Louis René Beres
ARTICLES BY: Louis René Beres
Israel Fights Wars Knowing It Values Life, While Enemies Seek ‘Power Over Death’
Though the most evident source of human governance is power, true power can never stem from war-making stratagems or capacities. In principle, at least, consummate...
Could a Nuclear War With Iran Really Happen?
For the moment, as Iran remains “pre-nuclear,” an Israel-Iran nuclear exchange is out of the question. Nonetheless, if Israel is able to maintain its asymmetrical...
Joe Biden’s Israel Policy Emboldens Iran and Threatens the World
At some point, Israel’s current war with Iranian proxy Hamas will likely evolve into a direct and protracted war with Iran. Whether or not this...
On Iran, Israel’s Policy of Nuclear Ambiguity Is Outdated and Dangerous
Israel's nuclear posture remains “deliberately ambiguous.” In the past, this stance appears to have been sensible, even incontestable. Today, however, during a continuing Gaza War...
It’s All About ‘Time’: Israel Cannot Survive If It Does Not Address Iranian Nuclear Weapons
In essence, time represents the most critical determinant of Israel’s survival as a state. This is true not just in relation to operational requirements of...
Israel Has a Legal Option to Prevent Iranian Nuclear Weapons: The Use of Force
Though Iran describes its drone and missile attack on Israel as “retaliation,” it is actually an act of aggression. If Iran were an already-nuclear enemy...
Israel’s Targeting of Hamas Commander Marwan Issa Was a Legal Operation
Under authoritative international rules, Israel’s mid-March targeting of senior Hamas commander Marwan Issa was law-enforcing. Among other egregious crimes, Issa was a key planner of...
Israel Is Allowed to Target Hamas Terrorists; International Law Is Not a Suicide Pact
"Each state is expected to aid and enforce the law of nations, as part of the common law, by inflicting an adequate punishment upon the...
Navigating Israel’s Nuclear ‘Samson Option’
In any rationality-based strategic calculus, the “Samson Option” -- which refers to an Israeli nuclear strike -- would refer not to a last-resort act of...
The Deeper Causes of Anti-Israel Terror
What really drives terror against Israel? To begin a proper answer, we must first understand the universal human need “to belong.” This primal need can...
After the War: Why Palestine Would Be a Lawless and Militarized State
Once again, disparate voices are urging a “two-state solution” to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. For the most part, these urgings are either manipulative or naive, but...
Dangerous Intersections: Palestinian Statehood and Regional Nuclear War
When Israel completes its obligatory counter-terrorism war in Gaza, the issue of Palestinian statehood will insistently be raised. This perilous resurrection is foreseeable even though...
Israel Must Confront the Jihadist Desire for Immortality
Effective counter-terrorism is never just about strategy, tactics, or doctrine. Whatever an insurgency’s operational specifics, this area of national security planning should always remain starkly...
I’m an International Law Expert; Israel’s Actions in Gaza Are Completely Proportional to the Hamas Threat
On its face, the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023, was beyond legal or ethical justification. Nonetheless, though Israel has every conceivable right to...
