The monthly publication ‘New in the Region’ is a new initiative by “The Forum for Regional Thinking” (FORTH) and the “Israel in the Middle East” research division at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute (VLJI). This publication, edited by Dr. Eli Osheroff presents some of our recent activities and analyses of current affairs related to Israel and its surroundings.
We are committed to a critical examination of Israel’s place in the Middle East and to challenge the dominant view, both in Israel and the West, whereby Israel is considered a “villa in the jungle”— a liberal democracy that enjoys moral and ‘civilizational’ superiority over its neighbors and therefore is entitled to less scrutiny and international oversight.