Assad’s Legacy of Chemical Weapons
The events that unfolded in Syria over the last weeks surprised not only the United States, but also Russia, Iran, and the Syrian people themselves. As Bashar al-Assad fled Damascus for asylum in Russia, his security forces shed their uniforms and their weapons and disappeared into the countryside. One of the most concerning things still […]
Israel’s Actions against Hizbullah in Lebanon: Part of a Global Confrontation
Israel’s confrontation with Iran and its proxy armies, including the current operation against Hizbullah by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), should be seen as part of a broader global struggle. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022 was the first sign of a new geostrategic era, and the October 2023 mass murder invasion […]
From Dahiya to Damascus: A Pivotal Moment for Iran’s Regional Strategy
Just three weeks ago, thousands of Hizbullah fighters, commanders, and activists were killed or injured in Israeli “pager” attacks. Next the terrorist organization’s top leaders, including Secretary General Hasan Nasrallah, were eliminated in Israeli airstrikes. Then, after Israeli warplanes bombarded Hizbullah’s stronghold in Beirut and bases in southern Lebanon, Israel invaded with two divisions, aiming […]
Going on Offense, Designating the Muslim Brotherhood
“Dad, open your WhatsApp and see the [photos of] dead Jews. Your son has killed Jews.” “God bless you.” “Dad, I’m calling you from the phone of a Jew! I just killed her and her husband, with my own hands.” – Intercepted cellphone call, October 7, from Hamas elite unit member One unanswered question is […]
Israel Strikes Hizbullah: What Comes Next for Lebanon
Israel’s recent military actions in Lebanon and Gaza have fundamentally shifted the balance of power in the Middle East to the detriment of the Iranian-led axis and to the benefit of the American-aligned axis of Israel and Arab states, some of which have, with quiet Saudi approval, gambled on relations with the Jewish state to […]
Lebanon: A Country Held Hostage by Hizbullah, in Desperate Need of Liberation
Lebanon today stands paralyzed, held hostage by a terrorist organization that has entrenched itself into the country’s political and social fabric. The country was not always besieged by extremism and foreign interference. In the 1970s, Beirut was hailed as the “Paris of the Middle East,” a thriving hub of culture, literature, and intellectualism, home to […]
Who Will Govern Gaza?
Large-scale Israeli military operations against Hamas in Gaza are winding down and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is focused on Hizbullah in the north. Now the Israel government and the IDF face the long-postponed question of postwar planning for Gaza. Two options are under discussion: a multinational mission or an Israeli military administration, both as […]
The Wars in Gaza and Ukraine Are the Same War
The deep partisan divisions in the United States affect many public issues, including the ongoing wars in Europe and the Middle East. The Israeli war of self-defense in Gaza commands strong support among Republicans but elicits less enthusiasm among Democrats. By contrast, Democrats generally endorse Ukraine’s war of self-defense against Russia, following the lead of […]
The Hostages
There are two sets of hostages in Gaza and both require American leadership to be free. Less than two weeks after their emotional address at the Democratic National Convention on behalf of their son, the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin were told that he was found dead in a tunnel below Rafah. Hersh was one of […]
Interview with Gadi Taub
Gadi Taub: I believed in Oslo [the 1990s Palestinian-Israeli peace process] because I imagined the Palestinians to be like us. I imagined their national liberation movement to be a national liberation movement just like ours. Then reality just exploded outside my window. Tel Aviv is small. So from where I lived back then, when a […]
