Russian Foreign Policy: The Kremlin Has Learned to Bide Its Time

During simultaneous crises in Armenia, Belarus, and Kyrgyzstan, Moscow faced challenges that contained opportunities to reap geopolitical benefits. Moscow’s handling of these crises demonstrates that its policy toward its neighbors has evolved away from direct intervention and toward careful maneuvering, which is both face-saving and more geopolitically rewarding.

Antisemitism Is Inseparable from Khomeinism

Erfan Fard
April 16, 2021
Paper No. 1999

Khomeinism, the ideology of the Islamic Republic of Iran, encompasses the radical ideas of its founding father Ayatollah Khomeini. Antisemitism is a central tenet of this ideology and the regime has repeatedly threatened to exterminate the Jewish State. As recently as March 7, 2021, Iranian DM Amir Hatami claimed that Tehran has the capacity to “turn Tel Aviv and Haifa into ashes.”

Alexei Navalny: “Prepared to Lose Everything”

The near-murder of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny last August, his return to Moscow in January, and the resultant protests attended by tens of thousands in more than a hundred Russian cities raise the question of how long the Russian people will continue to tolerate President Vladimir Putin’s repressive acts against political enemies and rivals.

The Attack on Natanz and the JCPOA

In the morning hours of April 11, the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran was attacked, allegedly by Israel. The strike came at a sensitive time, as Iran and world powers are discussing Washington’s return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the removal of sanctions. According to Israeli estimates, as the Islamic Republic does not wish to jeopardize a US return to the JCPOA, its response to the Natanz strike will probably be belated and highly circumscribed.

The New Blood Libel of “Medical Apartheid”

Edwin Black
April 14, 2021
Paper No. 1995

A vicious lie has been making the rounds lately. It is a timeworn smear against the Jewish people in a modern guise. The ancient blood libel—“Jews are poisoners”—stoked antisemitic violence through the ages, from the Black Death to tainted wells. This time, it has taken the form of a claim that Israel is denying COVID-19 vaccinations to its non-Jewish citizens and to the residents of the not-yet-sovereign Palestinian Authority. This is as much a lie as all its predecessors.

Iran’s “Look To the East” Precludes Any Deal with the West

The Islamist regime in Tehran has delivered Iran to China in exchange for security guarantees against the West. While the regime was never in compliance with the original nuclear deal, its “Look to the East” should preclude any new deal with the West.

Iran Plays the Eurasian Card

The newly signed massive China-Iran agreement prompts as many questions as answers. One thing is clear: China has taken action at a time when the US is winding down its presence in Middle East and its relationships with Arab states have come into question.

The Rise and Rise of Turkish Drone Technology

Burak Bekdil
April 11, 2021
Paper No. 1992

Everything’s coming up roses for Turkey’s thriving drone industry, but a cash-strapped economy and technological challenges may slow further progress.

Domestic and Regional Fissures Collide in Jordan

Jordanian former Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein has papered over a rare public dispute in the country’s ruling family in a move that is unlikely to resolve longstanding fissures in society and among Jordan’s elite and that echo multiple Middle Eastern fault lines.

The ICC Attempts to Place Israel on a Par with Terror Armies

Yaakov Lappin
April 8, 2021
Paper No. 1990

The ICC Prosecutor’s investigation of Israel will get underway in the next few months. The Court’s decision to grant itself jurisdiction in Gaza and the West Bank raises the disturbing prospect of future indictments—and arrest warrants—being issued against senior Israeli military personnel and officials.

Perspectives Papers