A Policy-Oriented Think Tank Addressing Foreign Policy and National Security Issues for a Safe Israel

Linkedin-in Facebook-f
SUPPORT
SUPPORT

Colonel (res.) Dr. Eran Lerman

Vice President of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security

Dr. Lerman was deputy director for foreign policy and international affairs at the National Security Council in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. He held senior posts in IDF Military Intelligence for over 20 years. He also served for eight years as director of the Israel and Middle East office of the American Jewish Committee. He teaches in the Middle East studies program at Shalem College in Jerusalem, and in post-graduate programs at Tel Aviv University and the National Defense College. He is an expert on Israel’s foreign relations, and on the Middle East. A third-generation Sabra, he holds a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics, and a mid-career MPA from Harvard University.

Jordanian King Abdullah II

Iranian Subversive Efforts in Jordan: A Strategic Threat Requiring a Robust Response

Against the background of Hamas’ ongoing war with Israel (and the expressions of support for it among Palestinians and Islamists in Jordan), the Iranian regime has intensified its efforts to subvert the Hashemite monarchy. The arrests in March 2024 of Iranian agents involved in smuggling arms to Muslim Brotherhood elements in Jordan are part of a campaign to counter the role of Tehran in bringing both drugs and weapons over the Syrian and Iraqi borders into Jordan. Tensions rose further over Jordan’s supportive role in foiling the Iranian attack on Israel on 14 April 2024. For the Iranian regime, the destabilization of Jordan is a vital precursor for the strategic goal of turning Judea and Samaria into “another Gaza”, as Supreme Leader ‘Ali Khamenei suggested back in 2014: hence the importance of American and Israeli support for Jordan. The stability of the Kingdom (and thus the need to reduce economic and social strains) is a vital interest of both Israel and the West.

24/07/2024
Eran Lerman

The Israel-US-Morocco Triangle and the Potential for Cooperation in Africa – Dr. Eran Lerman, JISS

The lecture was part of the session on the Middle East Regional Powers’ Struggle in Africa at the “Africa and Israel: Building Strategic and Economic Bridges” conference held on July 2, 2024, at Tel-Aviv University. The conference is a collaboration between the S. Daniel Abraham Center for International and Regional Studies at Tel-Aviv University, the Israel-Africa Relations Institute (IAI), and the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS).

11/07/2024
Middle east map

The Game of Camps Revisited: Where are we in 2024?

As the Arab world fell apart after 2011, one way to navigate the new realities in the region was through the identification of ideological “camps”, at conflict with each other. While radical jihadists such as Islamic State (Da’esh), which was at the peak of its power a decade ago, are no longer real challengers for hegemony in the region, two other variations on the theme of Islamist totalitarianism – the Muslim Brotherhood camp, including Hamas, backed by Qatar and Turkey; and the Iranian revolutionary camp, and its proxies – are still actively seeking to overthrow the existing order, and to grow in power as the American role recedes. Facing both is the camp – loosely defined as the “camp of stability” – to which Israel belongs by right, and which acted together in foiling Iran’s attack on Israel (April 14, 2024). This mapping of the region lends the war in Gaza a broader significance: it is bound to have a long-term effect, insofar as the survival of Hamas would change the balance of power between the “camps”.

13/05/2024
A missile is carried on a truck during the Army Day parade at a military base in northern Tehran.

Iran’s foiled attack and Israel’s Response: Not (Yet) a Point of Inflection in Israel’s War Strategy

Iran’s assault on Israel changed the rules of the regional game – but as Israel’s measured response indicates, it is not yet a point of transition for Israel from its focus on Gaza to a broader regional war. The withdrawal of the IDF’s 98th Division from Khan Younis did not signal a termination of the effort to destroy Hamas: rather, it was taken in preparation for the next stage, that must involve the creation of conditions for the displaced population in the Rafah area to be evacuated to the north, in the context of a military campaign conducted with growing attention to the needs of the Gazan population. But in the absence of a clear formulation for “the day after,” Israel’s choices are likely to be misinterpreted as signs of incoherent policy.

13/05/2024
Netanyahu, Biden and the floating pier in Gaza

The American Pier in Gaza: An Opening to US-Israeli Cooperation in Gaza

Some Israelis fear US plans to build an off-shore pier to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza could interfere with Israel’s war objectives. However, given the agreed interest in the success of the humanitarian effort, and the track record in recent years of close Israeli coordination with the US Central Command (CENTCOM), this could be a building block towards a coherent “day after” strategy, if political imperatives on both sides do not get in the way.

31/03/2024
Hamas terrorists

Debunking the Myth of the Muqawwamah (“Resistance”):
The Strategic Significance of the Surrender of Hamas Terrorists

Beyond the intelligence value obtained and the possible leverage for the release of Israeli hostages, the symbolic signal sent by images of Hamas terrorists giving themselves up is strategically significant. Debunking the myth that Islamist “heroes” are willing to fight to the death, unlike their secular nationalist predecessors in past wars against Israel, should be among the long-term goals of the present conflict.

26/03/2024
IDF Soldiers in Gaza

Resisting Demoralization: Surrender to Hamas’ Demands Would Endanger Israel’s Security and Regional Standing

The hostage situation is of utmost importance and must be handled with sensitivity. Creativity, daring and flexibility are required to gain their release. The Government of Israel, however, must not be drawn into surrender to Hamas’ demand to end the war. It should also resist the signs of demoralization and skepticism – in the media, and within the defense establishment – casting doubts on the prospects of bringing down Hamas’ rule in Gaza, when progress on the ground points to the IDF’s capabilities.

17/03/2024
Iran president

Even Amidst the War in Gaza, Iran’s Nuclear Project Must Remain Uppermost on Israel’s Strategic Agenda

Iran has significantly increased its stockpiles of uranium and according to estimates could produce enough Weapons Grade Uranium for a nuclear bomb within a week. There are indications Tehran is making progress toward tooling the parts of a bomb. Amid regional circumstances that are creating a window of opportunity, Israel must create legitimacy for action against Iran’s nuclear project.

12/12/2023

Are You In?

Join 8,000+ Subscribers who enjoy our weekly digest