Just one week before Israel’s election, Andrew Fox, Senior Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, assesses Israel’s position after two years of war. Hamas has been severely weakened, Hezbollah is largely quiet, Iran is contained for now and the Houthis are preoccupied with Saudi Arabia. But has Israel’s military success come at the cost of its international standing?
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has made an unannounced visit to Israel, meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a southern airbase amid discussions over renewed military action against Iran.
Netanyahu says he opposes the arrest of ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers and promises a new conscription law after the election, as Haredi parties threaten to boycott any coalition that fails to address their demands for military exemptions.
Israeli and Lebanese representatives are resuming negotiations in Florida, as the IDF accuses the Lebanese army of failing to dismantle a Hezbollah weapons site and tipping off the group about enforcement operations.
Saudi Arabia has postponed its flagship investment conference, known as “Davos in the Desert”, until next year, amid continuing Houthi attacks and growing security concerns among international investors.
And Israel is launching a new military space division, with Defence Minister Israel Katz unveiling what he calls Israel’s own “Star Wars” programme, aimed at making the country a global military and technological power.
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