Prof. Kobi Michael: Since Oct. 7 there is a very broad consensus now on the Israeli side that UNRWA must be dismantled. The idea that a U.N. agency is advocating for the right of return, which means the destruction of a state which is a member of the U.N., is not less than a paradox, it is just ridiculous.

Published in The Amrican Israelite, March 13, 2024.

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Prof. Kobi Michael analyzes the Israeli public’s stance on war objectives in light of the shifting perspective on the conflict in Washington. 

The interview took place on the I24 TV channel on March 12, 2024. 

https://youtu.be/kDugh4NibWo

David M. Weinberg discusses the relevance of Ramadan to the current war in Gaza and potential escalations in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount. Also: The need to dismantle UNRWA.

Briefing for the Israel Defense and Security Forum, March 12, 2024.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV8RgAxnmJc

Meir Ben Sabbat: Israel cannot compromise on achieving the goals it defined for this war in full, since any failure to do so could expose Israel to an existential threat from its enemies.

Published in  JNS, March 11, 2024.

Prof. Kobi Michael accepts the logic of separation with the Palestinians, but feels that talking now about a Palestinian state is premature.

Published in The Jerusalem Post, March 8,  2024.

What are the interests of regional players such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar with regards to the Israel-Hamas war? What are the pathways forward for regional normalization and integration? Misgav Institute Senior Managing Fellow Asher Fredman answers these questions in a briefing to the Israel Defense and Security Forum.

Following reports the IDF expects 6-8 more weeks of full scale war Prof. Kobi Michael offers perspective on the IDF’s advancements in the Gaza Strip: The IDF prepares itself for a ground operation in Rafah. i believe that at the end of the day the war in Gaza will not be ended without tackling the issue of Rafah, be it by a military operation or by self dismantling of Hamas. We can dismantle the last Hamas brigade in Rafah without occupying entire Rafah exactly as we did in Khan Yunis.

The interview was on the I24 television channel, February 20, 2024.

The war in the Gaza Strip has entered a complicated stage in which the decision makers in Israel will have to decide whether to operate in Rafah, how to act in order to advance a deal for the hostages held by Hamas, and how to deal with the pressure from the US to reach a settlement leading to the creation of a Palestinian state. Meanwhile, the tension on Israel’s northern border is rising.

Former National Security Council head Meir-Ben-Shabbat says Israel must press ahead with achieving its war aims despite US concerns.

The interview was published in Globes, February 18, 2024. 

Ruth Wasserman Landa: The Egyptian regime would hardly shed any tears if Hamas – which they view like the outlawed Muslim brotherhood – was destroyed. Yet Cairo is threatening to abrogate the historic peace treaty with Israel if the IDF goes through with its planned invasion of Rafah and takeover of the Philadelphia corridor along the frontier. Ruth Wasserman Lande, a former member of Knesset and deputy ambassador to Egypt and today a research fellow at the Misgav Institute for National Security, said that Israel needs to beef up its strategic dialogue with Egypt. She outlined to reporter Arieh O’Sullivan some of Israel’s leverages it can exercise with Egypt.

The interview was on Kan11 English News, February 12, 2024.

Prof. Kobi Michael: After dismantling all the military center of gravity, Hamas can not operate anymore as an organized military entity, but individuals or small groups here or there attempt to.

The interview was on the i24 TV 4.2.2024.   https://youtu.be/aLV0KOdRDl0