October 7, 2023, was a watershed moment not just for Israel but for the Arab world. Hamas’s horrific attack occurred just as a new order appeared to be emerging in the region. Three years earlier, four members of the Arab League—Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—had launched processes to normalize their diplomatic relations with Israel. As the summer of 2023 drew to a close, the most important Arab country that still did not recognize Israel, Saudi Arabia, looked poised to do so, too. Hamas’s assault and Israel’s subsequent devastating military operation in Gaza have curtailed this march…

Update and Analysis . On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.” which wasled by its Military Chief Mohammed Deif.  On that same day, Netanyahu confirmed a so-called “State of Readiness For War”. Israel has now (October 7, 2023) officially declared a new stage of its long war against the people of Palestine.  . Military operations are invariably planned well in advance (See Netanyahu’s January 2023 statement below). Was “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm” a “surprise attack” ? U.S. intelligence say they weren’t aware of an impending Hamas attack.  Did Netanyahu and his vast military and intelligence apparatus (Mossad et al) have foreknowledge of the Hamas attack? Was a carefully formulated Israeli…

Starting Tuesday, the grand halls of Washington are hosting a gathering of NATO leaders, markingthe 75th anniversary of the most consequential military alliance in modern history. Yet, its celebratory mood may be overshadowed by a stark reality: NATO is a shadow of its Cold War self. The war in Ukraine, while presenting an opportunity for some sort of NATO renewal in terms of purpose, capabilities, and even membership with the inclusion of Finland and Sweden, has also highlighted the limitations of the alliance. Today, as NATO gathers in Washington, a profound question hangs heavy in the air: can this relic of a…

As Amal Nassar lay in pain on a bed at the Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp in northern Gaza, the echoes of explosions and artillery fire could be heard all around her. It was mid-January and she had made her way to the embattled hospital to give birth to a baby girl she would name Mira. While Amal should have been celebrating her infant’s delivery, instead she was engulfed in fear, surrounded by the relentless nightmare of death and suffering that she and her family had experienced for months. “I was muttering to myself, ‘I hope I die,’”…

The month of June marks two years since the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) went into full effect. The groundbreaking law set a precedent for U.S. policy, making clear that countering Uyghur forced labor is a centerpiece of broader U.S. efforts to support the Uyghur people and combat the CCP’s ongoing abuses. Two years on, there is enough data to analyze the trends – both the opportunities and challenges – and determine what steps should be taken to strengthen U.S. and global efforts to ultimately end Uyghur enslavement. The landmark legislation created a rebuttable presumption that essentially bans all…