Yemen Redux: Reclaiming Stability in the Arabian Peninsula
Ongoing developments in the Gulf have dramatically underscored the disintegration of the “Yemen Model” championed…
Monthly Archives: March, 2015
Assisting the Arab Military Intervention in Yemen
On March 26, Saudi Arabia announced the beginning of Operation Decisive Storm, the pan-Arab military…
Saudi Arabia’s Big Gamble
Breaking news: “War in the Middle East!” OK, fine. You’ve read this one before. But…
Rouhani feels the pressure, too
So far, the great majority of the Iranian people are staying with him, beckoned by…
The Fall of the Ottomans
‘The Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East, 1914-1920’ by Eugene…
Idols and the human figure in Islam
Head of a plaster statue from the Umayyad period. Debate continues about the permissibility of…
The Islamist Way
Islamists often do not hide it: They love head-count democracy in lands where they make…
The al-Nour Party: A Salafi Partner in the Fight Against Terrorism?
Although Egypt’s parliamentary elections set for March 21-22 — the first since the beginning of…
The Plight of Christians in the Middle East
Children hold candles during a vigil in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, on March 1, 2015, held…
Why I’m voting Meretz
The actions of the Joint List of Arab parties for the Knesset over the question…
The Most Overlooked Line in Netanyahu’s Address
One of the prime minister’s remarks suggests that a more fundamental dispute may be brewing…
Iran’s Next Supreme Leader and the Nuclear Deal
In all likelihood, Khamenei’s potentially imminent successor will be even more of a hardliner, and…
Iran’s Next Supreme Leader and the Nuclear Deal
In their controversial letter to “the leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” U.S. Sen.…
The Most Overlooked Line in Netanyahu’s Address
Since Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed Congress on Tuesday, critics and advocates have debated…
Can Iraq’s Army Dislodge the Islamic State?
On 1 March about 27,000 Iraqi troops commenced their attack on Tikrit, a city 150km…
Who is a Zionist?
Every field of endeavor that determines quality of life in this country, for better or…
Iran’s Provocative Naval Exercise: Motives and Implications
On February 25, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched its long-overdue “Great Prophet 9″…
Southern Syria: A New Front for Israel?
In early February, an alliance of Iran, the Syrian regime, and Hezbollah launched a major…
Syria: Will Washington Brace Tehran on the Humanitarian Costs?
Another session (the fifth) of intensive, informal discussions with senior, well-connected, and non-official Iranians produced…
Male sexual quirks among the Ottomans
In the days of the Ottoman Empire, pederasty-like relationships were common between pre-pubescent boys and…