Middle Eastern Israel and 21st Century Challenges Hi, my name is Sean acres. I'm the Dean of the School of Government and I want to take just a few moments to visit with you about the importance of the State of Israel from a geopolitical sense. In fact, let's back up for just a moment and look at several of the ways that the state of Israel is important to the United States. The study of diplomacy and the study of politics in the modern era. To begin with, let's start with this. The State of Israel is the birthplace for both Judaism and Christianity. So, when we talk about things like the Judeo-Christian worldview, and we reference things like the founders of the United States saying that we are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights. And they say that these rights flow from the laws of nature and nature's God. It's a little bit short sided to miss the fact that those ideas trace not back just to Europe, but through England, through Europe, directly back to Jerusalem. So, in a very real sense, the State of Israel and the state in the United States are linked together ideologically in a worldview that has spanned some 2000 years and made its way into the ideas and thinking of, of legal and political thinkers like William Blackstone and then into the thinking of the American founder. That's very much the basis of the American legal, governmental, and political systems. Now, when we look at our shared current relationship with the state of Israel, it's very important to recognize that you're talking about a landmass not much bigger than the state of New Jersey. But out of that single landmass has come a variety of world-changing technologies. Most of us can think Israel for the computers that sit on our desk, the cell phones that we hold in our hands, many of the medical devices that are doctors used to keep us healthy. In fact, some of the things that we study here at the helm School of Government are some of the great thinkers and some of the great technologies that have come out of Israel. We recently have been visited by the Dov kid draw on the founder of ORM Ed pharmaceuticals. His company out of the State of Israel is following a long lineage of into actual and technological breakthroughs by producing an oral delivery system for insulin. This follows in the shoes of people like Shi'a Gazi in the State of Israel who is working to meet the energy crisis by providing electric cars. And for others like spot shock head, who took his military training and in the IDF and used it to revolutionize the way that companies like PayPal look at their, their debt risks with the people that they do business with. When we look at the current state of global economics, you see that while most of the globe is undergoing a downward trend, the Israeli economy is one of the ones that's burgeoning. It's one of the ones that still on the basis of technology and innovation. Even though there are very few natural resources in the area, the State o ...

1. Middle Eastern Israel and 21st Century Challenges
Hi, my name is Sean acres. I'm the Dean of the School of
Government and I want to take just a few moments to visit with
you about the importance of the State of Israel from a
geopolitical sense. In fact, let's back up for just a moment and
look at several of the ways that the state of Israel is important
to the United States. The study of diplomacy and the study of
politics in the modern era. To begin with, let's start with this.
The State of Israel is the birthplace for both Judaism and
Christianity. So, when we talk about things like the Judeo-
Christian worldview, and we reference things like the founders
of the United States saying that we are endowed by our creator
with certain unalienable rights. And they say that these rights
flow from the laws of nature and nature's God. It's a little bit
short sided to miss the fact that those ideas trace not back just
to Europe, but through England, through Europe, directly back
to Jerusalem. So, in a very real sense, the State of Israel and the
state in the United States are linked together ideologically in a
worldview that has spanned some 2000 years and made its way
into the ideas and thinking of, of legal and political thinkers
like William Blackstone and then into the thinking of the
American founder. That's very much the basis of the American
legal, governmental, and political systems. Now, when we look
at our shared current relationship with the state of Israel, it's
very important to recognize that you're talking about a landmass
not much bigger than the state of New Jersey. But out of that
single landmass has come a variety of world-changing
technologies. Most of us can think Israel for the computers that
sit on our desk, the cell phones that we hold in our hands, many
of the medical devices that are doctors used to keep us healthy.
In fact, some of the things that we study here at the helm School
of Government are some of the great thinkers and some of the
great technologies that have come out of Israel. We recently
have been visited by the Dov kid draw on the founder of ORM

