Author Archives: jonathanspyer

Jerusalem Post, 24/10 Russian attempts to move closer to Egypt made possible by US absence An upcoming joint naval exercise involving the Egyptian and Russian navies, announced by the Russian Defense Ministry on October 10, is testimony to the fluid … Continue reading →

13/10/20 This week marks twenty years since the outbreak of the Second Intifada.  I remember those febrile days very well, here in  Jerusalem.  The peace talks at Camp David broke down in late July.  After that, it was clear that … Continue reading →

Jerusalem Post, 25/9 The United States this week reinforced its military presence in northeastern Syria. Six Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles were deployed to the area, and around 100 troops were added to the roughly 500 that are already present in … Continue reading →

September 20, 2020. In early March, 2020, when international travel was still unambiguously possible, I was due to visit the United States.  I had been invited to speak at the annual AIPAC policy conference.  In addition, a number of other … Continue reading →

Wall Street Journal, March 3, 2020 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared victory in Monday’s Israeli election, the third since April, following two inconclusive results. Although Mr. Netanyahu may be frustrated in his attempt to form a government, his Likud Party … Continue reading →

Jerusalem Post, 15/8 The death toll in the August 4 explosion at the Beirut port has now reached 163.  More than 6,000 people were injured. Large parts of the city were destroyed.  The latest information detailed this week by Reuters … Continue reading →

Jerusalem Post, 31/7 The events at Har Dov earlier this week need in order to be understood to be placed in the broader context of Israel’s ongoing undeclared military campaign against Iran.   They also cannot be separated from Hizballah’s current … Continue reading →

Syria’s dictator faces renewed challenges at all levels Jerusalem Post, 12/6 No major combat operations are currently under way in Syria.  But while the civil war which began in 2011 may be effectively over, events in the country indicate that … Continue reading →

Jerusalem Post, 29/5 Turkey, Pakistan, Malaysia and Qatar form emergent power nexus in the Islamic World The name of fugitive Indian Salafi Islamist preacher Zakir Naik is little known in the west. Naik, founder of the Mumbai-based Islamic Research foundation, … Continue reading →

Jerusalem Post, 15/5 Iranian support appears to lie behind uptick in the terror group’s activities The Israel Defense Forces this week carried out the partial demolition of the home of Qassem Shibli, also known as Qassem al-Barghouti, in the village … Continue reading →