Our Fathom Highlight this week is a new comprehensive paper on the southern theatre in the Syrian civil war by Brig. Gen. (IDF ret.) Michael Herzog, previously the head of the IDF’s Strategic Planning Division and a senior fellow at BICOM and an international fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Herzog examines Israel’s strategic interests and polices in light of the US-Russia brokered de-escalation agreement for the southern theatre and argues that the West should utilise their existing military assets on the ground, as well as fostering cooperation with willing regional partners, in order to address the Iranian threat emerging in the post-ISIS region.

Our Voice of the Week is Marwan Muasher, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, speaking about the 2017 report he co-authored called ‘Revitalizing Palestinian Nationalism: Options Versus Realities,’ which describes shifting Palestinian attitudes towards peace talks.

Our Image of the Week is a disabled activist blocking a road in Jerusalem as part of a demonstration calling for better health care, 18 September 2017.

Southern Syria: How to stop the Iranian plan for regional dominance

by Michael Herzog