World News Insights: Opinion Articles

On 13 February, French President Emmanuel Macron hosted in Paris the third international meeting on Syria – the latest attempt to marshal a coordinated international response since the downfall of the Assad regime. The Summit drew together high-level representatives from 20 regional and Western…

Dr. Neil Quilliam

It is not fair to compare two absences, just as two presences cannot be compared. Our inclination to draw comparisons seems intuitive, and indeed it is, as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s postponed funeral coincides with the twentieth anniversary of Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri…

Nadim Koteich

US President Donald Trump’s engagements, as well as his statements to the media, have sparked concern in many corners of the world, including Western Europe, where most countries are NATO allies. This alliance had been established on the basis of a "military doctrine" to counter the Soviet Union,…

Eyad Abu Shakra

After Jordan’s King Abdullah II visited Washington and met with President Donald Trump, the latter remained adamant about "resettling the residents of the Gaza Strip" and turning the area into a global tourism resort. This proposal blatantly disregards the Palestinian struggle and the Palestinian's…

Sam Menassa

The diplomat is familiar with Washington and its hallways where decisions are made. He used to visit at the beginning of presidential terms and return with as many answers and expectations as possible to report to his superiors. This time, however, he found himself confronted with a difficult…

Ghassan Charbel

I have been making this point for a while now: Saudi Arabia does not have a "zero problems" policy; rather, it has adopted a "zero severance" policy. That is, the Kingdom does not totally cut ties and boycott others, as politics is the art of the possible, and it requires communication, even with…

Tariq Al-Homayed

The recklessness of the Israeli occupation forces cannot be understood in isolation from the American recklessness. President Donald Trump has made statements in favor of negotiation, and he has repeatedly stressed his intention to resolve the complex crisis with Iran through negotiations. However,…

Mustafa Fahs

Imagine that you have between $3 to $5 billion to spend on seeking and securing clients for your product in a variety of markets, Not bad, eh? But what happens when events beyond your ken suddenly close those markets to you? One solution is to try and develop new products capable of making…

Amir Taheri

A striking phenomenon has been observed over the past few weeks: the extreme elation of most Syrian and Lebanese citizens has been conjoined with extreme caution. Without the elation disappearing, caution has entered the frame - coupled with suspicions in some cases, criticism in others, and…

Hazem Saghieh

"Liberation and Justice" is a hypothetical title for the ministerial statement of Lebanon's "reform and rescue" government. Nawaf Salam’s appointment as prime minister, following the election of President Joseph Aoun, was seen as a positive surprise by the public. This shock soon gave rise to…

Hanna Saleh

How have the challenges surrounding Gaza shifted so quickly from the removal of Hamas to the forced displacement of its entire population? Hamas has once again miscalculated future developments, particularly regarding Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency. The group stalled or delayed…

Abdulrahman Al-Rashed

The above title is not my opinion, but that of the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, who stated: "Hamas should relinquish power if serving Palestinian interests demands it." This is the correct stance to take given the escalating crisis in the region. It is a dangerous crisis…

Tariq Al-Homayed