Prof. Kobi Michael: Turkey is the only country which is willing, under the current circumstances, to send troops to the ISF (International Stabilization Force).

Nobody intends to fight Hamas, nobody intends to dismantle Hamas, and nobody intends to be perceived as a collaborator with Israel or with the Americans against the Palestinians. As long as Hamas exists as an organized military force, nothing good will come out of.

The full interview takes place on NewsX World on January 16, 2026.

https://youtu.be/6kmKnmJKycE

Ruth Wasserman Lande talk about President Donald Trump’s intentions regarding Iran and says she believes he is planning to act and will not back down, describing him as astute and not naive and saying he understands very well that the murderous regime in the Islamic Republic of Iran is doing things it should not do, especially when the internet is shut down and the country is dark, adding that she thinks he has something up his sleeve, is planning a move in response to what is happening in Iran, and that when asked whether all of this could be a ruse, she answers that this is indeed what she feels.

The full interview took place on Channel I24, on January 15, 2026.

Prof. Kobi Michael: There are several scenarios at the moment. I don’t know what is ‘likely’ because we don’t know what is going on in President Trump’s head or what is going on in Supreme Leader Khamenei’s head. But given that, the first scenario, which is perhaps the most likely one right now, is that the regime will succeed in suppressing these demonstrations. That doesn’t mean that it will succeed in suppressing the motivation or will succeed in eliminating the infrastructure for a renewed outbreak of protests because the situation in Iran is very difficult and there doesn’t seem to be a positive horizon. But as we see things right now, with the level of violence and murder by which they are handling the protest, and there was probably a decrease in the scale of the protests yesterday, it is a likely scenario that they will succeed in suppressing it.

Published in Globes, January 14, 2026.

Prof. Kobi Michael: The main problem, which actually overlaps all the dimensions – political, security – is the idea that Hamas must be disarmed, dismantled and the Gaza Strip must be demilitarized. If these things will not happen, then nothing will happen.

Published in The Hill, January  14, 2026.

Prof. Kobi Michael: Israel expects Washington to lead any operation, while preparing for escalation if Iran responds with strikes on Israeli territory. I think that the Israeli perception is that the United States will remain in the lead. But Israel prepares itself to be involved if the Iranians retaliate by attacking Israel. Israel will not contain it and will for sure pursue the beginning of the end of the regime.

If Trump wants to keep deterrence vis-à-vis all American adversaries, then he has to do something. Otherwise, if it will be only empty words, it will be a very problematic situation and can escalate to something way bigger.

Published in The Media Line, January  14, 2026.

Col. (res.) Dr. Hanan Shai: The initiative addresses a fundamental reality: the IDF needs more people. The army must carefully manage the integration process to maximize benefits for all involved.

First of all, this confirms what we know… that we need every available person. From the perspective of the IDF, it is clear that this is a most important addition. One needs to see that they are not concentrated [in one place] but dispersed, so that there is a matching [to roles] as there should be.

The full interview was published in JNS on January 13, 2026.

Dr. Raphael BenLevi argues for transitioning the Israel-U.S. relationship from “patronage to partnership” by phasing out the military grant model that has existed since the 1970s. He contends that this shift would incentivize Israel to rebuild its independent munitions manufacturing base, thereby reducing strategic dependency and earning greater respect from Washington as a self-reliant ally. 

The full interview took place on Channel I24 on January 11, 2026.

https://youtu.be/ptw5k9R0B0U

Prof. Kobi Michael characterizes the events surrounding October 7 as a “clash of civilizations” and a global conflict, explaining that Iran utilizes a “fire ring” strategy of regional proxies to threaten the existence of the state of Israel. He argues that the war cannot conclude without the complete dismantling of Hamas’s military and governing power, warning that a failure to achieve a decisive victory will allow radical Islam to eventually conquer Western democracies.

The briefing was held as part of Abraham Presentations on January 9, 2026.

Noa Lazimi details how the UAE-backed STC’s territorial gains in South Yemen provide a strategic opportunity to weaken the Houthis and disrupt Iranian smuggling, despite ongoing friction between Saudi and Emirati interests. Simultaneously, Israel’s recognition of Somaliland secures a critical vantage point for intelligence and UAV operations near the Bab el-Mandeb strait. She recommends pragmatic cooperation with these regional actors to counter Houthi threats while carefully safeguarding normalization efforts with Saudi Arabia.

The briefing was held as part of IDSF – Israel’s Defense and Security Forum on January 6, 2026.

Prof. Kobi Michael: The region is caught up in competition that is defining new power relationships, involving Israel, Turkey, Iran, and leading Gulf states, above all Saudi Arabia. So, it’s in a highly unstable transition.

Turkey that seeks to renew its Ottoman hegemony, backed, supported and admired by president Trump and broadly deployed in the broader Middle East and East Africa.

Published in Alhurra, January  05, 2026.