middle east

Making Sense of Trump 2.0 and The Middle East

Elections matter. Only a few months ago, the Biden Administration struggled to assert its relevance amidst dramatic events in the Middle East. It had plenty to say, much of it contradictory, as it attempted to deal with the Democratic Party's split personality on Israel and the Palestinians while losing an election. The fragile ceasefires that ...

Centcom, the American Leviathan Watching Over the East

The United States has escalated its military involvement in Yemen by bombing Houthi positions on Saturday, causing dozens of casualties among the fighters of the Iran-backed movement. Behind these strikes is the United States Central Command (Centcom), a crucial component of the American military strategy in the Middle East for ...

March 14: 20 Years Later, Revisiting a Defining Moment

On March 14, 2005, a human tidal wave flooded Martyrs' Square. Lebanese people of all faiths gathered around a single cause: rising up against the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, one month after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. It was a first in the history of independent Lebanon. Today, the 20th commemoration has a new ...

The Ben Gurion Canal Project: A Viable Alternative to the Suez Canal?

As geopolitical and economic issues in the Middle East continue to dominate global discussions, a concept from the 1960s is resurfacing: the Ben Gurion Canal project. Named after David Ben Gurion, Israel's first prime minister and a key figure in the creation of the Jewish state, this ambitious initiative proposes linking the Gulf of Aqaba at ...

Tashnag Party Elects New Secretary-General

The Tashnag party has appointed Albert Balabanian as its new Secretary-General on Wednesday, succeeding Hagop Pakradounian, who has been elected to the party’s newly formed World Committee and assigned the role of Middle East Affairs Officer. Balabanian’s election was confirmed during a meeting held on Tuesday, where he was unanimously chosen ...

A New Era of Peace? The Middle East at a Crossroads

For decades, the Middle East has been synonymous with conflict, instability, and geopolitical power struggles. From Lebanon to Iraq, Syria to Palestine, and beyond, the region has suffered the consequences of prolonged wars, economic turmoil, and external interventions. But today, a new chapter may be unfolding—one driven by decisive shifts in ...

Middle East Peace Efforts Gain Momentum Under Trump Administration

WASHINGTON—U.S. efforts to broker lasting peace in the Middle East appear to be gaining traction, with senior officials expressing optimism about the potential for historic agreements in the region. “We are looking forward to peace, and we are aiming for peace, and by the grace of God, this will be achieved, hopefully soon,” ...

Massad Boulos: Peace Is 'Close'

US President Donald Trump's Middle East advisor, Lebanese-American businessman Massad Boulos, said that peace between Lebanon and Israel was “close,” during a meeting with Israeli politician Yossi Dagan in Washington. “We are looking forward to peace, and we are aiming for peace, and by the grace of God, this will be achieved, hopefully ...

Riyadh Welcomes US-Ukraine Meeting in Jeddah Next Week

Saudi Arabia welcomed on Friday the planned meeting between the United States and Ukraine, to be held in Jeddah next week, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry underlined the Kingdom's “unrelenting efforts to achieve lasting peace and put an end to the Ukrainian crisis, which have been pursued over the ...

How the Center for a New Middle East Is Rethinking Regional Integration

The American Jewish Committee (AJC) convened a high-level gathering in Washington, D.C., bringing together Trump Administration officials, diplomats, and thought leaders to launch the AJC Center for a New Middle East. The event underscored the organization's vision for fostering greater regional cooperation in the wake of the October 7 attacks and ...

The Arab League: Striving for Unity Amidst De Facto Divisions

Countering the plans of Trump and Israel regarding the future of the Gaza Strip was the backdrop for the Arab League leaders’ gathering on Tuesday at the organization's headquarters in Cairo. At the end of the summit, they adopted a new reconstruction plan for the enclave, presented by Egypt, valued at $53 billion. This marked a rare moment of ...

The Druze: Riding the Tide in a Turbulent Middle East

The Druze question has reemerged at the forefront of the current regional scene, following the regime change in Syria and Israel’s incursion into Syrian territory through the demilitarized zone in the occupied Golan Heights. All this is compounded by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s warning that Israel would intervene in Syria to ...