Latest Article from Jonathan Schanzer

Stand up against these terror groups to bolster the US- Egypt alliance

September 23, 2017  •  New York Post

The Trump administration sent shock waves through Cairo last month when it denied Egypt almost $100 million in military and economic assistance. The Senate followed up by slashing military assistance another $300 million. American decision-makers want to nudge Egypt to improve its record on democracy and human rights.

Fine. But with the stakes in the Mideast sky-high these days, America can't afford to jeopardize an alliance that has been one of its most critical in the region for the past 40 years. Remember: Egypt has strong ties with Israel, takes a no-nonsense stance against Islamist violence and has helped fight the Islamic State.

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Latest Article from Matthew RJ Brodsky

Kexit: How Kurdish Independence Could Reshape the Middle East

September 22, 2017  •  The National Interest

As world leaders gathered in Turtle Bay, New York, for the annual United Nations General Assembly convergence, there was no shortage of international crises to address. The nuclear issues with North Korea and Iran rightfully dominated President Trump's first speech before the UN gathering, however, Middle East challenges tend to present themselves regardless of the American political calendar or presidential preferences. Surely, there must be a bumper sticker somewhere that reads, "The Middle East Happens." And it does. The Middle East happens whether the U.S. is prepared or not, and quite often independent of any American action. One such fast-approaching issue is the vote on Kurdish statehood.

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Latest Article from Ilan Berman

Making Sense Of Russian Strategy In Syria

September 22, 2017  •  Al-Hurra Digital

What shapes Russia's calculus in the Syrian theater? Since its formal decision to intervene in the Syrian civil war in September 2015, the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin has become a guarantor of the stability of the Assad regime, as well as a key power broker in any conceivable solution to the ongoing crisis. Yet, two years on, Moscow's motivations for its continued presence in Syria are still not well understood by most observers, either in the Middle East or in the West.

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Latest Article from Judith Miller

Can Ukraine survive?

September 20, 2017  •  Fox News

The vodka, wine, and bonhomie flowed freely at the 14^th annual Yalta European Strategy conference last weekend, where 350 current and former officials, diplomats, academics, and businessmen vowed to support Ukraine, this nation of 45 million which has been locked in a low-intensity war with neighboring Russia for more than three-and-a-half years.

Since Vladimir Putin's 2014 invasion and illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, the YES conferences have been held not in Yalta, the resort city on the south coast of Crimea and the Black Sea, but in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.

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Latest Article from Soeren Kern

State Department Waging "Open War" on White House

September 17, 2017  •  Gatestone Institute

The U.S. State Department has backed away from a demand that Israel return $75 million in military aid which was allocated to it by the U.S. Congress.

The repayment demand, championed by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, was described as an underhanded attempt by the State Department to derail a campaign pledge by U.S. President Donald J. Trump to improve relations with the Jewish state.

The dispute is the just the latest example of what appears to be a growing power struggle between the State Department and the White House over the future direction of American foreign policy.

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Latest Article from Michael Freund

Palestinian human rights and wrongs

September 14, 2017  •  Jerusalem Post

After more than two decades, one of the most underreported stories in Israel is at last beginning to garner the attention that it most assuredly deserves.

Thanks to a groundbreaking decision by the Jerusalem District Court in July, the sordid saga of the Palestinian Authority's treatment of alleged "collaborators" with the Jewish state is finally coming to light, and the picture is anything but pretty.

In a detailed ruling that is nearly 2,000- pages long, Judge Moshe Drori unambiguously concluded that more than 50 Palestinian plaintiffs could sue the Palestinian Authority in Israeli courts for their detention and mistreatment at the hands of the Palestinian security forces.

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Latest Article from Clifford May

Fixing the United Nations

September 13, 2017

The United Nations was created in the wake of World War II by the major Allied nations that had prevailed — at an enormous cost in blood and treasure — over the Axis powers. Its founders proclaimed ambitious goals: to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war," "reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights" and "promote social progress." That the U.N. hasn't come close to succeeding should, by now, be obvious.

But it's worse than that. The U.N. has become increasingly corrupt, its moral compass long ago broken. It's poorly managed. Gross misconduct is rampant.

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Latest Article from Asaf Romirowsky

Follow the Money: The Israel-Boycott Movement and Its Accomplices

August 30, 2017  •  The National Interest

U.S. banking giant Comerica's closure of an account earlier this year held by an organization that wages legal and economic warfare against America and Israel may be the harbinger of a successful strategy against BDS.

BDS—or the Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment movement—is a global effort that seeks to isolate the Jewish state from the international community in order to secure a Palestinian state by endangering Israel's existence. BDS seeks a one-state solution rather than an Israeli and Palestinian state living side by side in peace. Our research shows many BDS organizations are entwined with states and other entities that advance hate groups and terrorism at large.

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Latest Article from Tevi Troy

Trump's Reassuring Hurricane Response

August 30, 2017  •  The Wall Street Journal

President Trump visited Texas Tuesday to assess the damage from Hurricane Harvey and show concern for its victims. So far, his administration is largely getting praise for effective handling of the crisis. Washington's disaster authorities appear to be in sync with the state on roles and responsibilities; the Federal Emergency Management Agency and its leader, Brock Long, deployed resources as Harvey approached; and the government response as a whole appears well coordinated.

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Latest Article from Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi

Israel's Relations with the Syrian Rebels: An Assessment

July 3, 2017  •  Middle East Review of International Affairs

In light of media coverage regarding Israeli backing for certain Syrian rebels fighting the Assad regime along the border with Israel in Quneitra governorate, this article provides a wider overview of the situation along Israel's borders with Syria. It also establishes a better context through provision of extra detail not otherwise present in recent media coverage. The article concludes with an assessment of Israeli policies and aims on the border, given the various concerns regarding the situation in Syria.

INTRODUCTION

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Latest Article from Jeff Stier

Is $13.7 Billion a Good Price for Whole Foods?
The brilliant online behemoth absorbs a sometimes careless and deceptive grocery chain.

June 30, 2017  •  National Review

Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross called Amazon's recent $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods a "clever move" because it marries Amazon's marketing and distribution expertise with a "high-quality, niche retailer." One suspects that perhaps Secretary Ross, a 79-year-old billionaire investor and art collector, doesn't do a lot of grocery shopping.

More to the point, as to the "high quality" of Whole Foods' operation and reputation, he might wish to check with his government colleagues at the FDA and Department of Justice, because Whole Foods' violations of state and federal law have been escalating: They've gone from defrauding their customers in various ways to adopting food-preparation practices that actually endanger them.

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