This week’s extension in the negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 is a welcome jolt of composure and realism in a process that for years has been characterized by wild allegations, emotional retorts and intemperate actions. The decision to extend talks and keep negotiating to achieve a final agreement by next summer seems to cement… اقرأ المزيد
The escalating isolated incidents of violence between Israelis and Palestinians during the past few months have focused heavily on Jerusalem, and for good reason. The reason is not only the religious significance of the Noble Sanctuary/Temple Mount area that is holy to both people; it is that Jerusalem today is a microcosm of the… اقرأ المزيد
I suspect that the Tunisian parliamentary elections Sunday were the most significant domestic and national political development in the modern history of the Arab world. Here is why I say this, and also what I believe we learn from the elections. Never in ancient or modern Arab history has a citizenry of a country debated,… اقرأ المزيد
In classic American Western movies, a common theme is that of the brave sheriff of a small town whose task is to maintain law and order. The sheriff often finds himself in need of assistance to capture a dangerous threat, usually a gang of criminals led by a tough guy. When the sheriff is unable… اقرأ المزيد
Never in the modern history of the Middle East have so many countries experienced such intense, often violent, domestic conflict or political paralysis. The ongoing wars or severe ideological confrontations in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan and Bahrain have sparked a new industry in explaining what is really going on in the… اقرأ المزيد
I had the uncomfortable feeling this week that we may be at the start of a replay of that period in 2001-2003 when the United States launched a “global war on terror,” or GWOT, to defeat Al-Qaeda and its brand of terrorism. A decade later, the U.S. and the United Kingdom led an attack on… اقرأ المزيد