Israel’s Actions against Hizbullah in Lebanon: Part of a Global Confrontation

IDF tanks in northern Israel, September 2024. Photo credit: REUTERS/Ayal Margolin.

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 […]

Israel Pulls An Economic Lever on Lebanon

Energean's floating production platform on the Karish gas field, offshore Israel, June 2022. Photo credit: Energean/Handout via REUTERS.

In October 2022, Israel and Lebanon sent separate commitments on a common maritime border to the United States. The deal was structured in this fashion, rather than as a bilateral agreement, to accommodate the government of Lebanon, which refused to sign anything directly with Israel.  The maritime border deal was intended to allow each country […]

The Axis of Expansionists

Photo credit: Shutterstock.

Military aggressions and provocations by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea have created one of the most dangerous security environments in decades. Making matters worse, these powers are supporting each other in their malign actions. How should we refer to this emerging bloc? Russia is waging war to make Ukraine its colony again. Iran has […]

Under Lula, Brazil Aims High But Falls Short

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during the signing ceremony of a "Fuel of the Future" law in Brasilia, October 8, 2024. Photo credit: REUTERS/Adriano Machado.

When Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva returned to Brazil’s presidency in 2023, it was clear that he wished to restore the high international profile which Brazil had enjoyed during his first two terms, 2003-2010. International expectations were high given that his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, had been largely uninterested in foreign policy. However, Lula has faced […]

From Dahiya to Damascus: A Pivotal Moment for Iran’s Regional Strategy

Building destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon, October 2, 2024. Photo credit: Fadel Itani via Reuters Connect.

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 […]

Two State Solution <br> Temporarily Closed for Renovations

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Four months after October 7, 2023 I met an Egyptian acquaintance, and we tried to make sense of the situation. He offered the thought that “the two-state solution was never as relevant as it is now. Everyone understands that the Palestinian issue is back on the global agenda, and it is understood that there is no […]

Going on Offense, Designating the Muslim Brotherhood

Photo credit: REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed.

“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

Israeli airstrikes over Beirut’s southern suburbs, September 28, 2024. Photo credit: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir.

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 […]

On Being a Progressive Zionist

Since the terrible events of October 7th, some Israelis claim there is no longer any distinction between left and right – Israelis were massacred regardless of political affiliations. At the same time, around the world  there is an increasingly binary view of political identity, which claims that a person can be either a Zionist or […]

Lebanon: A Country Held Hostage by Hizbullah, in Desperate Need of Liberation

Photo credit: REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh.

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 […]