Middle Orient

Right after last month’s general election in Israel, the fourth in two years, the remnants of the country’s center-left parties were unofficially absorbed into a newly formed political concoction called the “change bloc.” In politics, the term “change” is usually invoked to suggest a difference in policies or convictions from …

For more than three months, Turkey has been rocked by rolling protests centered in Istanbul. Following President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s controversial appointment of businessman Melih Bulu as the new rector of Bogazici University in January, students and professors began holding rallies to denounce the pick. They see Bulu as an …

As we near presidential “elections” in Syria, it is worth exploring what interests continue to drive Russia’s ongoing military intervention in that country, which has helped the Assad regime to not just avoid being overthrown (as it seemed on the verge of being in mid-2015), but also to regain control …

El-Sisi ordered taking “swift” action in all Palestinian files to achieve stability in the Palestinian territories Palestinian factions are set to meet in Cairo next week for a new round of National Palestinian Dialogue amid Egyptian endeavours to end the Palestinian division and achieve stability in the Palestinian territories. Palestinian …

Iraq focuses on preventing terrorist organizations from entering its territories, after they have used the border areas to conduct operations and move between Syria and Iraq. Iraqi security authorities announced at the beginning of May that they were digging a trench and employing advanced surveillance technologies along the border with …

US backers of Israelis, Palestinians argue their cases. Last month’s 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to reverberate in the United States. The conflict spilled over into US cities and congressional debate, and on Tuesday, a delegation of Republican senators visited Israel to express their support for the Jewish …

President Hassan Rouhani said most issues with the United States have been resolved, but he hinted a deal may not happen until after his term ends. Less than two weeks away from the upcoming presidential election, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the problems with the United States regarding the nuclear …

Whatever the outcome of tonight’s talks on the composition of a new government, Raam head Mansour Abbas had already made history by openly participating in the negotiations for the change coalition. This article is being penned just hours before the midnight deadline for composing a new government in Israel expires. …

The United States unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May 2018, declaring the accord’s provisions inadequate and Iran in violation. The administration of former President Donald Trump began reinforcing sanctions, much to the chagrin of the accord’s other signatories; but Iran did not annul it. Rather, Tehran …

In recent months, various factions of the Iranian regime have unanimously stressed that the regime’s legitimacy is not being challenged even as the turnout in the presidential election declines. For the international community, this low turnout is a sign of the regime’s instability. It calls into question whether negotiating with …