On 28-30 January, the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) held its 13th annual international conference entitled “Strategic Assessment for Israel: A Look at the Coming Decade.” INSS researcher, Retired Brig. General Dr Meir Elran, has shed light on Israel's strategic goals and outlined Israel's vision of Russia's role in the Middle East.
“War Games in the North” came as part of the INSS annual conference in the Smolarz Auditorium at Tel Aviv University with Israeli, American and Russian participants discussing various scenarios of a potential development of a conflict in the Middle East, involving Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Hezbollah and Iran and global players – the United States and Russia.
The participants in the military simulation came to the conclusion that all of the actors of the hypothetical conflict – in which israel initiates attacks on Lebanon and Syria – would opt for de-escalation as no one is interested in an all-out war.
One might ask whether the discussion indicates that israel is bracing for new conflict in the region given the US-Iran row over Quds Force commander's assassination and Tehran's subsequent retaliatory strike, as well as Trump's “deal of the century” that has already reverberated through the Arab world.
This is not the case, says retired Brig. General Dr Meir Elran, a senior research fellow and head of the Homeland Security Program and a co-head of the Society-Military Program of INSS: whatever experts are discussing at…
