Contemporary Readings

#142 Contemporary Readings December 2024 – Including Israel-Hamas War, and the fall of the Assad Regime in Syria

January 4, 2025

Assembled by Scott Abramson and Ken Stein, Center for Israel Education

Kaasra Aarabi, “I Spoke to Khamenei’s Foot Soldiers. He Is in Trouble,” The Jewish Chronicle, December 19, 2024, https://www.thejc.com/lets-talk/i-spoke-to-khameneis-footsoldiers-he-is-in-trouble-uowe2t5a

Ofra Bengio, “Vindicating The Poisoned Chalice: Iran’s Creeping Invasion of Iraq,” Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, December 15, 2024, https://dayan.org/content/vindicating-poisoned-chalice-irans-creeping-invasion-iraq

Avishay Ben Sasson-Gordis, Chuck Freilich, Theodore Sasson, “Implications of the US Senate Vote on Limiting Arms Sales to Israel,” INSS Insight no. 1926, December 18, 2024, https://www.inss.org.il/publication/american-weapon/

Christopher M. Blanchard, “Syria: Conflict Resurgence,” Congressional Research Service, December 5, 2024, https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN12467

Christopher M. Blanchard, “Syria: Regime Change, Transition, and U.S. Policy,” Congressional Research Service, December 13, 2024, https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN12469

Shoshana Bryen, “At Some Point, Iran Will Have To Pay A Price,” Jewish Policy Center, December 31, 2024, https://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/2024/12/31/at-some-point-iran-will-have-to-pay-a-price/

Yigal Carmon, “The Man Who Wasn’t There: An Account Of A Fake Witness To The Gaza War,” Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis, December 31, 2024, https://www.camera.org/article/the-man-who-wasnt-there-an-account-of-a-fake-witness-to-the-gaza-war/

Ahmed Charai, “Assad’s Downfall: A Turning Point in the Middle East,” Jerusalem Strategic Tribune, December 2024, https://jstribune.com/charai-assads-downfall-a-turning-point-in-the-middle-east/

“Captured Documents Reveal How Iran Smuggles Weapons via Syria and Jordan,” Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, December 22, 2024, https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en/captured-documents-reveal-how-iran-smuggles-weapons-via-syria-and-jordan/

Effie Defrin and Yoni Tobin, “Holding the Line: A Strategy for Securing the Philadelphi Corridor,” Jewish Institute for National Security of America, December 23, 2024, https://jinsa.org/jinsa_report/holding-the-line-strategy-for-securing-the-philadelphi-corridor/

Tim Eaton, “Syria’s Challenges Are Even Greater Than Those Libya Faced in 2011,” Chatham House, December 19, 2024, https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/12/syrias-challenges-are-even-greater-those-libya-faced-2011

Michael Eisenstadt and Farzin Nadimi, “Can Iran Restore Its Missile Mojo?” Washington Institute for Near East Policy PolicyWatch 3974, December 23, 2024, https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/can-iran-restore-its-missile-mojo

Mohamed Ibrahim Eldawiry, “Arab Region and Near Future,” al-Ahram, December 18, 2024, https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentP/4/537190/Opinion/Arab-region-and-near-future-.aspx

Brandon Friedman, “Syria After Asad: A Conflict Without Closure,” Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, December 15, 2024, https://dayan.org/content/syria-after-asad-conflict-without-closure

Ibrahim Hamidi, “Six Key Reasons Why al-Assad Fell,” al-Arabiya, December 10, 2024, https://english.alarabiya.net/views/2024/12/10/six-key-reasons-why-al-assad-fell

Efraim Inbar, “Syria and the Middle East Are No Safer After the Fall of Assad,” Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, December 13, 2024, https://jiss.org.il/en/inbar-syria-and-the-middle-east-are-no-safer-after-the-fall-of-assad/

Nadim Kotteich, “Will Golani ‘Damascanize’?” al-Sharq al-Aswat, December 17, 2024, https://english.aawsat.com/opinion/5092676-will-golani-%E2%80%98damascanize%E2%80%99

Daoud Kuttab, “The Need To Recognize the State of Palestine Now,” Arab News, December 18, 2024, https://www.arabnews.com/node/2583493

Yaacov Lappin, “Israel’s Strategic Gamble in Lebanon,” Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, December 11, 2024, https://besacenter.org/israels-strategic-gamble-in-lebanon/

Eran Lerman, “Iran’s Grip in Lebanon Must Be Broken,” Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, December 8, 2024, https://jiss.org.il/en/lerman-irans-grip-in-lebanon-must-be-broken/

Miki Levy, “The Houthi Threat,” Shomrim, December 29, 2024, https://www.shomrim.news/eng/the-houthi-threat

Charles Lister, Paul Salem, Fatemeh Aman, Meliha Benli Altunışık, Paul Scham, and Brian Katulis, “Special Briefing: After Assad’s Fall, What’s Next for Syria and the Region?” Middle East Institute, December 9, 2024, https://www.mei.edu/blog/special-briefing-after-assads-fall-whats-next-syria-and-region

