Joseph Epstein for Atlantic Council: As political commentators speculate when Saudi Arabia will normalize ties with Israel, two other candidates have emerged as potential partners to the Abraham Accords: Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Both countries currently enjoy diplomatic relations and cooperation with Israel, which makes them distinct from other Accords countries. […]
Joseph Epstein and Alex Grinberg, for Newsweek: Early next month Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to travel to Azerbaijan, marking his first visit to a Muslim country since the start of the war against Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. Netanyahu has not traveled much since the war started, visiting only the
Newsweek – Why Benjamin Netanyahu’s Trip to Azerbaijan Matters | Opinion Continue Reading >>
Azerbaijan and Armenia on Thursday struck a deal to end a nearly 40-year conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region in the South Caucasus. The agreement gives pro-Western Azerbaijan strategic footing to weaken Iran’s threat to the region and beyond. With the peace treaty finalized, Baku now has the capacity to
Azerbaijan Is Israel’s New Friend in the Muslim World – The Wall Street Journal Continue Reading >>
Nearly two months into Israel’s ground campaign, all eyes are on the Gaza Strip. Yet divisions over Gaza point to a disconnect between U.S. policy and strategic reality. The Middle East is headed toward a major war, for which the U.S. needs a strategy well beyond Gaza. Since late November,
America Needs a Middle East Strategy Continue Reading >>
Over the last seven weeks, anti-American, anti-Israel and antisemitic activity has consumed higher education. College administrations, flush with foreign cash and taxpayer dollars, continue to give Hamas sympathizers free rein. In response, many families have begun to reconsider where they should send their donations or even whether they should send their children to such schools. Universities must stop hiding behind the
Pressure for an extended ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is building in the United States. Congresswoman Becca Balint (D-Vt.) has expressed in a newspaper op-ed the same idea which polls show growing in support — that both Israelis and Gazans have suffered enough and what is needed is “an immediate break
An Extended Ceasefire Would Help Hamas but Hurt Israelis and Gazans Alike Continue Reading >>
The Oct. 7 terrorist massacre in southern Israel made it all too clear that Hamas must go. But after it is gone, who will take the helm in Gaza? Secretary of State Antony Blinken commented that Gaza’s administration “must include Palestinian-led governance and Gaza unified with the West Bank under the Palestinian
Don’t Look to the Palestinian Authority for Good Governance Continue Reading >>
Shortly after Hamas’s assault on Israel, The Wall Street Journal, relying on Hamas sources, reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran had green-lit the Oct. 7 attack. U.S. government officials said they don’t have evidence of Iran’s involvement, and Tehran itself claims that Hamas is an independent actor. But American and
Why It’s Obvious Iran Approved Hamas’s Attack Continue Reading >>
The outbreak of war in the Middle East means the Biden administration has to manage a complex strategic crisis. American objectives must be to ensure Israeli freedom of action for the next six months while deterring any Russian responses in the Middle East and beyond. A burst of U.S. support
Israeli Victory Is Critical to U.S. Interests Continue Reading >>
The main lesson for Israel from the hideous Hamas attacks suffered over the weekend is a simple one: Terrorists can’t be managed. For decades, Israel worked with Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA) by combining incentives on the one hand with controlled military responses on the other. Major attacks, including
Hamas Assault Shows Terrorists Can’t be Managed Continue Reading >>
