Louis René Beres
Could Israel’s Nuclear Deterrent Support “Escalation Dominance” Against Iran?
A direct and protracted war between Israel and Iran is now very likely. Whatever its nuances, any such conflict will drive each adversary to seek “escalation dominance.” For the moment, such a war would...
Seductions of Immortality: A Core Obstacle to Israel’s Survival
In the final analysis, Israel faces existential threats not because of multiplying enemy weapons or strategies, but on account of adversarial death fears. Among other things, this means that Islamist Iran and its assorted...
Irony and imagination: Israel’s unseen path to survival
Louis René Beres (Ph.D., Princeton, 1971)
Emeritus Professor of International Law
Purdue University
lberes@purdue.edu
Jorge Luis Borges, the late Argentine writer and philosopher, sometimes identified himself as a Jew. Though lacking any basis in Halacha, he still felt...
Israel’s Law-Based Obligations to Prevent Iranian Nuclear Weapons
For Israel it is high time for disciplined strategic thinking untainted by politics. The most important objective of pertinent Israeli calculations should be to confront Iran while that recalcitrant foe is still pre-nuclear. If...
Still overlooked connections: Israel, “Palestine” and regional nuclear war
Though significant, connections between Palestinian Arab statehood and nuclear war remain generally ignored. For Israel, the seemingly discrete perils of war with Iran and Palestinian Arab statehood are potentially intertwined and mutually reinforcing. This...
Possible advantages of a preemptive strike on Iran
During its impending war with Iran, Israel’s overriding objective should be to keep that jihadist enemy non-nuclear. The best way to meet this objective will be by systematically controlling conflict escalations (“escalation dominance”). In...
It’s time to end Israel’s nuclear ambiguity
Synopsis: Israel’s political leaders and military strategists should plan for an immediate end to "deliberate nuclear ambiguity.” This is because still non–nuclear Iran (1) is loudly broadcasting its willingness to re-start and enlarge active hostilities...
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 is hardly in a credible strategic position to make...
A hidden nuclear threat: North Korea’s role in Israel’s security apparatus
North Korea represents the world’s most time-urgent nuclear threat, especially for the United States and some of America’s Asian allies. Assorted dangers of a North Korea-related nuclear war also lie latent in the Middle East....
The United States, North Korea and Nuclear War
“The laws of physics are decrees of fate.”-Alfred North Whitehead, The Origins of Modern Science
Among the world’s nuclear trouble spots, North Korea is the most plainly time-urgent. In managing this threat, North Korean “denuclearization” would...