Sri Lanka’s Trading Policy Options in the Era of COVID-19

The unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has made it more critical for small island nations like Sri Lanka to balance their commerce policies with their interdependency on neighboring Asia-Pacific nations.

Pakistan Struggles to Regain Its Footing in a Changing Muslim World

Increasing strains between Pakistan and its traditional Arab allies, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are about more than the Gulf States’ opportunistic targeting of India’s far more lucrative market. At the heart of the tensions, and potentially complicating Pakistan’s economic recovery, is India’s ability to help the Gulf States hedge their bets amid uncertainty about the continued US commitment to regional security.

Achievements in 2020 in the Battle Against Antisemitism

The number of antisemitic incidents worldwide increased in 2020, but the past year also saw some notable positive developments in the battle against this hatred. The most important resulted from Trump policies, including the stopping of American financing of the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA. The US also announced that it considers the anti-Israel BDS movement antisemitic. Another major development was the publication of the British Equality and Human Rights Commission report on antisemitism within the Labour Party.

Israel’s “West Point” Increasingly Shapes the IDF Ground Forces

The Israel Defense Forces’ Tactical Command College (TCC), the Israeli equivalent of the West Point military academy, is increasingly shaping the professional cadre of the Israeli military’s ground forces and leaving its mark on future military leaders.

Biden and Russia: Pressure, But Not Too Much

As the world awaits Joe Biden’s inauguration as president of the US, Washington’s relations with China are under primary scrutiny. However, ties with Russia are no less important, as the two states have numerous differences across Eurasia. Washington will have to apply a careful balance of pressure on Russia to keep it from growing closer to China, and Biden possesses the statesmanship and experience to accomplish this. US-Russia relations under Biden should be strikingly different from what they were during the Trump administration.

Will RCEP Change the Game in Asia?

In a move that could represent another step in Washington’s decline and China’s hegemonic ascent in Asia, 15 state ministers signed the RCEP free trade agreement on November 15, 2020. The question weighing on policymakers across Asia, Europe, and the US is whether the RCEP economic bloc will change the global economic balance of power.

Turkey’s Boycott Threats Are Preposterous

Ankara first attempted to use a commercial boycott as a foreign policy weapon in 1998, when Rome refused to extradite Kurdish nationalist Abdullah Öcalan. Turkey has made scores of national boycott attempts since then, but they invariably lose steam quickly. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s most recent boycott threat against France will be no exception.

The IDF Must Revamp Its Strategies

If the IDF continues to operate according to its old conventions while Hezbollah continues to adapt itself to new realities, it could find itself defeated. IDF commanders need new capabilities to safeguard and support the forces on the ground.

The Emerging US Standpoint on Moderate Arab States

The return of a Democratic administration to the White House is considered a nightmare by both the Royal Court in Riyadh and the presidential palace in Cairo. The projected return of “politically correct” values to the center of US foreign policy, in addition to President-elect Joe Biden’s commitment to return to the JCPOA, should stimulate the leaderships of both Arab states to initiate an urgent dialogue with Biden to protect their critical interests in the region.

Post-Pandemic Culture Shock

The coronavirus pandemic has created a new kind of culture shock. It has affected essential and highly personal elements of many people’s lives within their own environments. A culture shock of this magnitude has not occurred since WWII. When the pandemic ends, societies will be quite different from what they were in the pre-coronavirus era.

Perspectives Papers