Israel Defence and Security Report Q3 2009

Since it was established Israel has consistently faced a number of direct inter-state security risks from within the region. The disputes concern deep-seated ideological issues, many of which centre on Israel's very existence. However, at present the majority of these threats are rhetorical and the inter-state security risk to Israel is relatively low, at least with regards to Israel being the victim of inter-state conflict. This is largely due to the capability of the Israeli military and the support that Israel enjoys from the US.

Non-state groups resident in other countries such as Lebanon also target Israeli forces with regular violence. Hamas remains a threat to the stability of the region (including neighbouring Egypt), and we would expect US President Barack Obama to support any Israeli efforts to forcibly remove the group. He supported the Israeli campaign against Hizbullah in 2006. The President's website states of that conflict: 'Obama is an original co-sponsor of the Senate resolution expressing support for Israel, condemning the

[Hizbullah] attacks.' Tension over Israel's occupation of the Palestinian Territories is now shifting from the conflict itself to disagreements between the new coalition government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Obama administration over settlements.

Netanyahu travelled to Washington for his first meeting with Obama on May 18, 2009, when the president made repeated calls for a two-state solution and demanded a freeze on settlement expansion on the Occupied West Bank. Netanyahu did not refer to two states and said that settlements should be allowed to expand to accommodate 'natural growth'. The US position was reiterated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who said on May 28, 2009, that President Obama wanted 'to see a stop to settlements ??