2025 Year in Review: Prolonged Conflict, Erratic Policy, and Burgeoning Artificial Frontiers
The past year has presented important lessons for the world to learn
Tag: Israel
What’s New Is Old: The Enduring Challenge of Non-State Armed Actors in the Post-October 7 Landscape
While these groups may not have the resources or structure of traditional states, they play a major role in the continuation, or cessation, of conflict in the region
Lebanon: Political Imagination, Accountability, and a New Roadmap for Regional Stability
Independent media, some syndicates, civil society organizations, student movements, reform-minded entrepreneurs, and the diaspora continue to carve out spaces of accountability, even as national institutions flounder
Rebuilding from Rubble: The Future of Gaza
Amid the dust and rubble, the new ceasefire offers relief to a war-ravaged Gaza; hope remains for a bright future in the Strip as questions surface of the role civil servants formerly employed by Hamas will play in governance
Trump’s Peace Plan for Gaza: The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown
The most recent ceasefire deal proposed by the U.S. president makes big promises, but can it deliver?
Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Building a new future for Israelis and Palestinians will require flexibility, compromise, and dedication from both sides as well as the international community
Beyond Its Wildest Dreams: Israel’s Campaign for Geo-Strategic Dominance in the Middle East
Israeli hubris as it celebrates the demise of its enemies will be its ultimate downfall
The Double Genocide in Gaza
Israel’s disproportionate response to Hamas’ October 7, 2023 massacre includes genocide against Palestinians in Gaza
A State is not Built with Rhetoric Alone—with H.A. Hellyer: CR Amplified ep. 5
Verbal gestures toward recognition of a Palestinian state mean little without practical policies to hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law
Caught in the Crossfire: Jordan’s Balancing Act in the Iran-Israel Conflict
Jordan’s defensive action to intercept Iran’s retaliatory drones and missiles, slashing through its skies in mid-June, has drawn both approval and criticism, underscoring the kingdom’s struggles to balance strategic alliances with public opinion
Israel and Iran: Major Threats to Middle East Stability
Both states have violated international law and instigated regional chaos
Confederative Futures and the Burden of Leadership in Israel/Palestine
The pathway to recognition of Palestinian Statehood does not require the world’s approval through the raising of 192 flags; rather, it requires convincing “one state only—the state of Israel”
Israel is Erasing Palestine and the West is Complicit
The genocide unfolding in the Gaza Strip has allowed Israel to speed up its takeover and ethnic cleansing of the occupied West Bank in stealth mode
What Palestinian Statehood Must Mean to Mean Anything
As more governments prepare to recognize Palestine this September, the gesture risks being performative unless matched with concrete policies such as sanctions and legal obligations, and a decolonial vision of statehood that challenges occupation at its roots
Ending the War In Gaza: What Must Be Done Now
Israel’s military juggernaut will not be stopped in Gaza without significant international pressure and a range of conditional sanctions
Recognizing a Palestine State: What’s New—and What’s Not
Australia is the latest G8 nation to pledge recognition of an independent Palestine, but long before Western capitals took action, recognition of the Palestinian state echoed across India, Indonesia, South Africa, and much of Latin America in a shared sentiment of justice rooted in anti-colonial solidarity
On World Refugee Day, the World Must Help Correct the Historic Injustice Against Palestinian Refugees
Since 1948, the international community has offered little more than hand-wringing and humanitarian aid when it comes to the plight of Palestinian refugees. The global community must recognize that return is not a threat to peace, but a precondition for it
Gaza: Israel’s AI Human Laboratory
Israel’s use of artificial intelligence has wreaked horrific destruction on Gaza; this technology will likely be sold across the globe in the near future
Tehran’s Red Lines, Trump’s Maximum Pressure, and Regime Survival
Progress toward a potential nuclear deal between the United States and Iran stalls, amid a high-stakes process for Tehran and others
Iran’s Civil Society May Be its Best Hope
Iran is engaging in talks with the United States as it feels the weight of economic, diplomatic, and domestic crises. The outcome is not clear and democracy isn’t within reach, but its civil society, representing the nation’s best hope for positive change, hasn’t yet lost its resilience
Longer Sticks and Shorter Carrots: How the U.S. is Changing its Engagement in MENA
The United States’ approach to achieving international hegemony is shifting away from trade and investments back toward bombs and missiles
The Consequences and Prospects of Israel’s Ban of UNRWA
As the UN agency’s operations continue to be obstructed, its outright ban will continue the perpetuation of severe human suffering and have multidimensional ramifications, from illegality on the international level to political considerations regarding the tenuous ceasefire
Syria Remains at a Dangerous Crossroads
The recent removal of Bashar al-Assad’s regime creates two divergent paths for Syria, one of freedom, and the other that embodies an all too familiar authoritarian style of governance
Round Two: Trump’s Foreign Policy Takes on New Challenges
Trump will have to manage the continuing conflict in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, and the rising power of China as he navigates the beginning of his second term
Palestinian Journalists as Both Storytellers and Targets in the Israel-Gaza War
For Palestinian journalists confronting physical and psychological threats online and on the ground, the perilous pursuit to document Israel’s war on Gaza embodies a deeper personal mission
Relocating Palestinians to “Clean Out” Gaza: Trump’s Proposal Echoes Forced Population Transfer
Moving the Palestinians in Gaza to neighboring Arab countries will not solve the underlying problems caused by the Israeli occupation
Duel with Israel is Turbocharging Iranian Nationalism
There’s only one ingredient in the Iranian people’s worldview that has not been outperformed by a disastrous mélange of crackdowns on civil liberties, economic maladies, corruption, and the specter of an all-out confrontation with Israel: nationalism
Israel, Hamas, and the Burdens of History
The violence of the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s subsequent retaliatory war on Gaza have reignited historical collective traumas and existential fears among Jewish-Israelis, the Jewish Diaspora, and Palestinians
Syria is the Middle East’s Hinge, but Which Way Will It Turn?
