Alpher discusses the ramifications of the inauguration of natural gas supply from the Tamar field in the Mediterranean to the Israeli infrastructure, if the Israeli-Turkish rapprochement, based on Israel's apology over the Mavi Marmara affair is relevant to the natural gas export issue, what he makes of a key Israeli general advocating that Israel consider establishing a security strip on the Syrian side of the Golan border in order to keep Syria-based Salafi revolutionary elements from attacking Israel, and comments on last week's revelation by Israel's Civil Administration for the West Bank that over the past 33 years less than one percent of state-owned land in the West Bank had been allotted to Palestinians, and 39 percent to Israeli settlements and related infrastructure.

Audio recording of March 22nd briefing call on Israeli strategic affairs analyst Yossi Alpher assessing the immediate impact and repercussions of President Obama's three-day visit to Israel and the West Bank. Listen Here.

The Obama visit

Alpher discusses whether the breakthrough in Israeli-Turkish relations was the most significant achievement of the Obama visit to Israel, whether the Turkey-Israel rapprochement was the only significant achievement of the Obama visit concerning Syria, what he meant by "progress," regarding Iran and the Palestinians an whether there were failures or low points in this visit.

Each year at Passover, Jews read this line in the haggadah, "In every generation a person is obligated to see themselves as if they had left Egypt." Why? Because each of us should understand that in our generation, just as in our ancestors' generation, the status quo is not inevitable. The pharaohs of Egypt thought themselves gods, considered themselves invincible, and believed that their power could not be overthrown.

by Rabbi Dr. Aryeh Cohen

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Click HERE to read APN's statement welcoming Obama's Israel visit.

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Alpher discusses the new Israeli government, the confluence of the new government with President Obama's arrival, the policy options to be discussed during the visit, and the political ramifications of the final composition of Netanyahu's new government.

Alpher discusses what is his initial assessment of the emerging new Netanyahu government, and whether Netanyahu emerges a winner or a loser from these elections, how do you think Israelis will respond to President Obama's public speech before Israeli students on March 21 (rather than addressing the Knesset during his upcoming visit), and whether there is any strategic significance for the Israel-Syria situation in the brief abduction last week of Filipino UN troops by Syrian rebels.

Alpher discusses whether Netanyahu will form a government by the new deadline of March 16th, what the appointment of Philip Gordon as White House coordinator for the Middle East might tell us about Obama's approach to the Israeli-Palestinian issue in his second term, and whether there is any hope at all for Turkish-Israeli rapprochement,