Saying the Right Things: The New Syria Takes a First Step Towards the Abraham Accords
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has a colossal problem. Syria’s infrastructure, including housing and commerce, was significantly destroyed during more than a decade of civil war. The new Syrian government will have great difficulty rebuilding Syria after more than a decade of civil war unless US and other sanctions are lifted. Syria has been under comprehensive […]
Gideon’s Chariots - Israel’s Renewed Offensive in Gaza
On May 4, Israel’s security cabinet unanimously approved a comprehensive plan to dismantle Hamas’s remaining capabilities, both military and governmental, while offering Hamas a pause in exchange for a hostage release. The plan involves a large-scale call-up of reserves, a “clear and hold” strategy in parts of Gaza, and civilian evacuation as part of a […]
What’s Next for the Houthis?
Israel launches extensive retaliatory airstrikes against the Houthi economic heartland in northern Yemen, while the US pivots to announce a ceasefire with the Houthis. This divergence in approach between the superpower and a regional ally raises questions over whether momentum for an anti-Houthi ground offensive has been lost. An intensified American-led air campaign, “Operation Rough […]
How to Warm the Cold Peace Between Egypt and Israel
As the Trump administration considers its Middle East peace strategy, one target should be a deeper relationship between the Arab world’s most populous nation and the Jewish state, one that advances beyond diplomatic formalities to include greater economic cooperation and cultural exchanges. Since the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, Cairo and Jerusalem have […]
To Lock in Middle East Security, Up the Game
President Trump will be traveling to the Middle East at a time of great progress, given the terrible defeat Iran has suffered over the past eighteen months at the hands of exactly the regional alliance Trump is seeking now to further strengthen. Nevertheless, more work is needed on the three most pressing remaining Iran-related issues, […]
Pete Hegseth’s Nine Lives
When the abuse of inmates at Iraq’s notorious Abu Ghraib prison broke into the open in 2004, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld offered to resign. Twice. Both times President George W. Bush rejected Rumsfeld’s offer; he only fired him after the Democrats took both the House and the Senate in the 2006 mid-term elections. Secretary […]
Iran’s Nuclear Program Was Built for War, Not Energy
Iran’s nuclear program is not an arms control problem, the approach often taken by US negotiators. It is a central pillar of the regime’s survival strategy. Until that regime’s architecture of power is directly addressed and sufficiently weakened, Iran’s nuclear threat will outlast any paper agreement. Iran’s nuclear program is also not about electricity and […]
Argentina Builds a Judicial Record Against Iran
The 1994 terrorist attack on the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires left 85 dead. While the prospect of bringing Iranian suspects to face justice in Argentina remains remote, there have been important judicial developments over the past 18 months. This could lay the groundwork for further international pressure on Iran. Background: A Building Bombed, […]
A Stroll Through Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill
In late April, Sophia Jani, a young composer from Germany, traveled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to hear the local symphony perform her composition “Flare.” Before the performance, Jani explained that it was based on a poem by Mary Oliver and that she hoped it might bring some “sweetness” into a troubled world which, at least for […]
Deradicalization in the Middle East and Lessons for Gaza's Future
As Israel continues its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, policymakers in Jerusalem often use the term “deradicalization” when discussing Gaza’s future, mentioning it as a condition for the end of hostilities and calm. Yet Israeli politicians have not proposed concrete plans for its implementation,though everyone agrees Hamas’s murderous ideology (and the organization itself) must […]
The Putin Problem
The Trump administration entered office with two complementary goals concerning Russia. The first, the humanitarian goal of ending Russia’s war with Ukraine, does not seem close to being achieved. The administration proposed a ceasefire between the two countries as a first step toward terminating the conflict, but while Ukraine accepted the proposal, Russia did not. […]
England’s Simmering Northern Rebellion
In northeast England, an hour south of Newcastle next to the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, sits the post-industrial city of Middlesbrough. Its story is that of the country’s industrial rise and fall. 250 years ago, Middlesbrough was a speck on the map. Coal mining and steel and iron production propelled its rapid ascent into a thriving […]