The demise of the Syrian dictator has put the country on the precipice of the chaos and instability other countries experienced since the Arab uprisings. But there is a glimmer of hope that Syria can buck the trend and instead embrace tolerance, plurality, and security
Is Israel a Liberal Democracy?
Israel’s democratic principles are under threat both internally and externally. Its long-term survival is to integrate fully into the Middle East, and the key to that integration is to peacefully resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Is China Becoming a Political Player in the Middle East?
China saw Israel’s war in Gaza as an opportunity to gain traction in the Middle East at the expense of the United States, but is it ready to become a serious political actor in the region?
Israel Accelerates Mass Arrest and Torture Campaigns
The Israeli government has capitalized on public anger and fear following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks to justify arbitrary mass arrests of Palestinians, the systemic use of torture, and inhumane prison conditions
A Reading on the Future of Hamas
The aftermath of October 7, and assassination of senior commanders, has forced an existential rethink within Hamas
The Court Rules: Occupation Illegal
What does the advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice tell us and why is it important?
It’s Been a Year
It’s time to end this war
Is Israel’s Star Fading in Latin America?
The Latin American response to Israel’s war on Gaza could help strengthen the rich but neglected cultural ties with Arab states
Don’t Forget About the Red Sea
A widening of Israel’s War on Gaza could threaten the vital Red Sea waterway and lead to a global economic crisis
China Tests the Water in Palestinian Diplomacy
While the ramifications of the recent unity agreement signed in Beijing by multiple Palestinian factions remain to be seen, it is evident that China has stepped up as a leader in the region
The Olympics: Arenas of Contention
Political tensions simmered under the facade of international communion at the Paris 2024 Games as countries competed both on and off the stage
Iranians Don’t Want a War With Israel
Most believe that Tehran’s engagement in the battle for Palestinian emancipation is intrusive and uncalled for
Iran’s Election: Reality Versus the Dominant Narrative
The primary discourse on Iran’s politics obscures its nuanced reality through binary and inaccurate labels of “moderate” and “hardliner”; examining this framework reveals a deep Western insecurity about Iran’s and the Global South’s rising power
The World Fears Wider War After Hamas Leader’s Assassination
The international community races to reduce tension after a series of targeted killings carried out by Israel
Prioritizing Palestinian Self-Determination is Long Overdue
The discussion about a one-state or two-state solution must be preceded by efforts to facilitate exercise of the right to self-determination by the Palestinian people. Only then can a realistic solution be genuinely pursued.
Egypt’s Balancing Act
Jon Alterman: Karim Haggag, welcome to Babel.
Karim Haggag: Thank you Jon, thank you for having me. It’s great to be with you.
Jon Alterman: Egypt has had a security focus on the Israeli border since the creation of Israel in 1948. Help us understand the context. How does the current Egyptian concern over Gaza rank among the various crises that Egypt has felt on its border with Israel over the last 75 years?
Karim Haggag: This is a fundamentally different challenge than the large-scale armed conflicts that Egypt fought with Israel over the years, » Read more about: Egypt’s Balancing Act »
War on Palestine Underscores the Supremacy of Geopolitics
Why do states ignore violations of international law in Gaza?
In Targeting UNRWA, Israel Aims to Destroy the Right of Return
Hoping to capitalize on world sympathy after October 7, Israel tried to use its allies to defund and dismantle the UN relief agency.
Children’s “Right to Play” In Gaza
Like children everywhere, Gaza’s boys and girls should be playing and enjoying their childhoods, but the actions of the Israeli government and military make that impossible
Showing Palestine Refugees that Americans Care
The Cairo Review asks the UNRWA USA National Committee questions about its purpose, processes, and operations amid the existential crisis UNRWA is facing.
Death or Detention: Israel’s Attacks on Journalism Follow a Lethal Pattern
Israel’s campaign of targeting and silencing the media has hidden its crimes under a dark shadow
Navigating the Politics of Humanitarian Aid in Gaza
Despite Israeli efforts to destroy it, UNRWA remains an embodiment of international responsibility for the question of Palestinian refugees, and a reminder of their inalienable right of return.