World News Insights: Opinion Articles

We used to have long debates about American exceptionalism, about whether this country was an outlier among nations, and I always thought the bulk of the evidence suggested that it was. But these days our political attitudes are pretty ordinary. America, far from standing out as the champion of…

After 1948, the Arab conflict with Israel was waged with an Arab nationalist outlook and sensibility. Satii al-Husari gave a famous response to those who said Israel had defeated seven Arab armies that year. The late nationalist intellectual believed that the reason for the defeat was precisely the…

Will the International Court of Justice’s decision prevent or deter Israel from continuing its war in Gaza? The answer is no! True, the Court made an important decision when it ordered Israel to halt military operations in Rafah “immediately,” and to keep the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt…

The Palestinian people have a right to hope and the Israeli people have a right to security. That is the path to peace. That is the path to stop permanent violence and endless pain between peoples called to live together. Besides, as we have witnessed since the events of 7 October and those that…

In a formal letter, dated 8 May 2024 and addressed to the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani called for “ending the mandate of the United Nation’s Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) on 31 December 2025", emphasizing that "after more than…

While the Netanyahu government maintains its plans, not responding to any humanitarian calls for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, international recognition of the Palestinian state continues. When Norway, Spain, and Ireland announce their intention to recognize the Palestinian state, in the midst…

Ibrahim Raisi who died in an air crash last Sunday was a perfect president-perfect as seen by the Islamic Republic’s “Supreme Guide” Ali Khamenei. Raisi understood the true nature of the Khomeinist system and supported it without arriere-pensee. He knew that the contradiction at the heart of a…

Lebanon, which just marked its centenary, has fallen victim to hegemonic aspirations. As a result, its presidential seat has been vacated for periods after the end of every term since President Emile Lahoud's tenure ended 16 years ago. The country was thus deprived of the optimistic atmosphere that…

"Apocalyptic" refers to that which describes the end of the world; however, in a broader and more comprehensive sense, it describes occurrences that do not normally take place and the non-occurrence of normally occurring occurrences that reason does not accept. Thus, by force of the apocalyptic,…

Arab media outlets and social media space were confused over how to react after the International Criminal Court Prosecutor requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar, and other officials. This confusion was not limited to the…

Along with many others, I underlined the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to resolving the Palestinian issue on the eve of the 33rd Arab League Summit. This effort requires holding an international conference attended by all the international and regional actors who yield influence in…

In February there was a flurry of discussion about whether President Biden’s advancing age and seeming weakness in a matchup with Donald Trump meant that he should step aside. I wrote a column on that theme, but the more notable (that is, nonconservative) voices arguing that Biden should consider…