Hezbollah

According to Institute for Economics & Peace, Terrorism gets worse as global conflicts drive risk of new wave

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 29, 2024

Over 90% of terrorist attacks and 98% of terrorism deaths in 2023 occurred in conflict zones, underscoring the strong link between conflict and terrorism.

Key Points: 
  • Over 90% of terrorist attacks and 98% of terrorism deaths in 2023 occurred in conflict zones, underscoring the strong link between conflict and terrorism.
  • The Global Terrorism Index 2024 (GTI) highlights that terrorism remains a serious global threat, with total deaths from terrorism increasing by 22% to 8,352 in 2023, now at their highest since 2017.
  • The GTI is produced by the leading international think tank the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) and has been published annually for the last eleven years.
  • The report ranks 163 countries (99.7 % of the world's population) according to the impact of terrorism.

According to Institute for Economics & Peace, Terrorism gets worse as global conflicts drive risk of new wave

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 29, 2024

Over 90% of terrorist attacks and 98% of terrorism deaths in 2023 occurred in conflict zones, underscoring the strong link between conflict and terrorism.

Key Points: 
  • Over 90% of terrorist attacks and 98% of terrorism deaths in 2023 occurred in conflict zones, underscoring the strong link between conflict and terrorism.
  • The Global Terrorism Index 2024 (GTI) highlights that terrorism remains a serious global threat, with total deaths from terrorism increasing by 22% to 8,352 in 2023, now at their highest since 2017.
  • The GTI is produced by the leading international think tank the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) and has been published annually for the last eleven years.
  • The report ranks 163 countries (99.7 % of the world's population) according to the impact of terrorism.

Israel is a Jewish nation, but its population is far from a monolith

Retrieved on: 
Friday, February 9, 2024

In Israel’s single largest casualty event since the Gaza invasion began in October 2023, 21 Israeli soldiers were killed in an explosion on Jan. 22, 2024.

Key Points: 
  • In Israel’s single largest casualty event since the Gaza invasion began in October 2023, 21 Israeli soldiers were killed in an explosion on Jan. 22, 2024.
  • 1st Class Cedrick Garin, a 23-year-old Filipino-Israeli whose mother came to the country to work before he was born.
  • Hamas’ roughly 240 hostages, for example, were nationals of 25 different countries, including Thailand, Nepal, the Philippines and Tanzania.
  • Hamas kidnapped Muslim citizens of Israel alongside Jewish Israelis, Americans and other dual nationals.

Israel’s diversity

  • Much smaller groups of Israeli Jews were born in Africa and Asia, in countries including India and Uzbekistan.
  • Roughly 20% of Israelis are Arab, including Muslims, Christians and Druze, a group of people who observe a distinct monotheistic religion.
  • Another 5% of Israeli residents are neither Jewish nor Arab, including more than 25,000 African migrants who live in Israel.

Military service requirements

  • Israel has different rules for military service for its citizens, depending on their background.
  • Every Israeli citizen over the age of 18 who is Jewish, Druze or Circassian must serve in the military, unless they are religiously observant and/or married when conscripted.
  • Mandatory service brings together Israelis of all backgrounds, forces them to work together and instills a sense of obligation to the broader society.

Minorities in Israel

  • Abu Latif, who was called up as a reserve soldier, was killed in the Jan. 22, 2024, blast in Gaza.
  • The vast majority of the 370,000 Bedouins in Israel are citizens and identify as Muslim.
  • Unlike Jewish Israelis and Druze men who are required to serve in the Israel Defense Forces, Bedouins volunteer.
  • In 2020, a record number of 600 Bedouins joined the Israel military.
  • Another minority group in Israel, the Druze people, have a long history of Israeli military service.

Jewish minorities

  • Even the deaths of Jewish soldiers reflect the complexity of Israeli society.
  • In all, Jewish soldiers killed in the conflict have ties to at least 12 countries other than Israel.
  • Soldiers killed in Gaza include Staff Sgt.

Equal in war?

  • This exempts ultra-Orthodox Jews, who make up approximately 13% of the country, from military service.
  • Women as well as men studying at a yeshiva, a Jewish religious college, are excused from service so they can follow strict religious observances and study religious texts.
  • In August 2023, only 9% of eligible ultra-Orthodox men served in the military, compared with an 80% national average among other Jewish Israelis.


Jessica Trisko Darden is Director of the (In)Security Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University and Director of the Security & Foreign Policy Initiative at William & Mary's Global Research Institute.

