Please note this event will be online. To register for the zoom session, please CLICK HERE.

Since October 7th, Israel’s shift in doctrine to pre-empting military threats has led to it successfully target the leadership of Hamas, Houthis,  IRGC, and Hezbollah, as well as Iran’s nuclear and missile sites. By projecting power further and more frequently across the Middle East, Israel has completely recast the regional landscape.

During this online event we will discuss whether this shift presents Israel with a further set of strategic challenges making it vulnerable despite its regional strength growing. Egypt’s military has assumed a hostile military posture towards Israel, while Turkey seeks to flex its muscle in opposition to Israel. Hamas retains the capabilities to recruit new members and reestablish tunnels while Hezbollah seeks to reconstitute itself. Iran still possesses a significant missile capability, and it is a matter of time till there is another military confrontation between Israel and Iran. After Israel’s attempted targeting of Hamas’s leaders in Qatar, regional risk increased as Saudi Arabia imported out of area actors signing a mutual defence pact with Pakistan. Furthermore, regional tensions can escalate into geopolitical risk as GCC states increasingly foster ties with both Russia and China. Accompanying Israel’s growing diplomatic isolation in the international community are the many strategic challenges which Israel must prioritise and address if it is to ensure its continued security and prosperity.

Join HJS Senior Research Fellow Barak Seener as he moderates this distinguished panel where he is joined by, Brigadier General (ret.) Amir Avivi, Brigadier General (ret.) Yossi Kuperwasser, Dr. Harold Rhode, Dr. David Wurmser and Maj. Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin as they discuss the strategic vulnerabilities which Israel face and how they could answer these challenges.

Brig. Gen. (Res.) Amir Avivi

Brig. Gen. (Res.) Amir Avivi is the founder and chairman of Israel’s Defense & Security Forum (IDSF). During his service, Amir held a series of senior roles in the IDF, including Deputy Comptroller of the Security Forces, Director of the Office of the Chief of Staff, Deputy Commander of the Gaza Division, Commander of the Sagi Division, Commander of Batallion 605 and Commander of the School of Combat Engineering.

Brig. General (Res.) Yosef Kuperwasser

Brig. General (Res.) Yosef Kuperwasser is the director of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS). Brig. General Kuperwasser was formerly the Director General of the Ministry of International Affairs and Strategy. He formerly served as Assistant Defense Attaché for Intelligence at the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC (1992-1994), Chief Intelligence Officer of the IDF Central Command (1998-2001), and Head of the Analysis and Production Division of the IDF Directorate of Military Intelligence (2001-2006).

Dr. Harold Rhode

Dr. Harold Rhode, served for 28 years as an advisor on the Islamic world in the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense. He is a Fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs and at the Gatestone Institute in New York.

Dr. David Wurmser

Dr. David Wurmser, is the executive and founding member of the Delphi Global Analysis Group, LLC – a firm specializing in geopolitical risk analysis and mitigation. From December 2018 until September 2019, Dr. Wurmser served as senior advisor (Special Government Employee) to the U.S. National Security Advisor, Ambassador John Bolton. Dr. Wurmser was the senior advisor from 2003-2007 to the U.S. Vice President (Richard Cheney) on Middle East, proliferation and strategic affairs. Prior to this, Dr. Wurmser was the senior advisor to Under Secretary of State John Bolton at the State Department. His diplomatic missions included participating in sensitive high-level strategic discussions with Israel and Jordan, coordinating with foreign governments on Iran policy, participating on the United States negotiating team at several Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty meetings and conferences, and helping negotiate base rights in key countries (Qatar) prior to the 2003 Iraq War.

Maj. Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin

Maj. Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin is the President & Founder of MIND Israel, an action-oriented nonprofit consulting group advising the Israeli establishment on national security issues. He served as the Head of Israel’s Military Intelligence, former Deputy Commander of Israel’s Air Force and IDF defense attaché in Washington DC. He is a Senior Fellow at the Harvard University Kennedy School’s Belfer Center, and former Executive Director of the INSS.

Moderated by: 

Barak Seener

Barak Seener is an Associate Research Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society and the founder of Strategic Intelligentia and the Gulf Futures Forum. Barak also hosts a geopolitical podcast called The Geo Godfather Wars. Previously, Barak was a Global Intelligence Manager at HSBC and the Middle East Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. Barak has lectured at NATO as well as the Royal College for Defence Studies. He also staged the world’s first, and hugely successful conference in London at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) on Palestinian statehood. Barak published a book in 2018 entitled, ‘Commercial Risks Entering the Iranian Market: Why sanctions make investment in the Islamic Republic of Iran a high-risk proposition.’