1. Keep doing what you're doing.
2. Yes, you can.
3. Israeli-Palestinian peace is a vital U.S. national security interest.
4. Yes, the U.S. can "want it" more than the parties.
5. Hold on to your sense of urgency.

This week, Alpher discusses the resignation of the newly appointed Palestinian Authority prime minister after two weeks, the strategic ramifications of the Netanyahu government's decision that Israel will channel more of its new natural gas resources to domestic use and less to export, why President Peres' ninetieth birthday shebang caused such a controversy in Israel, and what ex-Mossad head Meir Dagan meant when he called last week for Israel to exploit the current "unique opportunity to seek different alliances" and "reassert our presence in the Middle East."

Today Alpher offers:

• An assessment of the Rowhani victory in Iran's presidential election.

• How the Rowhani victory will affect Israel.

• How it will affect Israel if the current trend continues and Bashar Assad, supported by Iran, Russia and Hezbollah, defeats the rebellion in Syria.

• Commentary on British documents purporting to show Israel selling arms to a strange list of buyers.

Alpher discusses what are the potential security consequences for Israel of the fighting in Syria reaching the UN-patrolled no-man's land between Israel and Syria and more UN forces leaving, whether Russia's President Putin's offer last week to send Russian forces to replace the Austrians who are departing UNDOF makes sense for Israel, what to make of IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz's announcement last week, during all the turmoil in Syria, that for budgetary reasons he is suspending reserve units' training this year, and whether Ethiopia's construction of a massive dam on the Blue Nile -alarming Egypt about being denied water- will result in the water wars predicted by King Hussein of Jordan decades ago.

Alpher discusses Rami Hamdallah's appointment as prime minister of the Palestinian Authority and what this tells us about Palestinian intentions, whether last week's series of Syrian threats against Israel and reports of Russian supplies of weapons means we are edging toward an Israeli-Syrian war, if the violent events in Turkey constitute a "Turkish spring" and whether this is a positive development from Israel's standpoint, and why the IDF does not conscript Arabs, observant Jewish women and, until now, ultra-orthodox yeshiva students, but throw in jail a conscientious objector like Natan Blanc.