2. Ed pharmaceuticals. His company out of the State of Israel is
following a long lineage of into actual and technological
breakthroughs by producing an oral delivery system for insulin.
This follows in the shoes of people like Shi'a Gazi in the State
of Israel who is working to meet the energy crisis by providing
electric cars. And for others like spot shock head, who took his
military training and in the IDF and used it to revolutionize the
way that companies like PayPal look at their, their debt risks
with the people that they do business with. When we look at the
current state of global economics, you see that while most of
the globe is undergoing a downward trend, the Israeli economy
is one of the ones that's burgeoning. It's one of the ones that
still on the basis of technology and innovation.
Even though there are very few natural resources in the area,
the State of Israel still tends to show strong economic growth at
a time. Others are having great economic problems. And then
there's a third aspect, and this is where it becomes very
important for us geopolitically, is that while we share this, this
background with the State of Israel, we share this worldview
and this ideology with the State of Israel. One of the other
things that we share as more unfortunate, and that is because of
this ideology, because of the idea of democracy and the idea of
monotheism, the idea that there is a God. And we here at
Liberty University are unabashedly Christian in our worldview,
we believe that the Lord said, I'll bless those who bless you and
curse those who curse you. And the fact is that there's a
corollary to that, and that is that the same individuals and
groups that, that hate Israel internationally tend to also hate the
United States internationally for the same reason. So, while our,
our, our backgrounds, our ideological foundations are linked,
our business minds are linked. So too, are those that would
oppose both the United States, the State of Israel.
This is a very important understanding because that means that
when the United States is strong, it creates a stronger Israel.
And when the United States is weak, it creates a weaker is real.
But the converse of that is also true that a strong Israel is

3. something that has been conducive to a strong United States and
a weak Israel has typically been conducive to a weak United
States. So, when we see this ideological competition is taking
place globally in a very real sense, in a modern global mine,
these two destinies are very, very linked. So, as you began to
study in your political studies, into policy studies, it's important
to keep in mind how interrelated worldviews are. It's also very
important, especially when studying the Middle Eastern
countries, to realize how important the tribal mindset is versus
just the geographic mindset that we tend to hold in the United
States and the United States, we tend to think along the lines of
geographic boundaries that were one boundary starts, another
starts, and that creates identity. In the Middle East.
This is very much more a tribal thing then a line in the sand.
When we understand that it's much easier to understand how
changes in the State of Israel can affect the world's perceptions
of the United States and vice versa. So, for instance, when the
dollar is weak in the United States and the United States is less
able to stand on principle because of its pragmatic concerns.
The State of Israel becomes less secure. When terrorism and
Israel goes unanswered, the United States finds itself less
secure. The interplay between this battle of ideologies is one
that is of utmost importance in understanding geopolitics.
Thank you for taking the time to join us. I hope that you will
take a large portion of your studies and look into the United
States relationship with the state of Israel and how that dynamic
interplay runs back both through the past, the present, and into
the future. Again, I'm Sean acres, Dean of the School of
Government. I thank you for joining me.
Policy Briefing Memo Assignment Instructions
Overview
Researching, writing, and synthesizing information accurately is
important in most successful careers. In the geopolitical realm,
such abilities are vital. This is an opportunity to start building

4. or sharpen those skills and construct the basis for a future
crucial professional capability. The more experience one has in
performing such tasks, the more efficient and competent they
will be in dealing with them later.
Fundamentally, the clearer the ideas are written, the less room
there is for ambiguous interpretation, and the message can be
sent more effectively. This will make a great difference in
future professional endeavors, especially in a high- stakes
environment.
Instructions
You will write a Policy Briefing Memo Assignment that is a
summary and analysis of facts pertaining to an issue and
includes a suggested course of action. You will select your topic
from the Friedman book. The paper will consist of a statement
and information as outlined in the list below. The intent of this
memo is to inform another individual who may have solicited
assistance to study and make recommendations on a particular
matter.
For example, a legislative aide may provide a briefing paper to
a congressman or senator for a committee meeting. As the term
suggests, briefing papers are short and succinct. Usually written
in outline format, a briefing paper must be 1 – 3 pages. Your
briefing paper must: provide a summary of an issue; explain a
situation that needs correcting; identify any political, cultural,
social, and/or financial implications; and recommend a course
of action including arguments for and against the suggested
action.
· Length of assignment: 3 pages (not counting title page and
bibliography)
· Format of assignment: 12-point Times New Roman font, be
double-spaced, and use 1-inch margins
· Number of citations: 5 – 6 references to the book
· Acceptable sources: the Friedman book, scholarly resources
· Analysis: At least 7 geopolitically relevant points
Components of a typical briefing paper:
· Name: A note to identify to whom the briefing paper is

