Beware Trump’s Wrath Over a Failed Ceasefire Agreement in Gaza

Hamas hands over Doron Steinbrecher, a hostage who had been held in Gaza since the October 7 2023 attack, to members of the Red Cross, January 19, 2025. Photo credit: REUTERS.

This week’s release of three Israeli female hostages and 900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, primarily women and children, is the first step in what is expected to be a long process of bringing home Israel’s hostages and ending the war with Hamas. The agreement provides for three phases, the first two of which involve more […]

After the Gaza Ceasefire, Watch the West Bank

Palestinian gunman in Nablus, January 2025. Photo credit: Nasser Ishtayeh / SOPA Images via Reuters Connect.

Hamas has plans for the West Bank. Now that there is a ceasefire in Gaza, Hamas wants to use the war it launched against Israel to bring itself more power and influence in the West Bank. It seeks to gain popularity through the prisoner releases secured in exchange for Israeli hostages – between thirty and fifty Palestinian […]

Lawfare Against Israeli Soldiers

Soldiers visit the site of the Nova Music Festival. Photo credit: REUTERS/Hannah McKay (Photo is used as a representation and does not depict anyone involved in the article.)

Israeli tourist Yuval Vagdani had to escape for the second time. On October 7, 2023, he survived the Hamas massacre at the Nova music festival near Gaza. Then in the first week of January 2025, he escaped Brazil ahead of a court-ordered investigation into his service as a military reservist in Gaza. He was vacationing […]

Look to Middle Eastern Diasporas for Figures to Inspire Change

Photos: REUTERS, Shutterstock.

The Middle East presents a formidable array of challenges and opportunities for President-elect Trump, with the Iran nuclear issue emerging as the most perilous and complex threat to both regional stability and US interests. Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its potential to destabilize the balance of power overshadow other crises, including the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, which […]

Trump II Will Inherit a Divisive Political Scene in Israel

Photo credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque.

Most Israelis supported President Trump in this election, believing he would fully support Israel in its ongoing war against Iranian proxies. Prime Minister Netanyahu was among the first world leaders to congratulate him But the future Trump administration’s specific policies towards the Middle East remain unclear. During his campaign, Trump expressed interest in promoting peace […]

Trump Administration Faces a Suddenly Promising Middle East

BACKGROUND The second Trump administration will face immediate foreign policy dilemmas in all three Eurasian fronts. This paper concentrates on the Middle East, but the competing demands of Europe and East Asia, and the links among all of them, influence decisions everywhere. The dramatic events of the past year open the door to a regional […]

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 […]