David Makovsky, Andrew Tabler, and Tamir Hayman, “After Assad: Navigating Syria’s Power Vacuum and Regional Fallout,” Decision Points, December 16, 2024, https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/after-assad-navigating-syrias-power-vacuum-and/id1484710747?i=1000680511309

Assaf Orion, “Two ‘Axes’ Converging in Iran,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy PolicyWatch 3973, December 23, 2024, https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/two-axes-converging-iran

Assaf Orion, “Israel and the Fall of Assad: Rejoice, Repel, Reach Out, Reload,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy PolicyWatch 3970, December 18, 2024, https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/israel-and-fall-assad-rejoice-repel-reach-out-reload

“Post-Assad Syria: Winners and Losers, Crisis and Opportunity,” Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, December 8, 2024, https://jcpa.org/post-assad-syria-winners-and-losers-crisis-and-opportunity/

Elie Podeh, “The Fall of Assad Is Just the Beginning: The Struggle for Syria Has Resumed,” Mitvim, Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, December 2024, https://mitvim.org.il/en/publication/the-fall-of-assad-is-just-the-beginning-the-struggle-for-syria-has-resumed/

Majid Rafizadeh, “Biggest Blow to Iranian Power Since 1979: The Fall of al-Assad and Loss of Strategic Ally,” al-Arabiya, December 12, 2024, https://english.alarabiya.net/views/2024/12/12/biggest-blow-to-iranian-power-since-1979-the-fall-of-syria-and-loss-of-strategic-ally

Zineb Riboua, “Assad’s Collapse Is a Blow to Russia’s Middle East Strategy,” Hudson Institute, December 11, 2024, https://www.hudson.org/defense-strategy/assads-collapse-blow-russias-middle-east-strategy-zineb-riboua

Asaf Romirowsky, “Palestinians Are Facing a New Reality With Donald Trump in Power,” Newsweek, December 4, 2024, https://romirowsky.com/28241/palestinians-facing-trump

Michael Rubin, “How America Could Takeover Russia’s Tartus Naval Base in Syria,” Middle East Forum, December 8, 2024, https://www.meforum.org/mef-online/how-america-could-takeover-russias-tartus-naval-base-in-syria

Michael Rubin, “Will Assad’s Fall Lead to the Islamic State’s Rebound?” Middle East Forum, December 9, 2024, https://www.meforum.org/mef-online/will-assads-fall-lead-to-the-islamic-states-rebound

Michael Rubin, “The Lesson from Bashar al-Assad’s Collapse,” American Enterprise Institute, December 9, 2024, https://www.aei.org/op-eds/the-lesson-from-bashar-al-assads-collapse/

Arik Rudnitsky, “In-Depth Survey of the Arab Public after a Year of War,” Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, December 2024, https://dayan.org/content/depth-survey-arab-public-after-year-war

Abdel-Moneim Said, “The Syrian Tragedy,” al-Ahram, December 10, 2024, https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentP/50/536749/AlAhram-Weekly/The-Syrian-tragedy.aspx

Hazem Saghieh, “A ‘Second’ Hezbollah?” al-Sharq al-Aswat, December 9, 2024, https://english.aawsat.com/opinion/5089941-%E2%80%98second%E2%80%99-hezbollah

Mohammed Sergie, “Qatari Negotiators Up Efforts to Reach Gaza Deal as Trump Pressure Looms,” Semafor, December 30, 2024, https://www.semafor.com/article/12/30/2024/qatari-negotiators-up-efforts-to-reach-gaza-deal-as-trump-pressure-looms

Yuval Shany and Amichai Cohen, “The ICC Palestine Case in the Aftermath of the Arrest Warrants Decisions – Part Two,” Israel Democracy Institute, December 5, 2024, https://en.idi.org.il/articles/57398

Maya Sion-Tzidkiyahu, “Europe’s Response to the War in Gaza: Capabilities and Actorness [sic],” Mitvim, Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, December 2024, https://mitvim.org.il/en/publication/europes-response-to-the-war-in-gaza-capabilities-and-actorness/

“The Israel Democracy Institute Publishes its 2024 Israeli Democracy Index,” Israel Democracy Institute, December 17, 2024, https://en.idi.org.il/articles/57466

Ken Stein, “Jimmy Carter’s Checkered Relations with Israel and Jews,” Jerusalem Post, December 30, 2024, https://www.jpost.com/international/article-835320

Andrew J. Tabler, “The Syria Breakdown, Episode One: Why Assad Fell,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, December 19, 2024, https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/syria-breakdown-episode-one-why-assad-fell

Tevi Troy, “Jimmy Carter’s Legacy,” City Journal, December 30, 2024, https://www.city-journal.org/article/jimmy-carter-obituary-death-president

Carmit Valensi, “Developments in Syria—Significance for Israel,” INSS, December 16, 2024, https://www.inss.org.il/publication/developments-in-syria/

Ehud Yaari, “A Fateful Debate in Tehran,” Jerusalem Strategic Tribune, December 2024, https://jstribune.com/yaari-a-fateful-debate-in-tehran/

Aaron Y. Zelin, “Washington Returns to Damascus with High Stakes for Syria’s Transition,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy PolicyWatch 3971, December 20, 2024, https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/washington-returns-damascus-high-stakes-syrias-transition

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