Prof. Kobi Michael: “The State of Israel has willingly, and with its eyes open, lost governance in the West Bank. The price will be high—not only vis-à-vis the international community, but mainly regarding the legal and consensual settlement project, and then vis-à-vis the US administration.

We will eat the smelly fish and be thrown out of the city. We will have to suppress this growing radical and violent gang, dismiss reserve soldiers who cooperate with them, dismantle illegal outposts and farms, and pay the price. This is what I mean by ‘eating the smelly fish.’

Published in The Media Line, August 16, 2026.

*The opinions expressed in Misgav publications are the authors’ alone.

Asher Fredman: The pact was likely to have little substantial military impact. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan already signed a mutual defense agreement in September 2025 that failed to deter subsequent attacks by Iran and its proxies. The three countries’ interests remain far from fully aligned. Saudi Arabia will not go along with [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan’s goal to reestablish Ottoman influence in the Middle East, while Riyadh’s trade with India is eight times its trade with Pakistan, which for decades has been India’s chief rival.

Published in The Algemeiner, August 14, 2026.

*The opinions expressed in Misgav publications are the authors’ alone.

Meir Ben-Shabbat: The newly signed Mecca Joint Defense Agreement symbolizes several things.

These include the rise of a strong central Sunni axis that sees itself as capable of serving as a counterweight to other regional forces; an understanding among the states of this axis that the Iranian threat is apparently not expected to disappear in the foreseeable future and requires preparation for scenarios of its development; a desire to create an arrangement that is not dependent on the United States and bypasses Israel, an arrangement that can of course realize political ambitions and cross-continental economic partnerships and is not purely security-related.

Published in JNS, August 13, 2026.

*The opinions expressed in Misgav publications are the authors’ alone.

Prof. Kobi Michael: Badran’s comments might be a “hint” that Hamas is planning to run under a newly formed party or unite with exiled Fatah figure Mohammed Dahlan.

This new party will accept Abu Mazen’s [PA President Mahmoud Abbas] terms, while Hamas will be able to continue declaring that it has not withdrawn from its principles and resistance ideology. I still believe that Hamas will not participate in the election as Hamas because it will not agree to accept Abu Mazen’s terms. If it accepts them, it is not Hamas anymore.

Published in The Jerusalem Post, August 13,  2026.

*The opinions expressed in Misgav publications are the authors’ alone.

Prof. Kobi Michael critiques Donald Trump’s strategic approach to Iran as a failure that has allowed the resilient regime to gain the upper hand and drag the US into an attrition war.

He argues that toppling the regime requires a coordinated, large-scale operation to paralyze its key centers of gravity simultaneously, a decisive action he doubts President Trump is willing to take.

The full interview took place on Chai FM on August 11, 2026.

*The opinions expressed in Misgav publications are the authors’ alone.

Meir Ben Shabbat: Israel should continue striving for peace agreements, but not at the cost of relinquishing security assets or relying on agreements that could ultimately prove reversible.

We must not give up the aspiration for peace but we must not allow it to make us lose our judgment.

I do not know how to read innermost thoughts and intentions, but as someone who came from the heart of the jihadist darkness, sat in prison with the most extreme jihadist leaders, fought in its ranks for years while yearning for the realization of the vision of the Islamic State, and reached where he is on the shoulders of a jihadist base, with [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan’s encouragement and support, one should not be impressed by the change in his outward appearance and under no circumstances assume that he has abandoned his path.

Published in The Jerusalem Post, 11 August, 2026.

*The opinions expressed in Misgav publications are the authors’ alone.

Ruth Wasserman Lande argues that Iran is an unreliable partner that cannot be trusted to uphold any agreement, meaning that the lack of a nuclear deal is not necessarily a bad outcome for Israel.

She also suggests that the United States is strategically choosing to “wait out” the situation to avoid cornering a dangerous Iranian regime, preferably delaying major actions until after the midterm elections.

The full interview took place on Channel I24, on August 10, 2026.

*The opinions expressed in Misgav publications are the authors’ alone.

Prof. Kobi Michael argues that a ceasefire is unviable until Hamas’s military wing is completely destroyed, a goal he asserts can only be accomplished through a full IDF occupation of the remaining Hamas-controlled areas in the Gaza Strip.

He also addresses the rising tensions in the West Bank, emphasizing that Jewish settler violence must be viewed in the broader context of an active Palestinian terror infrastructure that is significantly larger in scale.

The full interview took place on NewsX World on August 10, 2026.

*The opinions expressed in Misgav publications are the authors’ alone.

https://youtu.be/QGG8su6tfhc

Ruth Wasserman Lande discusses the “Mecca Pact” defense alliance between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, which she views as the emergence of a powerful Sunni axis aimed at countering both Iran’s Shiite axis and Israel.

She highlights the geopolitical implications of this alliance, advising Israel to remain cautious, strengthen its own economic and energy partnerships, and prepare for a potential rise in Sunni extremism as the Shiite axis weakens.

The full interview took place in Kan English on August 9, 2026.

*The opinions expressed in Misgav publications are the authors’ alone.

https://youtu.be/MFk0tyCrjFA

Dr. Yossi Mansharof: If this is indeed the chosen strategy, it can only be effective if it receives sustained American support and cooperation from additional partners. Militarily, the U.S. and its allies have the capacity to enforce significant naval pressure on Iran over time, especially at the choke points of maritime trade routes. However, in my assessment, the central challenge is not military but political and economic.

The question is not whether such a blockade can be sustained for weeks or months, where the answer is most likely yes, but whether the international political consensus required for it can be preserved over an extended period. Ultimately, the blockade’s durability will be determined less by military capabilities and more by the political willingness of the U.S. and its allies to bear its costs and withstand the mounting international pressure.

Published in JNS, August 7, 2026.

*The opinions expressed in Misgav publications are the authors’ alone.