World News Insights: Opinion Articles

The talk of a new Middle Eastern “deal” we have been hearing over the past few days is jarring. The agreement reportedly being cooked up sees Syria cede the Golan Heights to Israel... in return for the Lebanese city of Tripoli. The “official” reactions of Lebanese parties, of course, mixed…

I once asked a man who had worked in Saddam Hussein’s palace whether he had ever heard him swear. “No, he did not have a habit of swearing. He would fall silent when he became angry, but sparks would flash in his eyes; whenever he accused someone of treason, betrayal, or embezzlement of public…

Syria is facing the most severe water crisis in modern history. All of Syria’s provinces have suffered, albeit to varying degrees, and it has had impacts on the majority of Syrians if not all of them. In characterizing the water crisis, it can be said that it is comprehensive. It is a major…

Both are undeniably criminal acts. The former, perpetrated by ISIS, was universally condemned. While there remains some doubt, Hezbollah was probably behind the latter. However, both are grounded in a troubled relationship with the past. ISIS has been overwhelmingly condemned by mainstream Sunni …

In his masterpiece “The Train Passed by” Mahmoud Darwish writes: "I had been waiting on the sidewalk. Travelers were rushing to their daily lives ....and I continued to wait." In Lebanon, we are waiting collectively: Lebanon’s state and its people, its sects and parties, its…

The voice of rejectionism, despite coming to us from beneath the rubble, has not stopped trying to convince us of its victory. The fact is that turning the page on this rejectionism- its regimes, its militias, and all its defeated self-proclaimed victors- is the only shift unfolding in the region…

The recent attack by Israel and the US on parts of Iran’s nuclear project has already been dubbed by some commentators as the 12 Day War. However, that cut-off time was chosen by Tehran to back a claim that Iran managed to fight twice as long as Arab states led by Egypt did in the Six Days War…

Last week’s article discussed what I called the “victim complex,” that is, a person’s persistent feeling of being unlucky - not because of any personal shortcomings, but because other forces, whether visible or hidden, are working to thwart them and sabotage their efforts. One of my colleagues…

Under Netanyahu's leadership, Israel has imposed a new and volatile state of affairs in the region, which I call “open skies.” This shift is among the most dangerous outcomes of the military campaigns, or call them wars, Israel has launched since October 7, 2023. Israeli fighter jets and drones…

Listening to the speeches of US President Donald Trump leaves one with the impression that the man is convinced he can change realities he does not like. Theoretically, this “conviction” could be well founded. He is the absolute ruler of the most powerful country in the world. I use the word …

Two extensively developed distinctions often rise to the forefront of debates about peace as concept and practice. The first is the distinction between laying solid foundations for peace, on the one hand, and being content with converting the outcomes of the hostilities into political and legal…

When visiting the president’s office, it helps to come bearing warmth. A firm embrace, a grateful smile, a public thank you – all gestures of loyalty that set the tone. It’s best to arrive eager for wisdom and ready to express not only personal admiration but also that of your people. In these…