Posted in David Schenker, Hezbollah, Lebanon on May 27th, 2009 Comments Off on Who will command Lebanon’s arms?
From David Schenker On June 7, Lebanon goes to the polls to elect a new government. Just over a week out, the race is too close to call. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Either the pro-west March 14th coalition, in power since 2005, retains power; or the Iranian- and Syrian-backed March 8th coalition led by […]
Posted in Iran, Israel, Mark N. Katz, Military, Nuclear, Russia, Technology on May 26th, 2009 Comments Off on Israeli leverage over Russia vis-à-vis Iran
From Mark N. Katz There has been an ongoing debate here at MESH and elsewhere about whether Israel can, will, or should launch an attack against Iran to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons. One possible method by which such an attack might be degraded or even deterred is if Russia sells the advanced version […]
Posted in Books, Lebanon, Military on May 22nd, 2009 Comments Off on ‘The Lebanese Army’
MESH invites selected authors to offer original first-person statements on their new books—why and how they wrote them, and what impact they hope and expect to achieve. Oren Barak is senior lecturer in political science and international relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His new book is The Lebanese Army: A National Institution in […]
Posted in Alan Dowty, Diplomacy, Iran, Israel, Palestinians on May 20th, 2009 Comments Off on Barack and Bibi: starting the clock
From Alan Dowty The meeting between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu has triggered a stampede of soothsayers. Every aspect of their encounter is scrutinized for clues to their personal chemistry and, by extension, the future course of U.S.-Israeli relations. But these relations are rooted in forces more fundamental than personalities, intriguing as these two […]
Posted in Israel, Maps on May 19th, 2009 Comments Off on On every fridge in Israel
From MESH Admin From May 31 to June 4, Israel will conduct its largest country-wide civil defense drill ever, code-named “Turning Point 3.” At its height, on June 2, a siren will sound, and all Israelis will be expected to enter protected rooms and shelters for a few minutes. In advance of the drill, Israel’s […]
Posted in Diplomacy, Israel, Robert O. Freedman on May 15th, 2009 Comments Off on Obama and Netanyahu: the agenda
From Robert O. Freedman As Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu prepares to meet U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday, there are a number of issues on the table for discussion, including questions about Netanyahu’s willingness to accept a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israel’s building of settlements and settlement outposts on the West […]
Posted in Hezbollah, Lebanon, Michael Young on May 14th, 2009 1 Comment »
From Michael Young This interview with Timur Goksel (click here if you don’t see the embedded clip below), a former political advisor to the United Nations Interim Force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL), is interesting in two regards. Goksel is someone intimately familiar with Lebanon’s Shi’ite community, and his observations (many of which I happen to […]
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