What is officially known in Israel as the ”swords of iron” war is not yet close [written on 31 December] to its end. In fact, we may be close to the end of the beginning only, but it is not too early to come up with an interim assessment of what has unfolded since 7 October.
Read MoreWhile Israel is dealing with its greatest, most dangerous ever internal crisis, it also has to ponder the pros and cons of a possible agreement with Saudi Arabia, whether as seems more likely a normalization agreement or even full peace treaty.
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For nearly six months, Israel has been gripped in an internal crisis described by many as the most severe challenge to its very viability as a democratic state. Israel experienced significant crises, such as the Altalena crisis in June 1948, only weeks after the establishment of the state, the reparations from Germany crisis in 1952, the turbulent period after the Oslo Accords climaxed with the assassination of PM Rabin in 1995, and the Disengagement from Gaza in 2005.
Read MoreYair Lapid, the new provisional Israeli PM stated after President Biden left Israel for Saudi Arabia, that ”it was such an important visit, the full results of it will be known in years to come”. This was a typical pre-election statement of an inexperienced politician, but it is in line with the overall attempt by the post-Netanyahu Israeli government to portray with flying colors the relations between Israel and the Democratic administration.
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It was an unusual meeting on 14 February 1945, aboard the USS Quincy in the Suez Canal, between two heads of state. On the one hand, Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR), President of the USA, the unofficial leader of the free world, was on the threshold of the final victory over Nazi Germany.
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