How Iran controls a network of armed groups to pursue its regional strategy

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 7, 2024

But when it did, it hit at least 85 targets across Iraq and Syria.

Key Points: 
  • But when it did, it hit at least 85 targets across Iraq and Syria.
  • The Pentagon was careful not to directly attack Iran itself, but it targeted Iranian-backed groups which have been conducting raids on US military assets in the region since before Hamas launched its attack on Israel on October 7.
  • But who are these groups that Iran can rely on to act in its interests and how much of a threat do they pose to regional security?
  • It wants to remove the US from the Middle East and to replace it as the guarantor of regional security.
  • And it refuses to recognise the state of Israel, instead working with Palestinian groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah to pressure the Jewish state.

Quds Force

  • The Quds Force is part of the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and is the IRGC’s primary vehicle for foreign affairs.
  • According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Quds is largely responsible for providing training, weapons, money and military advice to a range of groups in the so-called “Axis of Resistance”.

Syria

  • Quds activities in Syria are reportedly overseen by Khalil Zahedi, nicknamed Abu Mahdi al-Zahdi.
  • Iran’s principal aims in Syria are to keep the Assad regime in power, maximise Iranian influence, protect Shia minorities and reduce and – if possible – eliminate the US presence in Syria.

Iraq

  • In Iraq, since the US invasion, Iran-backed armed groups come under an umbrella organisation called the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) or Quwwāt al-Ḥashd ash-Shaʿbī.
  • The PMF claims to have as many as 230,000 fighters, mainly Shia.
  • The same year PMF’s political wing contested elections in Iraq, coming second in the poll.

Lebanon

  • Hezbollah (Party of God) was formed in 1982 to fight against the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
  • While heavily involved both politically and economically in Lebanon, Hezbollah is also active throughout the region, doing Iran’s business rather than looking after Lebanese interests.

Major headache for the west

  • Many of these groups now wield significant political influence in the countries in which they are embedded, so confronting them is not simply a military exercise.
  • And, as the dramatic rise in tensions in the region following the assault by Hamas on Israel (also planned with Iranian help) suggests, Iran is capable of fomenting trouble for the west almost at will across the region.


Christoph Bluth does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Radware Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 7, 2024

TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Radware® (NASDAQ: RDWR), a leading provider of cyber security and application delivery solutions, today announced its consolidated financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2023.

Key Points: 
  • Revenue in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (“EMEA”) region was $24.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2023, an increase of 2% from $24.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2022.
  • Revenue in the Asia-Pacific (“APAC”) region was $15.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2023, a decrease of 13% from $17.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2022.
  • Cash flow from operating activities was $2.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 and negative at $3.5 million for the full year of 2023.
  • Radware management will host a call today, February 7, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. EST to discuss its fourth quarter and full year 2023 results and the Company’s first quarter 2024 outlook.

A two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians might actually be closer than ever

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Even before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel by Hamas-led forces from Gaza, many analysts were already declaring the idea of a two-state solution dead.

Key Points: 
  • Even before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel by Hamas-led forces from Gaza, many analysts were already declaring the idea of a two-state solution dead.
  • For example, the current Israeli government rejects the creation of a Palestinian state, and Hamas refuses to recognize Israel.
  • Few, if any, historical conflicts neatly compare to the one between Israelis and Palestinians.

The fall of South African apartheid

  • In 1948, the white-nationalist Afrikaner National Party was elected to run South Africa, a country that had already been controlled by a colonial white minority government.
  • The National Party formalized racial segregation policies in a system known as apartheid, an Afrikaans word that means “apartness” or “separateness.” Apartheid ranked people by racial group, with white people at the top, Asian and people of mixed heritage lower, and Black people at the bottom with the most restrictions and fewest rights – for example, to live or work where they chose.
  • Apartheid resulted in deep poverty and indignity for Black communities, quickly generating anti-apartheid social movements that South African police tried to violently suppress.
  • The collapse of apartheid policies in the early 1990s is often attributed to a combination of South African resistance and the economic pressure brought by international anti-apartheid boycotts of South Africa.
  • Since 1948, South Africa had imposed its apartheid policies over a neighboring region it occupied after World War II, then called South-West Africa, which is now Namibia.
  • South Africa was forced to mobilize its reserve troops, and white South Africans began protesting at home.
  • This stalemate pushed Cuba, Angola and South Africa to a peace deal in 1988, and South Africa withdrew its forces.

A way toward two states?

