All Policy Analysis by David Makovsky

Various political, personal, and legal factors make Benny Gantz a formidable challenger to Binyamin Netanyahu, but the prime minister may nevertheless welcome a potential two-man race against the general.

For now, he is sticking with the tried-and-true formula of emphasizing his security pedigree, but looming indictments could change his campaign narrative and coalition-building strategy.

Candidates need to be asked how they will deal with thorny issues such as Russian blowback in Syria, Hezbollah missile threats, Gaza reconstruction, and Iranian nuclear resurgence.

He seems to have calculated that keeping his coalition together is the best way to rebuild public support for the Gaza ceasefire policy, but his political margins are narrowing.

Netanyahu’s government has splintered following a new round of violence, raising questions about the utility of escalation versus reinstating the ceasefire with incremental infrastructure improvements in Gaza.

He’s 83, with no successor and no state, but he still seems to believe that defiance is a worthwhile end in of itself.

Israeli-Palestinian peace is elusive because all of the parties, including the United States, have made a series of damaging but preventable errors.

On the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Oslo Accords, a panel of Americans, Palestinians, and Israelis offered an inside look at what went right and wrong with the negotiations depicted in a new film.

Plenty of good actors remain on both sides of the Green Line, and by partnering with them, Washington can build on what has worked since Oslo and discard what has failed.

Hamas refuses to disarm, but outside pressure could help strengthen the PA.

Moscow has seemingly reaffirmed Israel’s right to keep Iranian forces away from the Golan frontier, but it is unclear whether Assad’s southern offensive will actually help or hinder that goal in the long term.

A plan to avert further economic deterioration in the strip may not be an ultimate deal, but it is a necessary one.

New corruption charges pose a more serious challenge to the prime minister than past investigations, but public reaction in Israel may determine whether he can stay afloat until the next elections.

If Tehran keeps trying to increase its military foothold in Syria, Israel may ramp up its strikes, so Washington should consider a more active posture that reduces the risks of escalation.

Through Moscow meetings and public statements, Israeli officials have made clear that Iranian weapons facilities in Lebanon are a game changer, so escalation is quite possible if Tehran ignores their warnings.

At a time when the prospects for Palestinian political reconciliation have faded, international donor initiatives and Israeli infrastructure projects could help avert further deterioration.