Israel Recognizes Somaliland; Will the US Be Next?

On December 26, 2025, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced on X that Israel has recognized Somaliland, becoming the first country in the world to officially do so. “Over the past year, based on an extensive and ongoing dialogue, relations between Israel and Somaliland have taken shape,” he wrote. “Today we signed an agreement on mutual recognition […]
The Future of Gaza

Palestinian activist Samer Sinijlawi details the reforms needed for a better future for Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel’s New Strategic Opportunity

Israel’s 2022 integration into the US regional military command for the Middle East, CENTCOM, is a game changer. It is not a formal alliance, yet provides many of the advantages of a defense treaty: stronger deterrence, coordinated defense with other US allies in the region, deeper strategic depth, and the capacity for joint action, while […]
No Stabilization in Gaza Without Dismantling Hamas

It is time to confront one of the most dangerous illusions of our time: the belief that the International Stabilization Force for Gaza can bring order, reconstruction, or peace without dismantling Hamas.
US Involvement in the Post-October 7 Middle East

In the years preceding the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, two alternative strategic trajectories seemed to shape the discourse on US involvement in the Middle East: gradual disengagement or intensified great-power competition. By late 2025, following two years of war, a third strategic option has reemerged: American dominance. The US Options Before the October […]
The View Over the Yarmouk River, An Israeli Reserve Officer on the Israel-Syria border

A young officer serving on the Golan writes about the challenges and the hopes across the border in Syria.
Missile Defense Through a Quantum Leap in Artificial Intelligence

Mike Gfoeller and Dave Rundell describe a new generation of AI that will revolutionize missile defense and thus military strategy.
Jordan-Israel Ties Face Strains

The relationship between Jordan and Israel came under renewed strain after a terrorist attack on September 18. A Jordanian truck driver arrived at the Allenby Bridge Border Crossing, ostensibly carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, and shot and stabbed two Israeli soldiers before being shot dead. Hamas praised the attack, and Israel has shut the border […]
Bringing Humanitarian Relief to the Druze of Syria

In Syria, the southwestern governorate of al-Suwayda is collapsing under shortages of food, water, and fuel. The Druze, who follow a heterodox religion which is an offshoot of Islam, are the majority in al-Suwayda, with smaller communities of Sunni Muslim Bedouin and Christians. Traditionally the area was known as Jabal al-Druze (Druze Mountain). Al-Suwayda is […]
How to Flood Gaza with Aid without Enriching Hamas

The key to success of President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan is to remove Hamas from power, permanently. A key to achieving that is to take away Hamas’s profit centers in Gaza, which allow it to pay fighters and smuggle in weapons. Hamas currently makes money by taxing and exercising control over critical humanitarian supplies in […]