5. intended.
· Date: The date of preparation of the briefing paper.
· Subject: The topic or issue of the briefing paper.
· Background: A summary of past and/or current events that
provide a context for the topic or issue, including any policies
or past practices.
· Analysis: Identification of significant aspects of the topic or
issue, the options or courses of action that should be considered
(including details about the advantages and disadvantages of
each), and actions currently taken or recommended to address
the issue.
· Cautionary Notes: Any sensitive aspects of the topic or issue
that may affect a person or an organization in a negative way.
· Contact: The name and contact information of the writer of the
briefing paper.
See the Policy Briefing Memo Grading Rubric for specific
guidelines and grading procedures.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the
Turnitin plagiarism tool.
Page 2 of 2
Pick 1 of the topics below from the provisional agenda. Offer
your chosen NATO country’s view on the topic (the country
chosen from previous Discussions), and then offer that
country’s geopolitical strategy on how it would suggest NATO
deal with this issue/topic. You will discuss what the country
you chose thinks NATO should do (or what action NATO
should take) regarding the issue important to the country.
You can pick one major point and one sub point for a more in-
depth analysis, which is recommended in this case. You may,
however, also pick one major point and multiple subpoints for a
more concise analysis, as long as it is clear and addresses the
essentials.
Provisional Agenda
North Atlantic Council

6. 1. Shaping the Future: Delivering Security in the Twenty-First
Century
2. Current NATO Operations
3. Potential Operations
4. Partnerships: Keeping a Global Perspective
5. Afghanistan – Strategic Plan Post 2014
6. Capability Improvement: Smart Defense
7. Missile Defense Cooperation with Russia
8. Or you may pick a topic of geostrategic interest that relates
to NATO; you could pick a topic included in the NATO
parliamentary assembly webpage (see Resources below).
Political Affairs Committee
1. NATO Enlargement.
2. NATO – EU Relations
3. NATO – RUSSIA Relations
4. Enhancing Partnerships – Existing PFP nations and strategic
global partners
5. Afghanistan – Strategic Plan Post 2014
6. Emerging Security Challenges: Energy Security; Cyber
Security – Water Security
7. NATO’s approach to a rapidly changing Middle East and
North Africa
Defense Planning Committee
1. Afghanistan – Strategic Plan Post 2014
2. NATO – EU Relations and Operations
3. Permanent Structure for Relations
4. Access to NATO Planning and NATO Capabilities
5. Stability and Reconstruction Issues
6. New Member Integration
7. Defense Spending
8. Smart Defense
9. NATO Common Funding
Nuclear Planning Group
1. Non-Proliferation of WMD and Security of Materials
2. Nuclear Threats
3. Theatre Missile Defense (TMD) capability

7. 4. Missile Defense for the Protection of NATO Territory
5. TMD Cooperation with Russia
6. Impact of New Start and UK/France Nuclear Weapon
Reductions
Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC)
1. Balkans – Kosovo
2. Mediterranean – Active Endeavor -- You can discuss issues
related to the Mediterranean Dialogue, which forms the basis of
NATO’s relations with its Mediterranean partners including
Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco, and
Tunisia.
3. Afghanistan – Strategic Plan Post 2014
4. NATO Training Mission – Iraq
5. Istanbul Cooperation Initiative – the Gulf states: Bahrain,
Kuwait, Qatar, or the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
6. Other Potential Operations (see Resources below)