Trump’s ‘Disruptive’ Approach to Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations

May 4, 2017

In comments made during an event celebrating Israel’s 69th Independence Day, and on the eve of the first visit of Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas to the White House, President Trump’s National Security Adviser, Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, said some things worth noting:...


A Question for UN Ambassador Haley on Israel-Palestine Negotiations

April 4, 2017

In comments made during an event celebrating Israel’s 69th In a recent press briefing at the United Nations, U.S. UN Ambassador Nikki Haley told the press she met with Palestinian Authority UN Representative Riyad Mansour, and that she “stressed to him the importance of returning to the negotiations table.” Ambassador Haley told the Jerusalem Post, “I said that we are not going to support the Palestinian actions here at the UN until they came to the table.”


Forget About Direct Negotiations Between Israelis and Palestinians

March 15, 2017

“Direct Negotiations” is the most used (or abused) word-pair in the context of the search for a Palestinian-Israeli deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu keeps flaunting this idea as if it’s a panacea. President Donald Trump lost no time adopting this vocabulary, and he repeated it in his recent phone conversation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, bringing grins of satisfactions to the faces of Israeli policymakers.


Trump’s Travel Ban – How Not to Negotiate with Muslims

February 6, 2017

On January 27, 2017, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order titled, “Protecting The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States.” The stated goal of the order is “to protect the American people from terrorist attacks by foreign nationals admitted to the United States.”


A Case for Empathy in Counterterrorism

April 13, 2016

When many of us think of homeland security, we think in terms of being tough, assertive, defensive, or/and offensive; we think in terms of countering terrorism with force designed to bring the “bad guys” to their knees. Conversely, when we think of empathy, we think “bleeding heart liberals,” humanism, “softies,” accepting the deplorable and the unacceptable.


Resilience – The Antidote to ISIS

March 23, 2016

Nowadays, when hordes of counterterrorism pundits are falling all over each other in their eagerness to push forth Amygdala-controlled agendas, designed to satisfy a spectrum of needs, from pure revenge to trying to bring some semblance of control to what appears like a frontal assault on normalcy in the heart of Western Europe, maybe it’s time to revisit an old, tested and useful (though admittedly less exciting) antidote to terrorism – resilience.


Trump’s Muslim Insults – A Clear Disservice to American Security

December 8, 2015

Donald Trump’s latest “policy” bombshell – a proposal to bar all Muslims from entering the United States – is going to be interpreted by many (if not most) Muslims as an insult, which is exactly what those responsible for America’s security do not want or need at this stage as they attempt to formulate a successful strategy for minimizing homegrown extremism among its Muslim population.


In Conflict Resolution, Give De-escalation a Chance

August 24, 2015

Several kinds of conflicts seem to be escalating in the United States in recent months, notably ongoing clashes between law enforcement and various communities. It seems that we, as a culture, are becoming quite adept at conflict escalation. Maybe it’s time to dedicate the same serious resources to mastering the other side of the conflict coin – de-escalation.


Understanding ISIS Through the Lens of Early Islam

June 9, 2015

Those following the evolution and expansion of ISIS over the past few years find themselves often bewildered by the pace and rate of success demonstrated by a supposedly young, inexperienced band of ideologues. No real surprise there. In fact, the similarity is uncanny between what is happening now with ISIS and what happened 1,400 years ago, as Mohammad founded Islam and set about consolidating and expanding the power and reach of the new religion.


Don’t Degrade ISIS, Destroy It

February 23, 2015

When President Obama made his speech about U.S. strategy to counter ISIS, he repeated one phrase that caught the attention of many: “Our objective is clear: We will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL.” This is a bad strategy, primarily because it gives ISIS time to continue operating


Countering the ISIS Narrative with Returning Foreign Fighters

January 30, 2015

Foreign fighters leaving their home countries to join ISIS are foremost on the minds of those in charge of homeland security. How to deal with these departing and returning jihadists has been a source of intensive debate. Now, with growing numbers of ISIS deserters, there is an opportunity to “inoculate” Muslim communities against ISIS propaganda and indoctrination.


Islam and the West – Where Do We Go From Here?

January 16, 2015

In the wake of the recent wave of Islamists-led terror attacks around the world, there is a palpable sense of despair amongst Western experts and citizens who are all asking: “Where do we go from here in our relations with Islam?” It seems that we are running out of options, and the only way forward is outright conflict, but before we cross that Sambation, here is an alternative proposal that may show some promise.


Why Did the Palestinian-Israeli Negotiations Collapse?

April 7, 2014

Even Dennis Rodman could have done a better job of facilitating Palestinian-Israeli negotiations than the Americans.


Israel’s Bogeyman Ya’alon Strikes Again

March 21, 2014

Afterward, Israel Defense Minister Moshe "Bogie" Ya'alon retracted his stinger, but left the U.S.-Israel relationship further poisoned.


Countering Boycott Calls With Anti-Semitism Accusations: a Sure Way to Lose the Argument

February 6, 2014

Many Israelis view almost any call for a boycott of Israel as a manifestation of a new type of virulent anti-Semitism.


A Few Things Israel’s Government and Citizens Should Know

November 29, 2013

Israel’s well-being depends on the good will of a shrinking number of countries, whose patience with Israel is running out.


Isn’t It Time Israel and Palestine Understood Each Other’s Dispute-Resolution Customs?

July 17, 2013

Israel would be better served in talks with Palestinians if it acquainted itself with their justice customs -- and vice versa.


Obama’s Chance to Renew the Peace Process

March 8, 2013

If Obama wants a say in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, he needs to be prepared to back up his words with actions.


Where Are the Peace-Intelligence Professionals?

February 22, 2013

Why then do we invest nothing at all at collecting, studying,assessing and exploiting peace-related intelligence?