Controlling the Narrative of the Protest Movement in Iran

When popular protests began in Iran in mid-September 2022, the regime of the Islamic Republic initially tried to portray them as sporadic disturbances by misguided individuals who were supported and encouraged by the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and a few European countries.

Israel’s Future in Multinational Coalitions

Washington will likely call upon Israel to participate in future multinational coalitions, which will entail IDF forces deploying to foreign countries as part of US-led operations. Israel has not participated in past coalitions due to regional threats and Washington’s desire to avoid complications with allied majority Muslim states. These two concerns were significantly diminished by the Abraham Accords, increasing the likelihood that Washington will seek Israel’s direct support in future campaigns.

From Isolation to Desired Partner: The Success of Israel’s Grand Strategy in the 21st Century

One of the most serious challenges Israel has faced over its history since independence was its economic and diplomatic isolation in the region and in the world. This isolation has eased dramatically in recent years. Israel has become a welcomed partner and is involved in economic and military collaborations with many new regional allies. While this reversal can be explained in part by changes in the geopolitical makeup of the region that opened up new opportunities, Israel's ability to fully exploit those opportunities reflects its successful pursuit of David Ben-Gurion's vision that the country's future would depend above all else on advances in its qualitative edge and cultivation of its human talent

AfPak Takes On New Meaning with the Rise of the Taliban

The attacks on Kabul’s international airport by ISIS’s Afghan affiliate raise questions suggesting a possible paradigm shift in the drivers and expanding geography of political violence.

The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism Is Itself Antisemitic

The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA), presented in March 2021, was created to replace the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, which had been adopted by 35 countries by 2020. The writers of the JDA wished to “clarify” the IHRA, which they feel is insufficiently obsequious to the Palestinians. Their real object is to use the fight against antisemitism as another weapon with which to vilify Israel.

The French Double Standard on Fighting Terrorism

Despite its oft-stated determination to fight terrorism, France has struggled to establish an effective intelligence system and adequate legislation to combat Islamist terrorism, in part due to fears of upsetting its large Muslim population. French sensitivity to Muslim public opinion has led to the creation of a double standard regarding Israel’s fight against terrorism. France’s own fight against Islamist terrorism is viewed as justified, but Israel is to be condemned for fighting Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip.

The North Korean Nuclear Program: The End of CVID?

The Biden administration has accepted the fact that CVID—the complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantling of the North Korean nuclear program—will not occur under the Kim Jong-un administration. The time has come to find other realistic options.

The Need for a Congressional Inquest into America’s Longest War

Events in Afghanistan have come full circle, with the Taliban—whose government fell to US military advances in 2001 —regaining power and taking possession of large stores of US arms and ammunition. The culpability of the four successive US administrations that waged this fruitless 20-year war, culminating in an abject political and military capitulation, must be investigated and exposed.

Saudi Social and Economic Changes Require a Delicate Balancing Act

Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman’s vision for the kingdom’s future will have to toe a fine line between redefining the Saudi social contract and the danger of creating new grievances.

ISIS and Its War on the Taliban

The attack by ISIS on Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul at the end of August targeted both the American “crusaders” and the Taliban, demonstrating the group’s unwillingness to cooperate with potential Islamist partners as well as its determination to advance toward its global goals (“Caliphate Now”) all by itself.

Perspectives Papers