Category Archives: Middle East
Damascus’ Jihadist Ruler : Regional Implications
While one important governmental transition ended yesterday, having global implications, another one with regional repercussions is still ongoing, and there is a connection between the two. The new, post-Assad regime in Damascus under Ahmed al-Shara is still being organised, with simultaneous efforts being undertaken in foreign policy as well as domestic realignment. Al-Shara and his lieutenants have met with Arab and European counterparts from Berlin to Paris to Gulf capitals. Al-Shara himself changed his attire, from battle fatigues to a suit and tie. But can a Jihadi predator truly change his spots? This will probably become known only after the Trump administration unveils its Mideast policy, part of which will relate to Syria.
Joining us for the discussion: Panel:
Dr. Nir Boms : Research fellow, Moshe Dayan center , Tel Aviv University
Host : Jonathan Hessen : Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute and Host of TV7 Israel News
Analyst : Amir Oren : TV7 Editor at Large and Host of Watchmen Talk
BG (Ret.) Relik Shafir : former IAF Commander and Chief of the IDF Cyber Staff
From Riad to Rafah, an Israeli and a Palestinian Perspective about the War in Gaza and Lebanon

Nir Boms, Sarah Awaidah
15 months since October 7th, Israel finds itself during the longest war in its history. What began in Gaza has quickly turned into a regional conflagration with emerging fronts in the Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Iran and the West Bank. Amidst a political and societal divide, Israel is still trying to find its own day after as well as to find the way to a broader “day after” in the region at large. Our guests, Dr. Nir Boms who runs the Program for Regional Cooperation at Tel Aviv University and Sarah Awaidah, co-founder of MENA Aid and member of the MENA 2050 executive committee, will share with us their perspectives on one of the most difficult years in Israeli history and on the path between Riad and Rafah – between the chances of peace and stability and the reality of a bleeding conflict that threatens to engulf the entire region.
A view from Jordan
Earlier this week, Jordan’s King Abdullah II appointed his Chief of Staff Jafar Hassan to form a new government, following last week’s Parliamentary elections. The Hashemite Monarch has commendably been trying to modernize the Kingdom’s political system, so as to better reflect the views and aspirations of a restless new generation.
The problem, however, is that the most adamant element in the Jordanian public, a distinct minority, is Islamic and bitterly anti-Israeli. The border with Israel, which used to be quite secure, is now porous, which enabled a terrorist to sneak through and kill three Israelis. This is also a testament to Iranian efforts to use Jordan as a corridor through which weapons and explosives are being smuggled to West Bank terror cells. Is the Hashemite Regime strong enough to withstand these pressures? Joining us for the analysis:
I was happy to join my colleagues Jonathan Hessen, Amir Oren, Col. (Ret.) Joel Rayburn to discuss of this.