Shira Efron

For decades, the two-state solution has dominated efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, as a result of political and structural developments, that solution might no longer be feasible. RAND researchers used a novel focus group approach to assess which, if any, of five possible alternative futures in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would be supported by Israelis and Palestinians.

Israel has changed dramatically in the past two decades. The Israel Police is transforming itself to meet the needs of modern Israel. The Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Finance, and the Israel Police asked RAND to conduct a study to address issues of public perceptions and trust in the police, benchmarking the police against other police organizations, performance measurement, and deterrence and crime prevention.

This report describes how the Israel Defense Force evolved to meet an adaptive and determined hybrid adversary during its wars in Gaza. It then draws a series of lessons from the Israeli experience for the U.S. Army and the joint force: from the importance of armored vehicles and active protection systems to the limitations of airpower in urban terrain and of conventional militaries to deter nonstate actors.

This volume of the Future of Warfare series examines some of the most significant environmental and geographic trends that could affect U.S. national security and the future of warfare: rising global temperatures, the opening of the Arctic, sea level rise, extreme weather events, water scarcity, and increasing urbanization.

To gain a better understanding of how foreign infrastructure investment in Myanmar may affect local communities, RAND researchers conducted a survey of 250 residents of communities near the Dawei Special Economic Zone. A portion of area inhabitants viewed the project as bringing more harm than good. However, an overwhelming majority favored trying to solve the project's problems rather than terminate it altogether.

Relations between China and Israel have expanded rapidly since the early 2000s in numerous areas, including diplomacy, trade, investment, construction, educational partnerships, scientific cooperation, and tourism. The authors examine the extent and nature of Chinese investments in Israeli technology and infrastructure and discuss the security implications these pose for Israel and the United States.

Gaza has long had water and sanitation challenges, but today it is in a state of emergency. Its aquifer is polluted and depleted, and more than 108,000 cubic meters of untreated sewage flow daily from Gaza into the Mediterranean Sea. The authors describe the relationship between Gaza's water problems and its energy challenges, examine the implications of the water crisis for public health, and recommend steps to avert a regional disaster.

RAND researchers supported a high-level Israeli government team tasked with improving long-term socioeconomic strategy for the state. This report highlights selected inputs made to the government team to summarize the essential mechanics and roles for bringing a strategic perspective to policy consideration. To show how one can use a strategic perspective in an analysis of policy choices, the report uses the example of an aging population.

The five U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Regional Centers for Security Studies have been helping partner nations build strategic capacity for almost 20 years. They are high-impact components of U.S. security cooperation and engagement efforts, despite their relatively small budgets. This study analyzes the centers contributions to DoD policy priorities and the ways in which they assess their programs."