Lazar Berman

Milstein Writing Fellow

Lazar Berman is the diplomatic correspondent at the Times of Israel, where he also covers Christian Affairs. He holds an M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University and taught at Salahuddin University in Iraqi Kurdistan. Berman is a reserve captain in the IDF’s Commando Brigade and served in a Bedouin unit during his active service.

Articles by this Author
First-person view (FPV) drones launched by Hezbollah found their way through to Israeli troops again and again last week. Image: Combat FPV drone with radio control for modern warfare in Ukraine.
Middle East Forum Online
Hunted by Drones It Should Have Seen Coming, Israel Now Sees Its Lebanon Strategy at Risk
The IDF Is Now Scrambling to Find Technological and Tactical Solutions to the Growing Hezbollah Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Threat
May 5, 2026
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Lazar Berman
The publication of the picture comes as Israel finds itself in repeated and avoidable fiascos around its relationship with Christians.
Middle East Forum Online
Destruction of Jesus Statue Should Serve as Moral Wake-up Call for IDF, Israel
It Is Hard to Think of an Image That Could Be More Damaging to Israel on the World Stage Right Now
April 22, 2026
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Lazar Berman
“The hope today is that we can outline the framework upon which a permanent, lasting peace can be developed so that the people of Israel can live in peace and the people of Lebanon can live, not just in peace but in the prosperity and security that they deserve,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday after the sides sat down at the State Department, above.
Middle East Forum Online
Israel-Lebanon Talks Unlikely to Yield Much Until Iran Undergoes Fundamental Change
The Lebanese Government Will Not Risk Pushing Hezbollah Into Using Violence Against It by Trying to Disarm It
April 16, 2026
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Lazar Berman
The U.S. Navy stationed near the Strait of Hormuz has blockaded Iranian ports following the collapse of peace talks between the U.S. and Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan; April 13, 2026.
Middle East Forum Online
U.S.-Iran Talks on Long-Term Deal Doomed as Long as Both Sides Insist They Won the War
Iran’s 10-Point Plan Reads like the Type of Settlement a Victor Would Impose on a Vanquished Foe
April 14, 2026
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Lazar Berman
Under Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, there is no question that Israel hammered Iran and its proxies with its outstretched arm. But the decisive victory that Netanyahu promised continues to evade him. Image: February 5, 2025
Middle East Forum Online
Netanyahu Left with Vague Promises After Another War Ends Without a Decisive Win
The Prospect of Trump Bringing the U.S. Back Into an Unpopular War Without a Clear Path to Achieving His Goals Appears Remote
April 10, 2026
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Lazar Berman
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) fires a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) in support of Operation Epic Fury, Feb. 28, 2026. (U.S. Navy photo)
Middle East Forum Online
As Iran War Enters 6th Week, Escalation Looks the Most Likely Scenario
The U.S.-Israeli Campaign Against Iran Reached Its Five-Week Mark on Saturday, with No Clear Mechanism to End the Conflict in Sight
April 6, 2026
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Lazar Berman
Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) sails in support of Operation Epic Fury, March 3, 2026. Image: U.S. Navy photo
Middle East Forum Online
As Trump Signals Retreat from War, Israel May Have to Keep Fighting Iranian Threat
The Outcome of the Conflict in Iran Hangs on U.S. President Donald Trump’s Decision on How Much Longer He Wants to Keep Fighting
April 2, 2026
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Lazar Berman
The Lebanese-Israeli conflict Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike and artillery shelling on the town of Khiam; March 4, 2026.
Middle East Forum Online
Facing a Resurgent Hezbollah, Israel Slouches Back to a Security Zone in Lebanon
While More than a Quarter-Century Has Passed Since Israel Pulled Out of the Security Zone, It Is Fighting the Same Enemy and Risks Achieving the Same Result
April 1, 2026
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Lazar Berman
The island could be the path U.S. President Donald Trump sees to reopening the Strait. By striking and threatening shipping, Iran is trying to drive up costs for countries across the globe and for U.S. voters to raise pressure on Trump to end the war.
Middle East Forum Online
Taking Kharg Island Is Seen as Key to Opening Hormuz. There Are Better Options
