A year ago, it felt like Israel was holding its breath. Hezbollah loomed in the north, Hamas continued to entrench itself in Gaza, and Assad’s regime in Syria was as ruthless as ever. Iran, the puppet master of this, pulled the strings behind it all, funding and arming its proxies to encircle Israel. Fast forward to today, and the map looks vastly different. Gaza is in ruins, Assad is gone, and Hezbollah has taken a blow. Yet, with every gain comes a new set of challenges. We’re still at war on multiple fronts, the Houthis are firing missiles almost daily, and so many Israelis are still held captive in Gaza.

In this episode, we’re taking a hard look at where we stand. Is Israel any closer to victory? Have we truly restored our deterrence, or is it hanging by a thread? Is there any end in sight to the ongoing front in Gaza? Can we hope for a hostage deal, or will negotiations stretch on indefinitely? What does the defeat of Assad mean for the region, and how is Iran adapting its strategy in response to these shifts? These are the big questions we’ll try to tackle today as we assess whether Israel’s position has genuinely improved or if we’re simply fighting a different version of the same battle.

To help us navigate this intricate landscape, we’re thrilled to welcome back Dr. Dan Schueftan. A leading authority on Israel’s national security and Middle Eastern geopolitics, Dr. Schueftan has been a guest on the podcast many times before. He recently published his new book, The Rise and Fall of the Pan Arab Struggle against Israel, in Hebrew - soon to be out in English. With his keen insights and no-nonsense analysis, he’s the perfect person to help us break it all down. Let’s get into it.