Sisi’s Egypt Has the Upper Hand Over Erdoğan’s Turkey

The foreign policy of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a combination of imperialism and Muslim Brotherhood sentiment, was most visible in his moves against Abdel Fattah Sisi’s Egypt. Ankara is beginning to recognize its folly. Will the new US administration learn from its mistake?

The Two Faces of American Foreign Policy

Dr. Alex Joffe
May 4, 2021
Paper No. 2015

The ongoing crisis in American culture has brought two seemingly unrelated trends to the forefront: advocacy of technocratic expertise aimed at solving global issues, and condemnation of America’s allegedly irredeemable racism. American diplomacy exemplifies these trends through the figures of Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Both trends are founded in Puritanical moralism, according to which salvation is difficult if not impossible and “crisis” is a tool for accumulating power.

The Khatam al-Anbiya Camp and the Future of the Revolutionary Guards’ Empire

The West assumes that if the Islamist regime of Iran is granted some leeway, it will stop its aggression toward other nations. The Revolutionary Guards’ push for absolute power in Iran and belligerent empire-building across the Middle East suggest otherwise.

The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism and Its Jewish Supporters

Evyatar Friesel
May 2, 2021
Paper No. 2013

The Jerusalem Declaration is a political hit piece targeting the Jewish State and should be recognized as such. Even if we accept the claim of its authors that the intention of the Declaration is to “clarify” what antisemitism means, we should take note of the deviousness of the disguises used by modern-day antisemites. Many Jews and Israelis are among the Declaration’s signatories, pointing toward a growing ideological chasm between sectors of present-day Jewry.

Will Violence Erupt If Abbas Cancels the Palestinian Elections?

Hamas and others are threatening violence if Mahmoud Abbas cancels the elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council scheduled for May 22. However, Google Trends data on the declining popularity of both Hamas and Fatah suggest that an eruption of violence is unlikely.

Strategic Ambiguity “Comes Out of the Closet”

Misguided political discourse on the question of the value of strategic ambiguity endangers Israel’s effort to craft its regional image as much as does the loss of such ambiguity.

Turkish, not Saudi, Schoolbooks Under Scrutiny

In a sign of the times, Turkish schoolbooks have replaced Saudi texts as the focus of criticism of supremacist and intolerant curricula in the Muslim world.

The Gaza Rocket Attack on Israel: The Neighbors Smell Weakness

In the last decade and a half, Israel has enjoyed unprecedented security stability that has, in turn, enabled economic and technological prosperity that made it a world-class power. There are increasing signs of a change to this reality, and the recent rocket attack from the Gaza Strip is one of them.

Iran Is a Threat to Swedish National Security

In the recently published Swedish Security Service Yearbook 2020, which discusses the main security and intelligence challenges faced by Sweden over the past year, Iran is mentioned 14 times. The Islamic Republic, together with Russia and China, is a direct threat to Swedish national security.

Biden’s Foreign Policy: New Administration, Old Missteps

Three months after Joe Biden entered the White House, his administration is exhibiting symptoms of naiveté, misunderstanding, and disregard for past failures in its foreign policy. These issues are of particular concern to Israel.

Perspectives Papers