Avi Gil, at The Blogs

Avi Gil

Dec 23, 2025, 1:30 PM

You want Oslo included in the October 7 probe? Be careful what you wish for

(From L-R) Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Yesha Council chairman Yisrael Ganz, Transportation Minister Miri Regev and Likud MK Avichai Boaron at a ceremony marking the establishment of a new settlement in the southern West Bank called Mitzpe Ziv on June 10, 2025. (Courtesy)

The Netanyahu government seeks to pin the 2023 catastrophe on the 1993 interim peace agreements. That case is sure to backfire

Nov 12, 2025, 3:20 PM

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Permanent borders, first

View of the Israeli-Egyptian border. September 9, 2025. (Yaniv Nadav/FLASH90)

Israel's current relationship with the US offers an optimal opportunity to finalize settlement blocs under Israeli sovereignty and a boundary for its security needs

Oct 1, 2024, 5:25 PM

A Delayed Election Day: Not Necessarily Bad News

Gideon Sa'ar's fall into Netanyahu's arms has cast a dark pall over the camp eager for early elections. Toppling the government responsible for the greatest disaster to hit the Jewish people since the Holocaust now seems more remote than...

Sep 8, 2024, 6:10 PM

The briefing Netanyahu didn’t give

Assuming Israel was indeed behind the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, a troubling question arises. In view of the devastated northern settlements and the transformation of tens of thousands of residents into refugees, the government repeatedly explains that patience is...

Jul 25, 2024, 4:15 PM

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Why did the Knesset sabotage Biden’s plan for Iran?

The Dome of the Rock atop the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City, with the lights of missile interceptions visible in the night sky, early on April 14, 2024, after Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel. (Social media/X; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

A US-led regional alliance against the Islamic Republic and its proxies is vital to Israel's strategic security interests. The government should take greater care

Jul 8, 2024, 3:59 PM

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The magical thinking of the enlightened center

The middle way offers no solution to the one issue that most threatens Israel's future as a Jewish and democratic state

Apr 10, 2024, 3:14 PM

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Is the chief of staff qualified to understand Sinwar?

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, left, meets with IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Mossad director David Barnea and Shin Bet chief Tomer Bar, December 16, 2023. (Defense Ministry)

In the wake of another military intelligence failure to grasp the strategic landscape, Israel should stop assuming army brass are experts in foreign affairs

Jan 12, 2024, 3:02 PM

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Getting upset with the world is not a strategy

Israel's geopolitical reality is complicated by 4 factors that may be harnessed to the country's advantage with careful statecraft

Oct 11, 2023, 12:47 PM

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Where was Israel’s political opposition all this time?

Sitting from left to right: Outgoing Defense Minister Benny Gantz, outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid, outgoing Justice Minister Gideon Sa'ar, and outgoing Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli, at the swearing-in ceremony of the 25th Knesset, in Jerusalem, November 15, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/ Flash90)

They criticized Netanyahu for not eradicating Hamas, but have presented no credible strategy to restore the Palestinian peace camp

Aug 6, 2023, 7:24 PM

The Saudi Plan of Shimon Peres

Given the opportunity to promote an Israeli-Saudi peace agreement, an American friend called and posed an unexpected question, "How would Peres handle the challenge?" This is what came to mind. Shimon Peres, whose 100th birthday would have been celebrated this...

About Me

Avi Gil is the former Director-General of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His latest novel, “The Leviathan Option – A Deep State Story,” is now on Amazon.