Hello,
Here are the five things you need to know today:
ISRAEL. PALESTINE. Widespread strikes leave a ceasefire in name only.
UNITED STATES. The free market drifts to centralisation.
SOUTH KOREA. Trump and the tech boom leave Lee feeling vulnerable.
INDIA. RUSSIA. Cooperation continues despite US sanctions.
PAKISTAN. Islamabad plays defence and offence along the border.
And don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn.
Upgrade today for access to all five daily briefings, five days a week, as relied on by leaders and investors across 150 countries. Upgrade to GD Pro for even more.
ISRAEL. PALESTINE. No holding back
Widespread strikes leave a ceasefire in name only.
Gaza’s health ministry claimed 30 were killed in a series of Israeli strikes lasting into Wednesday morning. Benjamin Netanyahu ordered “powerful attacks” after Israeli forces were ambushed. JD Vance said “the ceasefire is holding.”
INTELLIGENCE. Washington has minimised the flare-up as “skirmishes”, but it will increasingly struggle to spin the narrative if violations continue. Israel blames Hamas, which has also been accused of playing games with the handover of dead hostages, but Arab states being asked to furnish troops for Donald Trump’s peace plan may see it differently. Frustrations are growing that Israel’s veto on their deployment is simply prolonging instability in the strip.
FOR BUSINESS. Hamas’s refusal to disarm is just one side of the security dilemma. Netanyahu is also under renewed pressure from his coalition to put Israeli security ahead of a US deal, as domestic debates on Haredi conscription and the prime minister’s corruption trial return to the fore. Trump will have few levers to pull unless he opts to punish Israel alongside Hamas. MAGA trial balloons on a separate Christian “state” have been floated, but appear unlikely.
Geopolitical Dispatch is the client briefing of Geopolitical Strategy. Learn more about how we can help you to map, monitor and manage geopolitical risks.
UNITED STATES. Bessent’s Law
The free market drifts to centralisation.
Donald Trump said he wanted Scott Bessent to head the Federal Reserve, “but he won’t take the job”. Bessent proposed five candidates for Trump’s consideration in December. The Fed was seen likely to cut rates today despite mixed data.
INTELLIGENCE. Trump already has a secretary of state who doubles as national