As the Middle East continues to grapple with volatility and the threat of extremist ideologies as we enter a new year, it is important to identify the key issues relating to the moving landscape of counter-terrorism policy and strategy in the region. In conversation with renowned expert Professor Boaz Ganor, the executive director of the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism and the Ronald S. Lauder Chair for Counter-Terrorism at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, we will explore the contours of current security dynamics in Israel and future trend lines both inside Israel and regionally. An area of interest is the evolution of Israel’s counter terrorism strategy and its implications on Israel’s foreign relations with its Arab neighbours, amidst ongoing challenges posed by Hamas and Hezbollah across transnational borders. The yet unresolved war in Syria poses challenges to neighbouring states from a security perspective.

What are Israel’s priorities, and how do defence priorities match with its military capabilities and manoeuvrability? Of particular interest is how best to respond to the growing tensions between the defence of liberal democratic values and the extremist ideological underpinnings of terrorism and violence that threaten European societies. What lessons can be drawn from Israel’s experience that can be useful for the security of democracies in Europe?

To explore the above issues, The Henry Jackson Society is pleased to welcome you to join this online discussion on the trends in counter-terrorism strategy in the Middle East.

Professor Boaz Ganor is the Founder and Executive Director of the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) and the Ronald S. Lauder Chair for Counter-Terrorism at Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel. He previously served for five years as Dean and ten years as Deputy Dean of the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy & Strategy at Reichman University.

Prof. Ganor serves as the Founding President of the International Academic Counter-Terrorism Community (ICTAC), an international association of academic institutions, experts, and researchers in fields related to the study of terrorism and counter-terrorism. He has published numerous articles on terrorism and counter-terrorism. His book, “The Counter-Terrorism Puzzle – A Guide for Decision Makers” (Transaction Publishers, 2005), is used as a text book in universities worldwide and his book, “Global Alert: The Rationality of Modern Islamist Terrorism and the Challenges to the Liberal Democratic World” was published by Columbia University Press in 2015. He has published several articles in “Studies in Conflict and Terrorism”, “Terrorism and Political Violence”, “Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflicts”, Orbis and the International Law Studies.

Dr Gadi Yishayahu holds a PhD in the study of crises in the Department of International Politics at the University of London (City). He previously worked in the field of crisis management in the Office of the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Deloitte Economic Consulting Services, and as a senior associate in a commercial law firm in Tel-Aviv. His research focuses on the foreign policy of Israel, contemporary Foreign Policy Crises and their implications on the discipline of crisis management.

Dr Burcu Ozcelik holds a PhD in Politics and an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge and subsequently held the prestigious Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship at the Department of Politics and International Studies where she taught Conflict, Peacebuilding, and the Politics of the Middle East.

Dr Ozcelik’s research primarily focuses on the international relations of the Middle East, non-state armed actors and peacebuilding. She has extensive experience with Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Israel.

Prior to joining HJS, Dr Ozcelik was an associate fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and has previously worked for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Turkey and in civil society, focusing on democracy and human rights. In addition to her scholarly articles, Dr Ozcelik’s research has been widely published in journals including War on the Rocks, The National Interest, Foreign Affairs, New Lines Magazine, Middle East Eye, the Royal United Services Institute and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Dr Ozcelik also acted as contributing editor of The politics of race and racialisation in the Middle East (Routledge 2022) and authored An Analysis of Seyla Benhabib’s The Rights of Others: Aliens, Residents and Citizens (Routledge and Macat 2017).

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EVENT SUMMARY

The Henry Jackson Society was pleased to host an event with Professor Boaz Ganor, Dr. Gadi Yishayahu, chaired by Dr. Burcu Ozcelik. Ganor, started by saying that there are two trends that are very worrying. Firstly, the Americans are lately reluctant to get involved in foreign conflicts which has resulted in a vacuum being formed that is being filled by others. Secondly, ISIS has changed from a hybrid terrorist organization, that controlled territories and population into something else, something that has the potential to be even more dangerous. There are dangers in the Palestinian arena, as the leader of the PA is becoming old and his authority is being challenged. Speaking of Iran, he said the Iranians were a few weeks away from having enough enriched Uranium for two or three nuclear bombs. The next challenge in his opinion is to create a warhead, and this is where Russia comes into play, as giving this technology might be the payment for Iranian drones. Both Professor Ganor, and Dr. Ozcelik were asked about the status of the Israeli and Turkish relations considering that they are both regional powers and have had historically a good relationship. Dr. Gadi Yishayahu acknowledged this fact, but he also pointed to the fact that Turkey has been increasingly moving away from the West. He especially emphasized their actions in Syria.

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