Sudan and Israel: An Era of Change

On October 23, the US, Israel, and Sudan issued a joint statement on the normalization of relations between Khartoum and Jerusalem. This step follows the peace agreements between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain and helps cement the nascent regional axis that features Israel as a highly prized ally rather than a vilified enemy. Time will tell to what extent this step will help the provisional Sudanese government overcome its internal differences and reach the 2022 elections as a functioning and effective body.

George Soros’s Negative Interactions with the Jewish World

From a Jewish and Israeli point of view, there are two main issues to look at when analyzing the activities of American Jewish billionaire George Soros. The first are his damaging statements and actions against Jews and Israel, and the second are antisemitic attacks on Soros himself. For Jews, the problems that arise around these issues require fine tuning of their reactions to Soros’s statements and actions.

Erdoğan’s Costly “Make Turkey Great Again” Program

Erdoğan’s “Make Turkey Great Again” campaign has come with military, diplomatic, geostrategic, and economic costs. Turkey’s posing as a military might has been met by Moody’s downgrade of Turkey’s credit rating to B2, putting the country on a level with Egypt, Jamaica, and Rwanda.

If Anything Sustains the Arab-Israeli Conflict, It Will Be Progressives’ Antisemitism

Lev Stesin
October 23, 2020
Paper No. 1784

The Arab World is increasingly losing interest in the Arab-Israeli conflict. If that conflict is to be sustained, it will be almost entirely through the efforts of the Progressive movement. Members of that cult will not let the conflict disappear, as to do so would undermine one of their articles of faith. Progressivism is a return to old-school antisemitism.

The IDF in the Shadow of the Pandemic

As the State of Israel continues to face intertwined health, economic, and political crises simultaneously, the IDF has been left without a new defense budget. Nevertheless, it is taking a series of significant and noteworthy steps that are designed to reshape its force build-up by diverting resources internally in the face of a rapidly changing strategic environment—a place where threats continue to evolve despite the global pandemic.

Smart, Not Small: The Abraham Accords and the Role of Small States

Rather than address state actors as big or small, international relations theory might more profitably think in terms of smart vs. foolish. Two smart states, the UAE and Israel, have the potential to strengthen the Middle East region through their signing of the Abraham Accords. Smart states might constitute an effective form of deterrence—not only with regard to IR revisionism but also to the volatility of this era.

No Longer United Against Israel: The New Arab World

The Arab states are no longer a single bloc opposing Israel but are divided into two coalitions. One is on Iran’s side; the other is against it. Israel, which in the past was perceived as the problem, has become part of the solution.

Biden’s Proposed Middle East Policy Would End Any Prospect for Saudi-Israeli Normalization

It is Washington’s strong support for Saudi Arabia’s security needs, clear stance against Iran’s pursuit of regional hegemony, support for Saudi actions in Yemen, and willingness to set aside its criticism of Riyadh’s domestic policies that have allowed for even the possibility of a formal shift in the kingdom’s stance on Israel. But Joe Biden has made clear that if elected, he intends to reverse all those policies. Such changes, along with his preemptive rejection of Israel’s extension of sovereignty to any new territory, would undermine any prospect that exists for normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The India-China Rivalry Undermines the Emergence of a Multipolar World

India has initiated a grand strategic shift away from active engagement with China and toward its outright containment. This evolution was long in coming, but recent military clashes in the Himalayas have accelerated the process. India’s emerging strategy undermines the notion of a multipolar world championed by Moscow and Beijing, putting into question the degree to which the liberal world order is in decline.

The Armenian-Azerbaijani Conflict and Its Implications for Iran

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh has put the Islamic regime of Iran in a difficult position. While the government is trying to be neutral, other regime elements have openly taken sides in the conflict.

Perspectives Papers