  • Home to 5 million Palestinians, these areas exist in a kind of netherworld between being part of Israel and being separate, sovereign entities.
  • It is a situation that many analysts have long understood is unsustainable, as it has repeatedly given way to extreme fighting between Israelis and Palestinians.
  • Yet with the U.S. and other powers firmly backing Israel as a strategic ally, few could see realistic possibilities for change.
  • And the Israeli government is increasingly divided over the war effort, with Netanyahu losing support in his own far-right party.
  • There is also growing international consensus that a two-state solution is the only acceptable outcome of the current violence.


Benjamin Case does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Middle East crisis: US airstrikes against Iran-backed armed groups explained

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 6, 2024

US airstrikes on Iran-backed armed groups on February 2 have been anticipated for some time.

Key Points: 
  • US airstrikes on Iran-backed armed groups on February 2 have been anticipated for some time.
  • Since the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7, US forces in the Middle East have been targeted more than 150 times.
  • These attacks, mainly on US bases in Iraq and Syria caused minimal damage thanks to US air defence capabilities.

Militant groups targeted

  • There are about 40 militant groups in the region backed by Iran.
  • These include high-profile groups such as Hamas, which carried out the October 7 attack in Israel as well as Hezbollah, which has been engaged in cross-border fire with Israel on the Lebanon border since October.


Iran provides a mix of training, intelligence, funding and weapons to groups within its self-described “axis of resistance”. But Tehran does not fully control the militias, who operate with varying degrees of autonomy, and who might be better seen as affiliates than proxies.

US political choices

  • With the election year, Biden is also facing additional scrutiny from home on his foreign policy decisions.
  • The calibrated airstrikes of the weekend will probably attract further criticism from both sides – for going too far or not far enough.

Gaza conflict

  • But it’s undeniable that the crisis in Gaza has emboldened armed groups around the region, who have repeatedly used the war to justify their actions.
  • The US, Egypt and Qatar have been mediating between Israel and Hamas to negotiate a deal that would see a halt of military operations in Gaza in return for a phased release of hostages.

Preventing regional war

  • This suggests that Tehran – like Washington – is still keen to avoid a head-to-head conflict with the US.
  • For the Biden administration, the aim of preventing a regional war is still the right objective, even – perhaps especially – in the face of rising tensions.


Julie M Norman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

US raids in Iraq and Syria: How retaliatory airstrikes affect network of Iran-backed militias

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 5, 2024

U.S. bombers struck dozens of sites across Iraq and Syria on Feb. 2, 2024, to avenge a drone attack that killed three American service members just days earlier.

Key Points: 
  • U.S. bombers struck dozens of sites across Iraq and Syria on Feb. 2, 2024, to avenge a drone attack that killed three American service members just days earlier.
  • The retaliatory strikes were the first following a deadly assault on a U.S. base in Jordan that U.S. officials blamed on Iranian-backed militias.
  • Sites associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were among those hit by American bombs.
  • The Conversation U.S. turned to American University’s Sara Harmouch and Nakissa Jahanbani at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center – both experts on Iran’s relationship with its network of proxies – to explain what the U.S. strikes hoped to achieve and what could happen next.

Who was targeted in the U.S. retaliatory strikes?

  • This term, Islamic Resistance in Iraq, does not refer to a single group per se.
  • Rather, it encompasses an umbrella organization that has, since around 2020, integrated various Iran-backed militias in the region.
  • Iran officially denied any involvement in the Jan. 28 drone strike.
  • In recent months, parts of this network of Iran-backed militias have claimed responsibility for more than 150 attacks on bases housing U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq.
  • As such, the U.S. retaliatory strikes targeted over 85 targets across Iraq and Syria, all associated with Iranian-supported groups and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

What do we know about the network targeted in the strike?

  • The Islamic Resistance in Iraq acted as a collective term for pro-Tehran Iraqi militias, allowing them to launch attacks under a single banner.
  • Over time, it evolved to become a front for Iran-backed militias operating beyond Iraq, including those in Syria and Lebanon.
  • Today, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq operates as a cohesive force rather than as a singular entity.
  • Operating under this one banner of Islamic Resistance, these militias effectively conceal the identities of the actual perpetrators in their operations.

What are the strikes expected to accomplish?

  • The strikes targeted key assets such as command and control centers, intelligence facilities, storage locations for rockets, missiles, drones and logistics and munitions facilities.
  • The goal is not only to degrade their current operational infrastructure but also to deter future attacks.
  • The action followed the discovery of an Iranian-made drone used in an attack on Jordan.

