Axis of Resistance

An in-depth analysis of the primary conflicts animating the contemporary struggle over the regional order of the Middle East.From the conflict between the United States and the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria to the recent Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, events in today's Middle East reflect the emergence of what has come to be known as an Iran-led "e;axis of resistance."e; A geopolitical network of state- and nonstate actors seeking to promote a new regional order, the "e;axis"e; primarily includes the Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yemen's Houthi rebels, Syria, and multiple Iran-supported Shiite militias in Iraq. Drawing on qualitative in-depth research in Hebrew and Arabic, and on exclusive interviews with senior Israeli officials, Axis of Resistance offers the first comprehensive analysis of the evolution of the "e;axis"e; and its application of a distinct strategic approach to asymmetrical conflicts-that of "e;resistance."e; Author Daniel Sobelman shows that the various "e;resistance"e; forces in the region have pursued an analogous asymmetrical deterrent strategy whose origins trace back to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in southern Lebanon, whereby the weaker actor attempts to subject the stronger state to limiting "e;rules of the game."e;