We live in an age of rampant terrorism, a grotesque phenomenon that manifests itself these days particularly in the Middle East. In countries such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Israel, terrorism has become pervasive, wiping out lives, destroying property and creating a climate of uncertainty and angst. With the rise of Al Qaeda and Islamic […]
As the prospect for peace between Israel and the Palestinians fades further away, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proffers yet more reasons why Palestinian statehood is not a feasible proposition. From my perspective, his arguments fall flat, sounding more like facile, self-serving rationalizations than rational explanations. Under pressure from the United States, Netanyahu supposedly endorsed a […]
The United States and Russia have reached an agreement to end the bloodshed in Syria, but it could easily fizzle and die. The accord, signed in Munich on February 12 by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, is ambitious in scope but precarious and fragile. It calls for the delivery of […]
As expected, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has redefined Canada’s role in the U.S.-led military campaign to degrade and defeat Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. On February 8, at a press conference in Ottawa, he announced that Canadian advisors will no longer be involved in a combat mission in the Middle East. Instead, Canada […]
Jihadists love the Internet, as they should. It’s their portal to free publicity, a potentially vast audience and enhanced membership rolls. Islamic State, the jihadist organization that has wreaked havoc in the Middle East, has learned to its satisfaction that social media is a potent weapon to brainwash and radicalize Muslims and recruit them as […]
The impasse in the protracted civil war in Syria is so profound that even the prospect of successful peace talks to end the nearly five-year-old conflict seems outlandish and unrealistic. On February 3, after two days of preliminary discussions in Geneva, United Nations mediator Staffan de Mistura threw up his hands in utter despair and […]
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has tabled a bill that may well stifle, if not delegitimize, a precious gift — political dissent in Israel. The bill, known as the NGO Law, should be permanently shelved for the sake of Israeli democracy. Sponsored by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, it would require non-governmental organizations in Israel to […]
The American ambassador to Israel and the secretary-general of the United Nations have both issued no-nonsense warnings regarding the pitfalls of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. Call them inconvenient truths. To no one’s surprise, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded harshly to their collective words of wisdom, thereby confirming the widely-held assumption that […]
A new phase in Iran’s often contentious relationship with the West unfolded a few days ago when the United States and European countries lifted economic sanctions against Iran. They were withdrawn following the release of a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency that the Iranian government had fulfilled its promise to curb its controversial […]
A year ago this month, France was profoundly shaken by two jihadist rampages in Paris. The incidents underscored an alarming phenomenon — the extent to which a minority of European Muslims have fallen under the baneful and destructive spell of radical Islam. It’s a grave problem which is far from resolved. Last November, jihadists launched […]