Israel’s Strategic Challenges 2026 – Jerusalem Studio

On the very first week of 2026 a major event took place which was hardly predictable when annual assessments were published at the turn of the year – the American operation in Venezuela. While not necessarily affecting Israel directly, it speaks to the difficulty in outlining strategic challenges throughout the year. In January of 2023, and indeed in September of that year, there was no forewarning of October 7. Having said all of that, it makes sense to try a freeze frame of Israel’s strategic landscape, as far as the eye can see.