The Hezbollah Threat
Israel is weighing its response to Hezbollah’s August 27th rocket attack on Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, which claimed the lives of 12 children and wounded 40 others. The attack was the deadliest in over nine months of escalated conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, since the Iran-backed terror group joined Hamas’s fight against Israel […]
Israeli Ideas for the Day After in Gaza
While the full military defeat of Hamas – for which Israel says an operation in Rafah is essential – remains outstanding, both international and domestic Israeli attention remains on the question of the “day after” Hamas in Gaza. Who will assume control and take charge of urgent civilian priorities like the distribution of aid? How […]
Challenging the Iranian presence in the north
In light of the targeted strike on Iranian Gen. Mohammed Reza Zahedi, this paper gives the latest assessment on the confrontation between Israel and Iran and its proxies. Challenging the Iranian presence in the north Israel is braced for an Iranian responses after an airstrike in Damascus killed the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard […]
Understanding Israel-UK Weapons Trade
Recent reports suggest that the UK is considering ceasing arms sales to Israel. This paper looks at the current state of military trade between the two nations, in the context of strong bilateral ties. UK to Israel arms sales While the UK is considered Israel’s second-staunchest western ally after the US, UK arms imports do […]
The West Bank in the Shadow of October 7
Part of Hamas’ strategy on October 7 was to provoke violence to spread elsewhere. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar explained his plan that following the murderous attack, unrest would spread to the West Bank (as well as in the north and in mixed cities within sovereign Israel). Even before October 7, the West Bank was close […]
Unpacking South Africa vs Israel at the ICJ
The 17 justices of the International Court of Justice at The Hague are expected to hand down their ruling today at 1200 (UK time) today on South Africa’s request for the court to issue a temporary injunction on its allegation that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. Download BICOM’s briefing on this here:
BICOM Background Briefing: Operation Swords of Iron
“Parents butchered, using their bodies to try to protect their children; stomach-turning reports of babies being killed; entire families slain; young people massacred while attending a musical festival… women raped, assaulted, paraded as trophies. There are moments in this life — I mean this literally — when a pure unadulterated evil is unleashed on this […]
A Golden Age: Strengthening the UK-Israel Bilateral Relationship
BICOM Director Richard Pater and Research Associate Jack Omer-Jackaman were pleased to contribute a chapter to the Labour Friends of Israel’s recent pamphlet “Britain and the Middle East: Priorities for the Next Labour Government”. In their chapter, “A Golden Age: Strengthening the UK-Israel Bilateral Relationship”, they analysed the current strength of the UK-Israel relationship. On […]
Towards Israel-Saudi Normalisation?
A senior US official recently declared that a normalisation deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia is “a national security interest of the United States”. The Biden Administration is seeking foreign policy wins before its diplomatic capacity is subsumed by the presidential election cycle. Though much of its focus remains on a Russian-Ukrainian war with no […]
The ultra-Orthodox and the future of the People’s Army
BICOM has released a briefing on the proposed Draft Bill, dealing with the exemption of the ultra-Orthodox from compulsory military service. We examine the issue in its contemporary and historical contexts and look at current proposals seeking to balance the protection of the IDF as a “People’s Army”, the demands of the ultra-Orthodox parties, and the […]