How will this affect Iran’s strategy in the region?

  • It is possible that the cessation was the result of pressure from Tehran, though this has been met with skepticism in Washington.
  • The U.S. airstrikes – combined with sanctions and charges – serve as a multifaceted strategy to deter further aggression from Iran and its proxies.
  • The comprehensive and broad nature of the U.S. response signals a robust stance against threats to regional stability and U.S. interests.
  • The aim is to isolate Iran diplomatically and economically, while squeezing its support for regional proxies.
  • Yet the impact and repercussions of such sanctions on Iran and the broader regional dynamics is complex.
  • Editor’s note: Parts of this story were included in an article published on Jan. 29, 2024.


The views, conclusions, and recommendations in this article are the authors’ own and do not reflect those of the Department of Defense or the U.S. government. Sara Harmouch does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Iran's increased belligerence and nuclear ambitions show why the west needs a more robust policy of deterrence

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 16, 2024

The intervention represents a significant level of escalation in the Middle East and is indicative of just how volatile the region has become.

Key Points: 
  • The intervention represents a significant level of escalation in the Middle East and is indicative of just how volatile the region has become.
  • While the Houthis claim their attacks are in retaliation for Israel’s war against Hamas, it’s actually more complicated.
  • It has done this despite the best efforts of the west (and Israel) to deter its aggression and contain its influence.

Revisionist state

  • In short, Iran is a revisionist state – it wants to change the regional order – and its belligerent behaviour is likely to continue.
  • Now the larger (and recurring) problem the west must address is how to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear capability.
  • A nuclear-armed Iran would arguably represent the greatest threat to Israel’s national security and the international liberal order.

Empire, Islam and revolution

  • Much of Iran’s national identity constitutes a mixture of revolutionary fervour, Shia Islam and a form of nationalism focused around Iran’s pre-Islamic history, notably the Persian empire during the Achaemenid dynasty (550-330 BC).
  • Meanwhile, power resides with individuals – such as supreme leader Ali Khamenei – who were influential in Iran’s revolutionary period (1979).
  • As a former imperial power and a country that experienced revolution, Iran presumes that it has the natural right to intervene in other country’s affairs.
  • The coup is thought to have fostered the conditions for the 1979 revolution.

No nukes

  • It would fundamentally disrupt the balance of power in the region and could lead to a spiralling arms race with Saudi Arabia.
  • So the UK’s main foreign policy in the Middle East must be to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear arsenal.
  • The current UK government understandably does not want to escalate tensions and it may want to pursue a risk-free policy in the region.


Ben Soodavar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

War in the Middle East has put Lebanon on the brink of economic disaster

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 16, 2024

But this glimmer of optimism has waned as Lebanon risks being dragged into war with Israel.

Key Points: 
  • But this glimmer of optimism has waned as Lebanon risks being dragged into war with Israel.
  • On January 2, Israel assassinated senior Hamas political officer Saleh al-Arouri in south Beirut after daily rounds of Israeli shelling in southern Lebanon.
  • The conflict has already resulted in the displacement of more than 75,000 citizens within Lebanon, as well as the deaths of 25 more.
  • A repeat of the 2006 Lebanon war would cause a humanitarian disaster and worsen the state of Lebanon’s already beleaguered economy.

Prelude to war?

  • Hezbollah holds an estimated 130,000 rockets and missiles ready for any conflict with Israel.
  • But, despite this antagonistic stance, the group’s secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, was restrained in his rhetoric, a hopeful sign that he is seeking to avoid war.
  • Reports that Israel assassinated two Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon on January 14 only add to the pressure on Hezbollah to respond.

Why Lebanon is so fragile

  • Several overlapping crises over the past decade have already conspired to bring Lebanon to the point of collapse.
  • The civil war in neighbouring Syria since 2011 has seen an estimated 1.5 million refugees seek shelter in Lebanon.
  • Lebanon has also been facing a severe economic crisis since 2019, which was worsened by the onset of the COVID pandemic.
  • Lebanon is ranked 150 out of 180 countries for corruption, the government has failed to pass a budget in over a decade, and credible allegations of vote buying and political interference in elections have been recorded.
  • Lebanese citizens who have borne the brunt of these crises have directed their anger at the government.
  • Only 8% of Lebanese citizens say they have a great deal or quite a lot of trust in the government.

Ceasefire essential

  • And an immediate ceasefire in Gaza is needed.
  • Robust international mediation and pressure is urgently needed to enforce the agreement to prevent a humanitarian disaster.


The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.