As the whirlwind of dozens of major and minor players that interact and battle one another across the Middle East continues unabated, the same players also criss-cross the world to explore new strategic or tactical alliances.The political dynamics of the Middle East have been tot

A new public opinion poll in the Arab Gulf region reminds us again of a cardinal truth about political realities in the Arab region: make sure to listen to what ordinary people feel, more than you listen to what local or foreign governments say.I was reminded of this while r

For the past six months or so, twice a week the regional and international media have warned about the looming risk of war between some combination of Israel, Iran, Hizbollah, Syria and Arab- or Iranian-backed popular militias.The stories’ frequency and regularity are striking, a

If you were looking for a single moment that captured the peculiar nature of leadership and how history is determined in the Arab region today, it would be the meeting that took place a few weeks ago between the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad Bin Salman, and the populist

The Israeli government move to close Al Jazeera television network’s operations in the country is not surprising in itself, given that the government’s irritation with Al Jazeera for the past two decades of comprehensive, live coverage of events in Israel and the Arab territories

The outburst of Palestinian protests and Israeli “security” measures in Jerusalem since July 14 continues a saga that has pertained since Israeli occupied the entire city in June 1967, but with a few significant new twists this time.Here are some of them in this ongoing battle be

Every few years, it seems the world of Middle East and global policy analysis passes through a phase when a basic question rears its head in the media and in conversations across the world: Is Islamism a dangerous trend of the future in Muslim-majority societies, or a natural pas

Rarely does one get an opportunity to watch individuals and institutions mature before one’s eyes and in real time. This is one dimension of what is going on as we watch US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson conduct his mediation shuttle around the Gulf this week. He is t

To grasp quickly the core of the Saudi Arabian and United Arab Emirates (UAE) accusations against Qatar, it is best to focus on the demand that Al Jazeera television, radio and online network be closed, along with half a dozen other media operations that Qatar initiated or funds.