Louis René Beres
ARTICLES BY: Louis René Beres
Nuclear War in the Middle East
Contrary to conventional wisdom, Israel’s “Iran nuclear problem” is not principally about enemy leaders who might go mad. The more worrisome existential problem for Israel...
As Threats Rise, Israel Must Get Rid of Its Nuclear Ambiguity
Listening to Iran’s repeated threats to initiate aggressive war with Israel, something seems to have been overlooked: Israel is a nuclear power; Iran is not. Iran...
Israel’s Chief Mission Is to Protect Its Citizens From a Nuclear Iran
“The safety of the People,” exclaimed Roman statesman Cicero, “is the highest law.” Accordingly, Israel must do whatever possible to protect its populations not only from...
Israel’s Understanding of Time
JNS.org - For Israel, it’s all about chronology. Time represents both the most critical determinant of Israel’s survival and the context within which such survival...
Israel Fights Wars Knowing It Values Life, While Enemies Seek ‘Power Over Death’
Though the most evident source of human governance is power, true power can never stem from war-making stratagems or capacities. In principle, at least, consummate...
Could a Nuclear War With Iran Really Happen?
For the moment, as Iran remains “pre-nuclear,” an Israel-Iran nuclear exchange is out of the question. Nonetheless, if Israel is able to maintain its asymmetrical...
Joe Biden’s Israel Policy Emboldens Iran and Threatens the World
At some point, Israel’s current war with Iranian proxy Hamas will likely evolve into a direct and protracted war with Iran. Whether or not this...
On Iran, Israel’s Policy of Nuclear Ambiguity Is Outdated and Dangerous
Israel's nuclear posture remains “deliberately ambiguous.” In the past, this stance appears to have been sensible, even incontestable. Today, however, during a continuing Gaza War...
It’s All About ‘Time’: Israel Cannot Survive If It Does Not Address Iranian Nuclear Weapons
In essence, time represents the most critical determinant of Israel’s survival as a state. This is true not just in relation to operational requirements of...
Israel Has a Legal Option to Prevent Iranian Nuclear Weapons: The Use of Force
Though Iran describes its drone and missile attack on Israel as “retaliation,” it is actually an act of aggression. If Iran were an already-nuclear enemy...
Israel’s Targeting of Hamas Commander Marwan Issa Was a Legal Operation
Under authoritative international rules, Israel’s mid-March targeting of senior Hamas commander Marwan Issa was law-enforcing. Among other egregious crimes, Issa was a key planner of...
Israel Is Allowed to Target Hamas Terrorists; International Law Is Not a Suicide Pact
"Each state is expected to aid and enforce the law of nations, as part of the common law, by inflicting an adequate punishment upon the...
Navigating Israel’s Nuclear ‘Samson Option’
In any rationality-based strategic calculus, the “Samson Option” -- which refers to an Israeli nuclear strike -- would refer not to a last-resort act of...
The Deeper Causes of Anti-Israel Terror
What really drives terror against Israel? To begin a proper answer, we must first understand the universal human need “to belong.” This primal need can...
