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Middle East

Old Wine In New Bottles

Benjamin Netanyahu has taken the famous Arab proverb, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” to its outer limits. The Israeli prime minister recently acknowledged that Israel has been working with Palestinian clans in the Gaza Strip antagonistic to Hamas as part of its efforts to defeat it. In disclosing that Israel has “activated” […]

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Middle East

The Freedom Flotilla Publicity Stunt

It was a slick publicity stunt from start to finish. The week-long voyage of the Madleen ended abruptly and abjectly in the early hours of June 9 when Israeli soldiers boarded the vessel and towed it to the port of Ashdod. The Madleen, a yacht with ten activists and two journalists aboard, set sail from […]

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Middle East

The Pro-Palestinian Movement Takes A Hit

The killing of two Israeli embassy staffers outside the Capitol Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. last week has focused renewed attention on the pro-Palestinian movement in the United States. Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, who were engaged to be married, were fatally shot by Elias Rodriquez, a 31-year-old anti-Israel activist from Chicago. […]

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Middle East

Israel And Syria Could Be On The Cusp Of A New Era

Syria, Israel’s northern neighbor, has been antagonistic toward Israel since its birth as a nation in 1948. It would be fair to say that Syria, often called the beating heart of Arab nationalism, has been one of Israel’s fiercest, most indomitable enemies. All this could change in the future if Israel plays its cards right […]

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Middle East

Canada Signs A Half-Baked Statement On Gaza

A joint statement issued by Canada, Britain and France on May 19 regarding the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, and Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians comes across as partially half-baked and in need of clarification. Signed by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President […]

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Middle East

A New Chapter in U.S.-Syria Relations

It was a stunning and defining moment in the annals of the United States’ mercurial relationship with Syria. On May 13, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a plan to lift all economic sanctions on Syria, a formerly radical Arab state that is still emerging from the chaos of the sudden collapse of President Bashar al-Assad’s […]

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Middle East

Israel-U.S. Relations Buffeted By Uncertainty

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu projected optimism last month after speaking on the phone with U.S. President Donald Trump. He claimed they were on “the same side of every issue” from the current war in the Gaza Strip to Iran’s nuclear program. Trump concurred with Netanyahu, writing on his social media platform, Truth Social, that […]

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Middle East

Israel’s Complicated Relationship With Qatar

Israel’s already complex relationship with Qatar has grown more complicated. Qatar, one of three Arab states U.S. President Donald Trump is due to visit next week on his second trip abroad since his inauguration in January, has in recent days been denounced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. First, Netanyahu accused Qatar of “playing both sides” […]

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Middle East

Israel’s Goals In Gaza

The families, friends and supporters of the hostages held by Hamas have implored Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to widen the war in the Gaza Strip. “The expansion of military operations puts every hostage at grave risk,” the families said in a recent statement. “We implore our decision makers: Prioritize the hostages. Secure a deal. […]

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Middle East

The Houthis Strike A Raw Nerve

The Houthis, Israel’s ferocious enemy and Iran’s proxy, struck a raw nerve on the morning of May 4, forcing Israel to respond almost immediately. They fired a ballistic missile from distant Yemen that crashed into an orange grove perilously close to Ben Gurion Airport, one of Israel’s most strategic sites. The projectile left a big […]