Chuck Freilich
Senior Fellow, International Security Program
Contact:
Telephone: 617-495-8898
Fax: 617-496-0606
Email: chuck_freilich@harvard.edu
AP Photo
October 4, 2012
"Inside Bibi's Bunker"
Op-Ed, Foreign Policy
By Chuck Freilich, Senior Fellow, International Security Program
"How these debates will be resolved depends on Israel's unique policymaking process. The question of whether to strike Iran is not just up to Netanyahu: In Israel, like other parliamentary democracies, the premier is merely "first among equals" — not the chief executive or commander in chief, as in the United States. With the exception of very limited circumstances, such as responding to imminent attacks, the Israeli prime minister requires cabinet approval for all national security decisions."
October 3, 2012
"'Never Again!'"
Op-Ed, The Jerusalem Post
By Chuck Freilich, Senior Fellow, International Security Program
"Then, as now, fanatical leaders called for Jewish extermination, while an irresolute, self-preoccupied West, failed to take effective action. The USA, however, is a very different country from what it was in 1938, and while one can legitimately believe that Obama should take even firmer action, he has done more than any other Western leader."
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September 4, 2012
"Too Soon... Too Soon... Too Late!"
Op-Ed, The Jerusalem Post
By Chuck Freilich, Senior Fellow, International Security Program
"If Obama is elected, but maybe not if Romney is, there may still be time for one last diplomatic push, but only if backed up with a clear threat and deadline, and the US should put a far more generous proposal on the table, so that no one can argue that it has not fully tried. Simply strengthening sanctions will no longer cut it, it is too late for that."
AP Photo
August 4, 2012
"A Security Guarantee Now"
Op-Ed
By Chuck Freilich, Senior Fellow, International Security Program
"...Israel should explore the possibility of obtaining a U.S. security guarantee that is limited to the Iranian nuclear program (and possibly other existential threats), on the condition that it does not restrict our freedom of maneuver in other areas—or limit our strategic capabilities. These capabilities are the ultimate guarantor of our security and cannot be compromised, indeed, they may be sufficient in themselves to deter Iran. The United States, in any event, which is greatly concerned over the ramifications of an Israeli strike and is doing everything in its power to prevent one, may demonstrate greater openness to the idea than it did in the past...."
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May 23, 2012
"The Least Bad Option on Iran"
Op-Ed, Los Angeles Times
By Chuck Freilich, Senior Fellow, International Security Program
"...[A]ny concessions made by the West should be for a limited time and contingent on a final agreement providing for a full cessation of Iran's nuclear program. We can also hope that the processes of change underway in the region, which began with the Iranian demonstrations of 2009, may return to Iran and sweep away the mullahs, the best long-term solution to the threat Iran presents."
AP Photo
April 29, 2012
"A Tale of Three Capitals"
Op-Ed, The Jerusalem Post
By Chuck Freilich, Senior Fellow, International Security Program
"In Israel, although a range of views exists regarding the means of dealing with the nuclear threat, the approach is very narrowly focused; just prevent, or at least significantly delay, an Iranian bomb, even at the expense of other issues in which Israel has vital interests, such as Iran's massive arming of Hezbollah."
AP Photo
April 15, 2012
"The Bitter Truth about Iran"
Op-Ed, The Jerusalem Post
By Chuck Freilich, Senior Fellow, International Security Program
"Some argue that an attack will merely rally the Iranian people around the regime, which is indeed a likely short-term result. There is, however, no reason to presume that this will be the case once the initial fury passes and Iranians truly consider their interests, especially if the international community continues to impose heavy costs. It should be remembered that the regional uprisings began with the demonstrations in Iran in June 2009."
AP Photo
February 2, 2012
"Israel's Profound Choice on Iran"
Op-Ed, Los Angeles Times
By Chuck Freilich, Senior Fellow, International Security Program
"So herein lies the dilemma: a potential risk to the nation's existence versus the uncertain results of military action, the likelihood of a devastating Iranian/Hezbollah response, the risk of an end to the peace with Egypt and even a military confrontation and regional war, severe international opprobrium and a partial rift with the United States."
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December 16, 2010
"The Sparks That Light the Fires"
Op-Ed, BitterLemons-International.org -- Middle East Roundtable, issue 24
By Chuck Freilich, Senior Fellow, International Security Program
"The even worse news is that we may badly need the improved firefighting and other civil preparedness capabilities in the coming years. In the three primary scenarios for military conflict in the coming years—a further round with Hizballah, a strike against Iran and renewed strife with the Palestinians—the home front is likely to be hit hard."
AP Photo
Spring 2010
"Decision Time in Jerusalem"
Journal Article, Journal of International Security Affairs, volume 18
By Chuck Freilich, Senior Fellow, International Security Program
In Israel, it has become commonplace—indeed, almost axiomatic—to speak of the Iranian nuclear program as an existential threat. Senior decision-makers and defense officials have repeated this warning so often that the words "existential" and "Iran" have become almost synonymous in Israeli discourse. Foreign media, meanwhile, repeatedly speculate on the prospects of an Israeli attack on Iran, and some have speculated that 2010 may be the "year of decision."
