Nadim Koteich

Gaza… The Mindset of the 'Mural and the Wall'

In London’s Imperial War Museum, there stands a mural of the late Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein towering over a model of the Dome of the Rock and holding a rifle in one hand. It is among his most recognizable images - one that played a significant role in crafting his image in the Iraqi and Arab…

Hamas Could End... Then What?

The most dangerous question of the Gaza war is whether or not Hamas will be destroyed. The reason for the dominance of questions around the fate of the movement is self-evident. It is a party to the war; indeed, it instigated this round. Nonetheless, its fate is not the most consequential question…

Post-Gaza…Underestimation is Not a Solution!

The hell that is the war in Gaza is the result of a long series of underestimations. Firstly, the Israelis underestimated the significance of Hamas’s ideology. They underestimated the capacities of some Hamas wings, assuming that these wings could never imagine the impossible and strive to realize…

After The Gaza War

Two ideas have reared their heads amid the Gaza war. On the Palestinian side, a multipronged idea, expressed by both Palestinians and those who support the Palestinian cause, has emerged. Its foundational premise is that there can be no resistance without sacrifice and that peace has gotten the…

A Palestinian State Now...or Else!

The Gaza war has put the Middle East and the world in front of an urgent and undeniable reality: the immediate establishment of a Palestinian state. This matter, whether it happens or not, will lead to results that can transcend regional borders and redraw the entire global political landscape…

The Rationality of The Summit… The Brutality of Arms… And The Discourse of Resistance

Three recent intertwined developments that makeup part of the intricate tapestry of Middle Eastern politics shed light on the current complexities of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and its broader regional dynamics. First, we have the joint Arab-Islamic Summit, which ended with a noteworthy final…

How Iran is Retaliating to The War on Gaza

Everyone who was expecting the Iranians to see the war in Gaza as their chance to erase Israel after constantly threatening to do so, was shocked by the degree of restraint the Iranians have shown and the regime's capacity to digest the shame felt by its hardliners at home and allies in full view…

To Avoid Being Taken Hostage By ‘The Cause’ Once Again

The Gaza war will politicize an entire generation that had not previously been invested in the complexities of the “Palestinian cause.” However, this conflict is being seen through a distorted lens because of the unprecedented degree and form of violence that is unfolding. Those being introduced to…

On Confronting Both Hamas and Netanyahu  

“The current Gaza war is not like its predecessors,” we hear again and again. It is not. The war has put us in a position we had not expected to find ourselves in, facing the challenge of another war over hearts and minds that will be fought for years, not weeks or months. We are now in the…

The Marriage of Convenience Between Iran and Israel 

Israel and Iran agree on obliterating the Palestinian national project through Gaza, and differ on everything else. Under Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership, Israel has sought to crush the prospects of a unified Palestinian state. Meanwhile, Iran has to kill off any hope for peace in the region…