Jerusalem Studio

With the U.S. reducing its military presence in the Levant to a fraction compared to the massive footprint it had in the region during the campaigns in Iraq and against Daesh, and with Russia preoccupied with its failed war in Ukraine, it would seem unlikely that tensions between the two powers would rise here, away from the European Theatre of Operations. Yet this is what happened, when Russian p...

TV7 Israel Watchmen Talk – Col. (Ret.) Dr. Eran Lerman, Former Senior Intelligence Officer by TV7 Israel

This monthly program focuses on persecution across the Middle East and North Africa of Christians, many of whom are targeted for their faith and forced to endure daily violence and harassment. We hope to enlighten and encourage our viewers to pray for their suffering brothers and sisters. In this episode, Host John O'Sullivan, President of the Danube Institute in Budapest and a former senior aide...

When Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner militia crossed its “Rubicon” the Rostov-on-Don, all decision-makers and strategic planners in the Middle East braced for a face-off between the mercenaries’ employer and Russian President Vladimir Putin. While the crisis abated as quickly as it began, the root causes remain - as are lessons begging to be learned by Israel and other regional powers such as Iran, Tur...

Jonathan Hessen hosts TV7 Editor at Large Amir Oren. Discussion focuses on the broadcast schedule during the TV7 summer vacation over the month of July. Other topics include rising incidents of nationalist terrorism by Jewish extremists such as the “Hilltop Youth,” as well as escalating Iranian involvement in the West Bank marked by the recent attempted missile strike on Israel. You are welcome to...

Please join us for discussion on the chances for normalization in relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, delving into expectations by both sides necessary for realization of the development. Other topics include the current status of Israeli domestic politics and its consequences for the security situation. Co-Hosts: 1. Col. (Res.) Dr. Eran Lerman, Israel’s Former Deputy National Security Advi...

Until Russia invaded Ukraine 16 months ago, Europe was quite complacent regarding military threats to its nations, with particular focus on terror in its various manifestations at home and abroad. Sudden tank battles, air strikes and waging of fierce missiles and infantry fights in urban centers and rural terrain have now given rise to the demand for Israeli weapon systems and technology based on...

Eight years after six world powers struck the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to temporarily block Iran’s nuclear program in return for the removal of heavy economic sanctions, the United States and the Islamic Republic appear to be on the verge of adopting yet another arrangement aimed at resolving the same dispute. Neither time nor the two sides stood still during the interim years, d...

Jonathan Hessen hosts Dr. Rafael Luis Bardají López, one of Spain’s foremost strategic thinkers and a former National Security Advisor. Discussion on the political situation in Europe is particularly focused on Spain, with an emphasis on Dr. Bardaji’s own involvement. Other topics include rising global security concerns posed by Iran and its potentiality of becoming a nuclear state; as well as lat...

Please join host Amir Oren for an interview with Dr. Rafael Luis Bardají López one of Spain’s foremost strategic thinkers and a former National Security Advisor. Indeed, he had a major role in setting up the National Security mechanism supporting the country’s Prime Minister and integrating staff work of the various military, diplomatic and intelligence agencies. Following education in Spain, Bard...

The State of Israel was almost extinguished at birth when invaded by all neighboring Arab countries, with only its Western boundary of the Mediterranean Sea free from threat. Even though it was soon established as a strong local power, Israel still feared division of precious assets by battle on several fronts – a dangerous and difficult situation witnessed when Egypt and Syria launched simultaneo...

Earlier this month, a huge dam on the Dnipro River, in the Kherson region occupied by Russian forces in South-Eastern Ukraine, was blown up, flooding vast areas. Each side in the war predictably blamed the other, but the weight of motive and opportunity pointed to Russia, as it was in the process of hampering the imminent Ukrainian counteroffensive. While not unprecedented, such acts in war are ra...

The fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic. Rather, as Samuel Huntington asserted in his book Clash of civilizations, “The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural. Nation-states will remain the most powerful actors in world affairs, but the principal conflicts of global politics will oc...

One motive of Russian President Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine has been Kiev’s wish to join NATO and place itself under its collective security umbrella. In a race of who would preempt whom, Putin beat Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy only to be bogged down in a war of attrition. The problem now is that there seems to be no possible compromise between the two positions. It’s eit...

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Saudi Arabia last week for three declared reasons: to make sure the anti-Islamic State coalition maintains its important function, confer with the Gulf Cooperation Council and to improve bilateral ties between Washington and Riyadh. Immediately prior to the summit, the top White House diplomat delivered an address to the American Israel Public Affairs C...

Jonathan Hessen hosts Mr. Timo Soini, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister of Finland. Discussion focuses on the Russia-Ukraine War and its impact on Europe, particularly on Finland and Poland. Other topics include the state of diplomacy and democracy amid changes in world powers, Europe’s relations with the United States and backing of Western resilience against Russia and...

Please join host Amir Oren for the second of a two-part interview with Colonel Richard Kemp, who formerly headed the international terrorism intelligence team of the British Cabinet Office. Discussion focuses on Col. Richard Kemp’s earned status as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), the highest award in recognition of service. Even though he has retired from the British Army he...

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) leaders, if not necessarily its member states, have in recent weeks adopted a conciliatory tone in public approach toward Iran. IAEA Director General Dr. Rafael Grossi has been going out of his way to accept Iran’s explanations of suspicious military nuclear activities as “plausible.” There is a questionable gap between Tehran's ongoing uranium enrichment...

Recep Tayep Erdogan’s second round presidential election victory was neither a surprise nor a landslide. He was widely expected to win, yet almost half of the Turkish electorate showed its displeasure by voting for the opposition. Erdogan now has a renewed popular mandate, but he must navigate carefully the stormy seas of inflation and international relations. What courses is he going to chart for...

Jonathan Hessen hosts Mr. Amir Oren, TV7 Editor at Large, Host of Watchmen Talk and Powers in Play. Discussion focuses on Israel's security and diplomatic current situation, as well as its close security and military cooperation with the United States. Other topics include warnings to the Israeli public by senior officials regarding threats posed by Iran, and analysis of whether such a course of a...

Please join host Amir Oren for the first of a two-part interview with Colonel Richard Kemp, who formerly headed the international terrorism intelligence team of the British Cabinet Office. Discussion focuses on Col. Richard Kemp’s earned status as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), the highest award in recognition of service. Even though he has retired from the British Army he s...

In the Middle East, as presumably almost anywhere else, nothing succeeds like success. Also, values have a very limited value. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad managed to survive very difficult years of civil war, in which he practically converted a lot of his nominal sovereignty to a free hand for his sponsors from Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. Regardless of the price he has paid, Assad is still st...

When combatants either cannot or would not use their ground maneuver forces in a military campaign - and artillery is forbidden if the mission against enemy targets isn’t possible if not pinpointed and the risk of collateral damage is too high - there is only one option for use by IDF General Staff, the Israeli Air Force (IAF). For offensive operations, the IAF has repeatedly proven itself as the...

With global affairs increasingly framed by the American-Russian-Chinese triangle, Europe has to contend with the impact it has on its own identity, security architecture and policies. Is NATO still the basic political and military infrastructure for most of the continent, and if so - how does it relate to the war in Ukraine and ominous nature of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ideological outlo...

Jonathan Hessen hosts Brigadier General (Res.) Doron Gavish, Former Air Defense Chief, Israel Air Force. Discussion focuses on the development of Israel's air defense capabilities and defense strategy concerning regional threats. Other topics include Israel’s close security and military cooperation with the United States. You are welcome to join our audience and watch all of our programs - free of...