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Newest Publications
Hassan Rowhani: A Honey Trap for Iran and the World?
Iraq
Lessons for Israel from Captured Iraqi Nuclear Documents
But if the purpose of nuclear weapons in the hands of Israel’s enemies is to make it safe for them to return to the era of conventional wars, then Israel must make sure that it guarantees that at the end of the day it must not be forced to concede its most vital territorial assets based on the unfounded notion that they no longer matter in the nuclear era. Read More »
The Future of Kurdistan: Between Turkey, the Iraq War, and the Syrian Revolt
Kurdistan – at the tri-border area between Iraq, Syria, and Turkey – may be the new regional flashpoint in the Middle East. Read More »
Will America Act Against Iran?
Thus while the U.S. unquestionably has the military power to prevent the acquisition of nuclear weapons by the world’s most dangerous states, or organizations, repeatedly successive administrations have been reluctant to use their vast military capabilities for that purpose because of the international circumstances they have faced. Read More »
Meanwhile, in Jordan…
The U.S. and its allies must have a strategic interest in protecting Jordan’s economic stability and in assuring that it has the full support of the Gulf states, which together are ultimately facing the very same threat from the east. Read More »
Updating the Ancient Infrastructure of Christian Contempt: Sabeel
Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, headquartered in Jerusalem, has been a persistent source of anti-Zionist agitation in mainline Protestant churches in the United States since its founding in 1994. The organization subjects Israel, Jews, and Judaism to intense scrutiny while remaining nearly silent about Arab and Muslim extremism in the Middle East. In addition to publicizing the writings of its founder, Anglican priest Naim Ateek, Sabeel broadcasts its message via regional conferenc Read More »
Michael Widlanski on the Strong Horse: Power, Politics, and the Clash of Arab Civilizations by Lee Smith
Jewish Political Studies Review 23:1-2 (Spring 2011) What is the key to understanding the Middle East? Sometimes a perceptive outsider can grasp the political culture of a state or a region better than a native observer or an academic. Lee ... Read More »
Can Sanctions Stop Iran?
In the months ahead, Iran is likely to test the extent of the West’s commitment to the sanctions it is now proposing. Read More »
Is Iran Rational?
It would be an error to just assume that they will adopt the deterrence doctrines of the West should they cross the nuclear threshold. Read More »
Goodbye Iraq. Hello Iran
The new situation emerging as a result makes the strategic logic of Israel retaining the Jordan Valley as its forward line of defense even more compelling, just as leading voices in the international community are unfortunately pressuring it to fully withdraw from the West Bank and accept the 1967 lines. Read More »
The Arab Peace Initiative: A Primer and Future Prospects
In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S., Saudi Arabia was under intense scrutiny since 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis. In Feb. 2002, Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia proposed to Israel “full withdrawal” from the territories in return for “full normalization.” Read More »
The Expulsion of the Jews from Muslim Countries, 1920-1970: A History of Ongoing Cruelty and Discrimination
Between 1920 and 1970, 900,000 Jews were expelled from Arab and other Muslim countries. The 1940s were a turning point in this tragedy; of those expelled, 600,000 settled in the new state of Israel, and 300,000 in France and the United States. Today, they and their descendents form the majority of the French Jewish community and a large part of Israel’s population. Read More »
Israel and the Question of a Nuclear-Free Zone in the Middle East
The Egyptians have effectively manipulated the Iranian issue in order to advance their long-term nuclear objectives vis-a-vis Israel, and have created a new linkage between Iran and Israel. Yet even if Israel did not exist, Iran would still be racing to develop nuclear weapons to further its own ambitions. Read More »
Hizbullah’s Role in Attacks Against U.S. and British Forces in Iraq
Asharq Alawsat reported on August 18, 2008, that Hizbullah operatives were involved in attacks against U.S. and Iraqi forces in four Iraqi provinces. In June 2006, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield disclosed that Hizbullah cadres had attacked U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq. Hizbullah units claimed responsibility for operations against coalition forces and Iraqi security personnel as early as the latter part of 2005. Read More »
Syria’s Role in Regional Destabilization: An American View
In the aftermath of Israel’s air operation over Syria, Dr. Andrew Semmel, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy and Negotiations, warned that Syria might have a number of “secret suppliers” for a covert nuclear program. Syria is reported to have thousands of rockets with ranges of up to 56 miles positioned along Syria’s southern border with Israel. Read More »