Shortly after Israel declared its independence from the British, on May 14, 1948, the US sent a memorandum to the UN that indicated its acceptance of the new state and the direction of its future policy in the Middle East.
Latest articles from CIE
#158 Contemporary Readings, April 2026
April 30, 2026 Compiled by Maya Rezak and Ken Stein Videos and Multimedia Hasan Alhasan, Nicole Grajewski and Matthew Tavares, “Wartime Support to Iran: Implications for the Middle East and Beyond,” Washington Institute for Near…
Yizhak Sadeh, “A History of the Haganah’s Development,” 1952
Yitzhak Sadeh, a founder of the Haganah, provides a short history of the Haganah published in Hebrew in 1952. It is a unique verbal snapshot of the Zionist/Yishuv’s self-defense evolution taken from Sefer Toldot Hapalmach (History of the Palmach).
Former PMs Bennett, Lapid Announce Joint Israeli Political List, April 2026
Former Israeli Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, who formed a governing coalition after running separate electoral lists in 2021, put aside their differences in 2026 in their shared quest to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu.
Obama Administration Official Testifies on Iran Nuclear Talks, 2015
House testimony from a Treasury Department official during the 2015 Iran nuclear negotiations shows that U.S. priorities and nonmilitary approaches toward Iran remain the same in 2026.
The 1979 Fall of the Shah and the Rise of the Islamic Republic — Jimmy Carter’s 1985 Recollections
Jimmy Carter, “The U.S.-Iran Relationship, the Shah’s Downfall, Khomeyni’s Rise to Power, and the Hostage Crisis,” an Emory class presentation, Atlanta, March 24, 1985, recorded and transcribed with permission.
Israel-Lebanon Agreement, Ratified by Israel but not Lebanon, 1983CIE+
Israel and Lebanon agreed to a treaty in 1983 through U.S. mediation, only for Syria’s dominance and Lebanon’s dysfunction to block ratification.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Statement on Iran War, April 11, 2026CIE+
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu highlights strategic if incomplete achievements in wars fought since October 2023 while working to solidify his political support before fall elections.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Remarks on Iran War, March 12, 2026CIE+
Almost two weeks into the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, Prime Minister Netanyahu addresses the country to explain what has been achieved and what remains to be done.
Board of Peace Representative Updates U.N. on Gaza, March 2026CIE+
Nickolay Mladenov, the Trump-led Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza, explains the progress made toward Phase 2 of the ceasefire and the necessity for Hamas’ disarmament and immediate housing and increased aid for Gazans.
