An Ill-Conceived American Reset with the Palestinians

The Biden administration has stated that it plans a “reset” of American attitudes and policies regarding the Israel-Palestinian conflict, and has already taken some steps toward putting the idea into practice. To Alan Baker, these plans are ill-advised:

There can be no genuine and bona-fide reset of the administration’s approach to the Israel-Palestinian peace process . . . if the Palestinian leadership is allowed—and even encouraged—to continue in its efforts to undermine that process by undermining Israel’s legitimacy and that of its leadership, as well as through its cynical manipulation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) with numerous allegations of war crimes. In fact, the Palestinian leadership is openly continuing to poke a finger in the eye of the administration by its continued abuse and manipulation of the ICC by turning it into [an] Israel-bashing tribunal.

To reset the U.S. approach to the Israel-Palestinian peace process without requiring the Palestinian leadership to cease their “pay-for-slay” policy of paying salaries to terrorists and their families is tantamount to closing a blind eye to such payments and ignoring valid U.S. legislation.

To the contrary, it will rather place that process into a mode of acute regression, by . . . encouraging the Palestinians to continue their intransigence, their inflexibility, and their obstruction. . . . One wonders why this new U.S. administration is so intent on coddling the Palestinians, without exacting the appropriate, necessary, and obvious price for such coddling.

Read more at Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs

More about: Joseph Biden, Palestinian Authority, U.S. Foreign policy, US-Israel relations

Hizballah Is Learning Israel’s Weak Spots

On Tuesday, a Hizballah drone attack injured three people in northern Israel. The next day, another attack, targeting an IDF base, injured eighteen people, six of them seriously, in Arab al-Amshe, also in the north. This second attack involved the simultaneous use of drones carrying explosives and guided antitank missiles. In both cases, the defensive systems that performed so successfully last weekend failed to stop the drones and missiles. Ron Ben-Yishai has a straightforward explanation as to why: the Lebanon-backed terrorist group is getting better at evading Israel defenses. He explains the three basis systems used to pilot these unmanned aircraft, and their practical effects:

These systems allow drones to act similarly to fighter jets, using “dead zones”—areas not visible to radar or other optical detection—to approach targets. They fly low initially, then ascend just before crashing and detonating on the target. The terrain of southern Lebanon is particularly conducive to such attacks.

But this requires skills that the terror group has honed over months of fighting against Israel. The latest attacks involved a large drone capable of carrying over 50 kg (110 lbs.) of explosives. The terrorists have likely analyzed Israel’s alert and interception systems, recognizing that shooting down their drones requires early detection to allow sufficient time for launching interceptors.

The IDF tries to detect any incoming drones on its radar, as it had done prior to the war. Despite Hizballah’s learning curve, the IDF’s technological edge offers an advantage. However, the military must recognize that any measure it takes is quickly observed and analyzed, and even the most effective defenses can be incomplete. The terrain near the Lebanon-Israel border continues to pose a challenge, necessitating technological solutions and significant financial investment.

Read more at Ynet

More about: Hizballah, Iron Dome, Israeli Security