Iran's Covert War to Light

Snapshots

Israeli Prime Minster Naftali Bennett (bottom center) talks with members of his new coalition government before posing for a group photo at the President's Residence in Jerusalem on June 14, 2021. 

The near-crises created by a meeting with the Palestinian president and a tree-planting project bode ill for the ideologically diverse coalition's long-term survival. 

More Cracks Emerge in Israel’s Fragile Coalition Government

A more pragmatic Israeli approach to a possible limited nuclear deal with Iran could extend the life of any JCPOA breakthrough.

Israel Changes Tack on the Iran Nuclear Deal

U.S.-Iran Relations

The U.S. and Iranian flags are seen on a stage during nuclear talks in Vienna, Austria. 

If nuclear talks fail, ransomware attacks could enable Tehran to disrupt U.S. critical infrastructure and key sectors as part of an aggressive escalation campaign. 

For Iran, Ransomware Offers a Way to Attack the U.S. From Within

Middle East and North Africa

Part of a new solar plant, funded by the German government, is seen at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan on Nov. 13, 2017.

Environment, Science & Technology

The pact could be the first of many that help Arab states prepare for a hotter and drier future by fusing Isreal’s technological expertise with the UAE’s wealth. 

Normalized UAE-Israeli Ties Yield a Climate-Focused Trade Deal With Jordan 

Environmental Issues

A photo taken on Oct. 28, 2021, shows ongoing construction work in an Israeli settlement near the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the West Bank. 

Any unrest triggered by the new settlements could finally push the U.S. to take action against Israel’s aggressive behavior toward Palestinians. 

Despite U.S. and Internal Opposition, Israel Resumes West Bank Expansions

Oman

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Naftali Bennett attends the first meeting of his new government on June 13, 2021, in Jerusalem.

A fresh peace process with the Palestinians could contribute to normalization with Gulf Arab states like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Israel's Survival Strategy

SITUATION REPORTS

Israel, Lebanon: U.S. May Mediate Countries' Maritime Demarcation Dispute

Israel, UAE: Governments Sign Free Trade Deal

Israel, Turkey: Prime Ministers Discuss Economic Cooperation

Israel: Meretz Lawmaker Returns to Coalition

Israel: Lawmaker's Resignation Relegates Bennett-Lapid Government to Minority Status

Israel, Russia: Russians Reportedly Fire on Israeli Jet in Syria

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Israel Approves Thousands of New Settlement Homes

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Al Jazeera Reporter Killed in Jenin

Forecasts

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