(January 9, 2023 / Algemeiner) A decade ago, I published a piece entitled The Devolution of Pakistan, in which I expressed my sincere disappointment in the dramatic negative turn the nation of Pakistan took over the past generation. A once proudly secular and Western-leaning government and military establishment have been completely overrun by radical Islam.

Similarly, over the past decade, I have watched the devolution of Turkey with great dismay and profound sadness. My affinity toward Turkey began as an undergraduate at UCLA, where I worked with Professor Stanford Shaw to craft a research document about Turkey’s positive role toward Jews during the Holocaust. During this era (1990s), we constantly were taught that democracy was possible in the Muslim world. One only needs to look to Turkey to see a Muslim nation that embraces secular, democratic principles in its political and military institutions. In fact, I fondly remember traveling from Israel to Turkey in the mid-1990s and being greeted by ‘dock-hawks’ in a Turkish port city clamoring to tell me how much they liked Israel... Read more here

As the new Israeli government begins its work, its challenges are as multiple as they are complex. Many critics outside of Israel have already threatened to cut off ties with the new government, even before they have assumed office.  Before passing judgment on the incoming Israeli administration is essential to have an understanding of the actual policies of this new government and some of the many challenges that this government and the state of Israel are currently facing in the Middle East.

Listen to the highly decorated Israeli Brigadier General Amir Avivi as he examines the complicated situation facing this government and some of its multiple challenges.

About Amir Avivi:

Auditing and Consulting Department of the Israeli Defense Establishment (including the Israel Defense Force, the Ministry of Defense, and Israeli Military Industries). In that position, Avivi managed more than 100 military auditors and advisors. He was responsible for auditing military readiness, budgeting, procurement, projects, bids, cyber, logistics, infrastructure, and operations. Avivi fulfilled various command positions in the Corps of Engineers, leading thousands of soldiers in a dynamic combat environment.

Avivi served as Brigade commander, Deputy Division commander, and head of the Military School of Engineers. He also served as the aide-de-camp for the Chief of the General Staff of the IDF, Lt. General Moshe “Bogie” Yaalon. Avivi was at the heart of the policy-making process in the Israeli Government and Defense establishment during that term. Avivi also serves as the Principal of the New State Solution working group. Avivi is the Founder & CEO of Habithonistim.

January 18, 2023 - 12 PM ET

Why do the United States and Israel treat Qatar—which has a strong relationship with Iran and Hamas, with kid gloves?

According to Hillel Frisch, during the COVID pandemic, Qatar was the only country that maintained flights with Iran, and it is the leading state sponsor of Hamas. It is also home to a potent media outlet, which is state-sponsored by Qatar, Al Jazeera, which is very different in Arabic than in English. Its Arabic version has been used to whip up incitement in much of the Arab-speaking world against the state of Israel.

About Hillel Frisch:

Hillel Frisch is a professor emeritus in the Departments of Political Studies and Middle East Studies at Bar-Ilan University, Israel, and a senior research associate at Jerusalem Institute of Strategy and Security. Fluent in Arabic, he is the author of several books and numerous articles on Middle East and Palestinian politics. Amongst his latest studies are "Rethinking the "Arab Spring": Winners and Losers," Middle East Quarterly (2021), "The Palestinian Military, Two Not One," Oxford Handbook on Military and Security Studies (2021) "Jordan and Hamas," Handbook on Jordan (2019) and "Assessing Iranian Soft Power in the Arab World from Google Trends," The Journal for Interdisciplinary Middle Eastern Studies (2019). He has frequently published in the Jerusalem Post, and many of his articles have been disseminated in other venues such as The Daily Alert.