Category: Geopolitical

Although for some time Israeli focus has not extended beyond the borders of Iran, a fresh approach to Iran’s eastern neighbor,Afghanistan, could unveil strategic advantages for Israel. While Iran has enormous influence on Afghanistan, events in Afghanistan are mistakenly viewed almost exclusively through Western-American lenses.

Until Mubarak’s ouster, Egypt, which viewed the Islamic Revolution as a threat to its regime, was a central link in the axis of anti-Iran Arab nations. The more than 30 years following the Khomeini revolution were marked by hostility between Egypt and Iran and the lack of diplomatic relations between them. Sadat’s Egypt was willing […]

Last week’s publicized defection of the Tlass family marked a potential turning point for Syria’s al Assad regime.  The Tlass family formed the main pillar of Sunni support for the minority Alawite regime. The patriarch of the family, former Defense Minister Mustafa Tlass, had a strategic, brotherly bond with late Syrian President Hafez al Assad. […]

On June 16, 2012, protests broke out on the campus of the University of Khartoum (UoK) over the deteriorating economic situation in Sudan. In the days since, the protests have spread to neighborhoods and suburbs of Khartoum and to other cities and towns in the country, with what began as an outcry against the government’s […]

The European Union’s embargo on Iranian oil went into effect on Sunday, July 1. Other countries cut back their imports. The regime admits it’s feeling the sting but is boisterously defiant. These sanctions are the toughest yet but they will only succeed in stopping Iran’s nuclear program if the regime’s very existence is threatened. The […]

Over the past week, the latest phase of U.S.-led sanctions against Iran has dominated the media. For months, the United States has pressured countries to curtail their imports of Iranian crude oil and is now threatening to penalize banks that participate in oil deals with Iran. In keeping with the U.S. sanctions campaign, the European […]

There is a remarkable amount of interest in China about Israel and Jews, as I discovered during a trip to China sponsored by SIGNAL, the Sino-Israel Global Network and Academic Leadership.  The most obvious reason is that the Chinese–one important official called it the “little superpower–perceive that Israel in particular and the Jewish people in […]

The Investigative Project on TerrorismIslamists across the globe are hailing the victory of Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammad Morsi in Egypt’s presidential election, particularly Hamas and even traditional Egyptian rivals like Iran.   In the meantime, as Israeli and American officials have responded optimistically but cautiously to Morsi’s wishy-washy statements on Middle East peace, some American Islamist […]

The Muslim Brotherhood leadership in Egypt held a secret meeting last week in anticipation of Mohammed Morsi’s expected presidential victory. According to the Arabic report, discovered by the Investigative Project on Terrorism, the leaders drew up the “Jazira Plan” to Islamize Egypt and pave the way for the resurrection of the Caliphate.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Israel on June 25 for his first state visit since retaking the presidency. The visit was arranged in mid-May, and so at least part of the agenda was set, given events in Syria and Egypt. The interesting thing about Israel and Russia is that while they seem to be operating […]

Europe and the financial markets watched intently June 17 as Greece held general elections. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti all delayed their flights to the June 18 G-20 summit in Mexico to await the results.