S2 E5|Israel at a New Strategic Crossroad

Israel’s security model is being tested on every front. Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran are all shifting at the same time, and the old formulas of deterrence are no longer behaving the way they used to. 

In this episode of The Diplomat, Israeli Defense Strategist Assaf Orion breaks down why Israel’s traditional reliance on walls, buffer zones, and preemptive deterrence is reaching its limit. Orion served more than three decades in the IDF, headed the strategic division, and worked directly with UN peacekeepers and neighboring militaries. 

This conversation explains the collapse of old doctrines and the uncomfortable choices that lie ahead. Essential listening for anyone trying to understand the next phase of conflict in the region and Washington’s role in it. 

What is The Diplomat | ديبلومات?

In the rooms where war, peace, and power are decided, words matter most. The Diplomat brings you raw conversations with ambassadors, envoys, and negotiators who shaped the hardest decisions in U.S. foreign policy and Middle East diplomacy. Hosted by Joe Kawly. Recorded from Washington. Produced by Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN).

Joe Kawly brings extensive experience from conflict zones in the Middle East to the power corridors of Washington. As a journalist, he’s seen how words can escalate a crisis or open the door to peace. A Georgetown graduate and former CNN Journalism Fellow, he’s known for connecting the dots others miss, so people don’t just hear what happened, they understand why it matters. As producer and host of The Diplomat, Joe brings clarity to diplomacy and politics, one conversation at a time.