The Future of the War in Iran Is Increasingly Focused on Less than 9 Square Miles of Coral Outcrop in the Persian Gulf
March 27, 2026
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Lazar Berman
Capt. Andrew “Dojo” Olson, F-35 Demonstration Team pilot and commander performs a high-speed pass during the Oregon International Airshow Sept. 21, 2019 in McMinnville, OR. The F-35 Demo Team co-headlined the show with the Royal Air Force Red Arrows. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Alexander Cook)
Middle East Forum Online
Israel and U.S. Have Tried to Take Down Iran From the Air. History Shows the Idea Lacks Legs
Even Uncontested Skies Do Not Guarantee Political Outcomes on the Ground
March 24, 2026
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Lazar Berman
Ali Larijani in a file photo.
Middle East Forum Online
Larijani’s Death Removes Key Pillar of Regime. Will It Be Enough to Make Iran Collapse?
Israel’s Ability to Locate the Most Important Figure in the Regime Evinces How Deeply Its Intelligence Has Penetrated the Islamic Republic
March 18, 2026
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Lazar Berman
Middle East Forum Online
Small, Divided and Wary, Kurdish Rebels Won’t Be the Ones Bringing Down Iran’s Regime
Iran’s Kurdish Armed Groups Remain Too Fragmented, Cautious and Constrained to Shape the War’s Outcome.
March 17, 2026
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Lazar Berman
A U.S. Navy Sailor conducts flight operations in an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 14, above Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury, March 3, 2026.
Middle East Forum Online
They Won’t Specify It in Their War Aims, but Both Israel and U.S. Want Iran Regime Change
At Their Essence, War Aims Define What the Government Wants to Achieve Within the Bounds of What It Believes Its Military Can Accomplish
March 6, 2026
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Lazar Berman
Middle East Forum Online
Sinking Iran’s Proxies, Sinwar’s Al-Aqsa Flood Left Khamenei High And Dry
Hamas’s October 7 Attack Triggered The Collapse Of Tehran’s Regional Deterrence And Left The Islamic Republic Exposed.
March 4, 2026
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Lazar Berman
Even after the war, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps continue to push the same ideological narrative, vowing to maintain the three pillars of the military doctrine: nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and Islamist proxies.
Middle East Forum Online
Khamenei Set Iran’s Direction for Decades. Now the Public He Suppressed Has Hope
Khamenei’s Loss Is a Colossal Blow for a Regime That Was Already Under Intense Domestic Pressure from Its Population
March 2, 2026
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Lazar Berman
In his State of the Union address on Feb. 24, 2026, Trump brought up Iran’s ballistic missile threat, claiming it is “working on missiles that will soon reach” the United States.
Middle East Forum Online
Despite Overwhelming U.S. Military Might, Iran Campaign Would Pose Complex Challenges
That Overwhelming Edge Doesn’t Mean Success Is a Given
February 27, 2026
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Lazar Berman
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump.
Middle East Forum Online
Unpersuaded by Netanyahu, Trump Pushes Diplomacy With Iran and Hamas
Rejecting Israel’s Case for Escalation, the U.S. President Channels Churchill’s Postwar Belief in Negotiation Over Preventive War
February 13, 2026
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Lazar Berman
The concern over the kingdom moving into the arms of Islamists is overblown and fundamentally misreads both the structure of Middle East geopolitics and Saudi interests. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in California, October 9, 2025.
Middle East Forum Online
Relax, Mohammed Bin Salman Isn’t Aligning with Islamists. He Also Isn’t Normalizing with Israel Soon
Recent Moves by Saudi Arabia Against the United Arab Emirates and Toward Qatar and Turkey Have Alarmed Many, but These Processes Are Not New
February 8, 2026
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Lazar Berman
Middle East Forum Online
The Last Hostage Is Home, but Israel Still Faces Being Shackled by Trump’s Plan for Gaza
As Washington Accelerates Phase Two in Gaza, Jerusalem Risks Losing Control Over the Endgame
January 27, 2026
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Lazar Berman
Middle East Forum Online
Trump’s Gaza Push Is a Recipe for Hamas’s Revival, but Netanyahu Is Unwilling to Stir the Pot
Israel’s Prime Minister Is Accepting a Risky Phase Two That Could Leave Hamas Armed and Entrenched
January 22, 2026
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Lazar Berman
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