Prof. Kobi Michael: The IDF is indeed the only body in the world that can secure aid delivery to Palestinians in Gaza. But to do this, Israel needs military control of the entire Gaza Strip — something the UN strongly opposes.
The IDF would need to build its own storage facilities in Gaza and ensure forces are present along all routes in order to secure the aid deliveries.
No organization or political force will agree to step in Gaza before Hamas is removed.
Published in TPS, November 20, 2024.
Prof. Kobi Michael: Israel would not withdraw from Lebanon until the Lebanese military and the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon can effectively restrain Hezbollah.
Published in The Jerusalem Post, November 17, 2024
Meir Ben Shabbat: The Trump administration is good news for anyone who understands that Iran is a central threat to peace and stability in the world, that it is the root of all evil in the Middle East, and that the fight against it requires a proactive and assertive approach.
Trump and his people also understand the central role that Saudi Arabia can play in the stability of the Middle East and in shaping the new order. In Saudi Arabia, they can certainly see as an opportunity the practical and realistic approach that Trump and his people will bring with them.
Published in JNS, November 17, 2024.
Asher Fredman: There is really tremendous paradigm-shifting potential [from a Trump Administration] in a number of realms, such as advancing regional cooperation and putting maximum pressure on Iran.
Published in Al-Monitor, November 24, 2024.
Prof. Kobi Michael: UNIFIL has allowed Hezbollah to fortify itself. It builds its structures beneath the eyes of UNIFIL inspectors, beneath U.N. posts. They’re an obstacle from Israel’s point of view.
Hezbollah can launch their rockets and operate military compounds knowing Israel has difficulty attacking [them] because of their closeness to UNIFIL posts.Guterres, the U.N. secretary-general, won’t pull out UNIFIL even temporarily to allow the IDF to “clean” the area.
To the contrary, he insists on leaving the posts there to prevent the IDF from cleaning the area.
Published in The Epoch Times, November 15, 2024.
Prof. Kobi Michael: Israel would not withdraw from Lebanon until the Lebanese military and the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon can effectively restrain Hezbollah.
Israel will continue to strike at strategic assets of Hezbollah until an agreement is reached.
Published in The Media Line, November 14, 2024.
Dr. Yossi Mansharof: Hezbollah always has the motivation to attack Jewish sites around the world, but may be increasingly motivated to do so now. If Hezbollah thinks they are moving away from the eyes of the CIA and the Mossad, they’ll go for it.
Hezbollah will need to launch a major fundraising effort to try to rebuild the biggest project in its history after receiving its worst blow since its establishment in 1982. They need billions of dollars that Iran can’t give them because they are in an economic crisis.
Latin America is an easy place for Hezbollah to raise and move funds despite sanctions. There’s a problem in Argentina. Even when there are sanctions, Hezbollah manages to circumvent them. They need a very strong effort … to enforce sanctions and make arrests.
Hezbollah will make sure that the large Shi’ite community in Latin America will remain loyal. They will feed propaganda to preserve the base … They need to make it look like they won.
Published in JewishInsider, November 14, 2024.
Meir Ben Shabbat: Trump and his people understand well that weakness invites evil. The Iranians interpreted the Biden administration’s diplomatic approach as weakness and were increasingly bold in their aggression.
Trump said “I’m not going to start wars, I’m going to stop wars,” but was optimistic that Trump and his nominees “understand what the end has to look like” and will “help it with the necessary means and support to shorten the war and reach a clear result.
Published in JewishInsider, November 12, 2024.
Prof. Kobi Michael: It is an effrot to dismantle the last and most effective Hamas centre of gravity as a functioning govermental and military entity.
Once it will fall there will be no Hamas as an organised formation and this will be the beginning of the end of the war in its current form.
Published in inews, November 7, 2024.
Prof. Kobi Michael: I think Netanyahu prefers the unpredictability of Trump over Harris. But there’s a degree of wishful thinking because Trump can easily turn on us in seconds.
Published in The New York Times, November 6, 2024.
