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.

Alpher discusses what he thinks Secretary of State Kerry's peace plan might look like, whether either side, the Netanyahu government or the PLO, cold present a unified negotiating position, a possible "laundry list" of confidence building measures (CBMs) and gestures reportedly discussed or initiated by Kerry, whether Hezbollah's openly joining the fighting in Syria on the side of the Assad regime is a turning point, and if the Netanyahu government is making any significant progress on "burden sharing", meaning conscription of Haredi (ultra-orthodox) youth.

Alpher discusses Syria's civil war and Israel's possible involvement, the best Syrian end-game from Israel's standpoint, whether, as long as Assad holds onto power, can the Syria-Israel border remain quiet, whether there are any signs of progress in Kerry's effort to renew final status negotiations,

Alpher discusses Chinese Presiden Xi Jinping four-point peace plan for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the US and Russia's plan to convene an international peace conference to find a political solution to the civil war in Syria, and Kerry's investigation of ways to use the Arab Peace Initiative as a regional framework for a renewed Israeli-Palestinian peace process

Alpher discusses the Israel Air Force attacks on shipments of Iranian missiles near Damascus, the significance of Qatari PM Hamad bin Jassim having declared that the Arab Peace Initiative could involve "comparable and mutual agreed minor swaps of land" along the 1967 lines between Israel and Palestine, and Google's announcement that it had decided to include "Palestine" in its list of options for national pages.

Alpher discusses what is the strategic significance of the controversy over chemical weapons use by Syria that was ignited last week in remarks by a senior Israeli intelligence officer; what he makes of media reports in Israel that Naftali Bennet is considering introducing a bill requiring a national referendum over any peace treaty reached with the Palestinians, and that he is trying to enlist the support of Yair Lapid; whether Kerry's plan to have a four-way Middle East peace summit in June, along with a comprehensive economic program to encourage US and European investment in the West Bank makes sense.

Alpher discusses possible scenarios for the future of the post of prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, What Egypt is doing to restore order to the Sinai Peninsula and why isn't it working, the conjunction of US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's trip to Israel with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's resolution supporting Israel in the event it attacks Iran's nuclear weapons program.

Alpher discusses Israel's security situation on this, the sixty-fifth anniversary of its independence, the ramifications of PA Prime Minister Fayyad's resignation, and why the Netanyahu government reportedly rejected Secretary of State John Kerry's proposal to renew two-state talks with the Palestinians on the basis of discussing borders and security first.