World News Insights: Opinion Articles

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…

Attorney General Pam Bondi told tech companies that they could lawfully violate a statute barring American companies from supporting TikTok based on a sweeping claim that President Trump has the constitutional power to set aside laws, newly disclosed documents show. In letters to companies like…

True to form, the Lebanese are evading discussions of existential questions regarding their present and future. Instead of debate, we find vitriolic quarrels in which each side antagonizes the other, using grand causes to score petty points. In similarly typical fashion, their "opinions" reflect…

This question has echoed across the Arab world for over half a century. Yet, it remains taboo—unspoken, sometimes even forbidden. To raise it invites accusations of ideological betrayal, or worse, a form of "intellectual terrorism." In many circles, merely pondering it marks one as an outsider. I…

For decades, observers have said that, in the Middle East, change moves at a snail’s pace. That assumption no longer holds. Just look at the dramatic transformations unfolding across Lebanon, Syria, and Iran in recent weeks and months. One year ago, Lebanon was at war with Israel. Few could have…

The world is changing, the region is changing, and Lebanon is changing, but Nabih Berri refuses to change. He seems allergic to change, or even to the term itself. The 2019 Lebanese uprising against the corrupt ruling clique generated momentum for major political, social, cultural, and economic…

Despite US President Donald Trump’s claims that a ceasefire in Gaza is imminent, we have not seen anything that inspires hope for a breakthrough that ends suffering in Gaza. Israel is proceeding with its genocide as the entire world watches on. Relentless airstrikes, starvation, and the destruction…

On a crisp evening in December 2023, I received an urgent alert: a swarm of unidentified drones had been detected above Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, inside highly restricted airspace. As NASA administrator at the time, I was immediately concerned. Langley is one of the most sensitive sites…