Strategic Survey for Israel, 2016–2017

The Institute for National Security Studies’ Strategic Survey for Israel, 2016–2017 features a number of notable themes including Iran’s nuclear program, the Trump administration’s regional policies, and opportunities for Israel to forge relations with the Arab Gulf states. It also proposes new approaches to the conflict with the Palestinians centered on unilateral action by Israel, including the enactment of a provisional border to safeguard the narrowing prospects for a two-state solution. Prescriptions concerning Hezbollah, particularly the ominous imperative to target Lebanon’s national infrastructure, conjure another round of death and destruction. The document’s utility is limited by its failure to deconstruct the nature of the challenges or opportunities facing Israel, as well as the general unwillingness to examine the motivations of Israel’s adversaries.