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.

Israel-France Relations in Light of the ICC Decision

France has not joined other European countries in expressing official support for Jerusalem’s claims that the recent decision by the ICC to prosecute Israel for war crimes is political and without a legal basis. The silence of France on this issue is likely motivated by its wish to avoid offending the Palestinian Authority, as well as to put pressure on Israel to make compromises relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Europeanized USA

Dr. Alex Joffe
April 7, 2021
Paper No. 1988

America is undergoing a rapid transformation founded in a moral panic over race that masks the exercise of class-based power in which technology companies and left-wing politics have united to wield unprecedented control. The outcome will likely be a union of Europeanized states where freedoms are severely curtailed and social cohesion is minimized in favor of dependency.

Perspectives Papers