Sam Menassa

The Obstacles to Hindering the Israeli War Machine

It is now reasonable, after the thousands of civilian casualties and indescribable destruction we have seen, to ask how effectively the United States could pressure Israel, which is determined to continue its hysterical war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Almost every country and international…

‘Flood of Peace’ 

One month after the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, we can say that its objectives go beyond undercutting Israel’s security, standing up to its arrogance, and dealing a blow to the prestige of its so-called invincible army. It would be misguided to underestimate the political gains made by those who…

After Gaza… Assumptions Were Debunked and Developments Emerged

The "2023 Gaza War" that began just over three weeks ago has turned long-held beliefs and formulas for understanding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on their head. The developments seen will inevitably have political and military implications for the countries of the region. It will change their…

What Comes After the Flood?

The Aqsa Flood operation Hamas launched against Israel could change the course of the entire region’s politics for decades to come. Israel’s wound will not heal quickly or easily, given the sense of humiliation it engendered and the number of people killed, wounded, and taken hostage after Hamas…

Hezbollah: From ‘Statelet’ to ‘State Outside the State’ 

A conversation with a senior figure who has occupied several high-ranking positions pushed me to write this article. Our discussion revolved around political powers that have become part of the system despite operating outside of it. Lebanon has undergone several major crises since its…

Will Anyone in Lebanon and Palestine Take What Saudi Arabia Has Said into Account?

Rarely have global politics seen changes and shifts like those that have occurred since the war between Russia and Georgia in 2008, which was the first of its kind in Europe after World War Two. It was then followed by Russia's invasion of the Crimean Peninsula, and finally, the ongoing Ukrainian…

30 Years Later: Be Weary Of the West Bank Becoming Another Oslo

It has been exactly thirty years and three weeks since the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) were signed, and the situation in Palestine, and the conditions of the Palestinians, are worse than ever. Indeed, parts of the West Bank are on the brink of turning…

Hochstein and Abdollahian… Deal-Making or Mine-Planting?

The developments seen in the region over the past few days and weeks seem contradictory and incomprehensible, from the visit of the US Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security Amos Hochstein’s visit to Lebanon, which coincided with the arrival of Iranian…

In Lebanon, ‘Love of Life’ Reinforces a Culture of Death

The third anniversary of the Beirut port blast was uneventful and failed to rise to the occasion. This was evident in both the turnout and the speeches and testimonies that were delivered. Most of them were mundane and monotonous, rehashing the same talking points, providing an assessment of the…

The Incidents in the Ain el-Hilweh Camp and the ‘Missing Link’ 

There is nothing new about the infighting among the Palestinians in the Ain el-Hilweh camp near Sidon, the capital of southern Lebanon. City locals and the Lebanese in general have grown accustomed to the cyclical violence of the Palestinian factions, and their approach to settling differences,…