"At the height of the Russian Aliyah (immigration) in the 1990s, Israel absorbed 30,000 immigrants each month, people who did not know the language and culture and who lacked both housing and employment. We can surely absorb Israelis, who will only have to move a few kilometers and in many cases not even have to change their places of employment. It is a matter of leadership and of achieving an agreement with the Palestinians. Time is pressing."

"So maybe Israel can survive without the United States, significantly reduce its standard of living, withdraw into itself. Maybe. What is abundantly clear is that it would be a far less secure and far poorer existence, with severe isolation and a lifestyle fundamentally different from that which most Israelis have become accustomed to."

"The left has criticized the IDF's rules of engagement and conduct in various operations, expressed alarm at the rising influence of religious Israelis in the military, and demanded equal rights for female and LGBT conscripts. The right is concerned over an ostensible lack of ideological compass; an overwillingness to expose IDF soldiers to risks and even death in order to appease international opinion and law, for example, by tying the hands of soldiers on patrol in the West Bank; and more. The IDF's chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, is reportedly so concerned about the relations between it and Israeli society that he has chosen to make it a personal priority."

"Only one thing is clear: Trump will be a one-issue president — his own personal benefit — and that this consideration will guide his entire presidency. This predilection has already been manifested in a series of statements and actions, often in tweets, that are indicative of the impending changes in U.S. policy. Policy changes are legitimate, that is what he was elected for, but the overall impression is that Trump is motivated by fleeting political and personal gain, rather than deep strategic thought."

"The question is not whether the IDF needs the F35, it does....The Air Force is Israel's strategic arm and must be equipped with weapons systems at the very forefront of technology. Nevertheless, it is incumbent upon us that we question how many aircraft truly are needed, when, and what the possible alternative uses of the budgetary resources are."

"Hillary Clinton is not an ideal candidate, as 30 years of political life and her mixed electoral performance have shown. She is, however, one of the most experienced candidates to run for office in decades, in both domestic and foreign policy, including the Middle East. Casinos and reality shows just do not cut it."

"The problem is not with AIPAC. It is Israel which is acting on its own, and with great vigor, without any help from AIPAC, to bury its future as a Jewish and democratic state."

"Israel must continue building an effective offensive response. Victory and military decision are only achieved through offense, not restraint and defense. The Hezbollah threat has, however, been with us for a long period and will unfortunately remain with us for many years to come. A war postponed may be a costly war, but it may also be a war that never breaks out. In this case, an effective offensive response may be even more costly than the threat itself, and we should thus seek to postpone resort to it for as long as possible."

"The United States, certainly the Democratic side, has simply had it with Netanyahu's policies on the Palestinian issue, with his double talk, and with what appears to be an intentional attempt to bury the two-state solution. If the premier truly understands the United States, he knows that a moment of reckoning on the Palestinian issue is nearing and that whichever candidate is elected will likely present us with fateful decisions, or cool the tenor of relations."

The Iran nuclear deal was officially implemented on Saturday, as Iran successfully fulfilled its initial key nuclear commitments and the international community relieved major sanctions, including unfreezing about $100 billion of Iranian money. Implementation Day was met with applause from deal supporters in the U.S. and Iran, while critics have raised questions about whether Iran will adhere to its requirements and how it will flex its newfound economic power. Also in recent days, the U.S. and Iran agreed to a prisoner swap that led to the freedom of Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and others, and negotiated the release of American sailors detained in Iran. What does the arrival of Implementation Day mean for Iran’s nuclear program and nuclear nonproliferation, and how does it bode for the future of U.S.-Iran relations? We asked Belfer Center experts to weigh in on these and related questions.