Louis René Beres

1 week ago | jns.org | Louis René Beres

(June 16, 2025 / JNS)Most Israelis acknowledge that a Palestinian state would pose intolerable risks for the Jewish state. Nonetheless, many might be less concerned about a demilitarized Palestine. Would such diminished concern be justified? In 1995 and 1998, Zalman Shoval, a two-time Israeli ambassador to the United States, and I published several law journal articles clarifying the “demilitarization” trap.

2 weeks ago | jpost.com | Louis René Beres |Zvika Klein |Yaakov Katz |Liat Collins

In essence, Israel’s war against jihadi terror must be fought on two separate but overlapping dimensions: operational and legal. Though each dimension presents challenging elements, the second, or jurisprudential, standard needs immediate clarification and support. Above all, such support should be drawn from refined legal scholarship, not from politics. Often, concerning Gaza, starving and dying Palestinians are compared to tortured and murdered Israeli hostages.

3 weeks ago | algemeiner.com | Louis René Beres

Here Is Exactly Why Israel’s War Against Hamas Is Legal — and Required — By International Law [contact-form-7 404 "Not Found"] Israel has always had to navigate “new waves.” Today, however, separate but force-multiplying “seas” of jihadi terrorism and Iranian nuclearization define an existential threat. To confront this, Jerusalem’s strategic decision-makers will need to offer assessments in legal and strategic terms. On these matters, geography remains specific.

4 weeks ago | jns.org | Louis René Beres

(May 31, 2025 / JNS)President Donald Trump announced earlier this month that the United States will cease sanctions against Syria “to give them a chance at greatness.” As part of that statement, Trump chortled to Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman: “Oh, what I do for the crown prince.” But does any of this ad-hoc commentary make tangible policy sense for Israel? It’s not a hard question.

1 month ago | algemeiner.com | Louis René Beres

Israel and Its Jihadist Adversaries Have Different Concepts of Time; Here’s Why That Matters [contact-form-7 404 "Not Found"] Whether the objective is war-winning, war-avoidance, or counter-terrorism, Israel should always assess its survival options “in time.”In essence, the Jewish State’s policy makers need to consciously distinguish their own preferred ideas of time from the ideas of its foes.