In The News

Trump Vetoes Yemen War Resolution: Washington Post

Felicia Sonmez, Josh Dawsey and Karoun Demirjian April 17, 2019
Congress approved a resolution that would have ended US support for the Saudi-led war Yemen – and Donald Trump issued a veto. Many analysts view the civil war in Yemen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran to constrain the other’s regional influence. The resolution had won support from both Republican and Democrats, with the Washington Post noting, “the Saudi-led effort, which has targeted...

IRGC Designated a Terrorist Group: New York Times

Edward Wong and Eric Schmitt April 13, 2019
As part of the Trump administration’s maximum pressure campaign, the US president announced that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful branch of the Iranian military, would be designated as a terrorist organization. This classification would impose sanctions on IRGC members as well as individuals and organizations connected to the group. The decision, opposed by Trump’s national...

Threats to Israel’s Democracy: Vox

Zack Beauchamp April 11, 2019
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold office for a record fifth term. “The consequences of his victory for both Israelis and Palestinians could very well be catastrophic,” writes Zack Beauchamp for Vox. “The past several years of Netanyahu’s time in office have been characterized by drift in two illiberal, anti-democratic directions.” Israeli voters embrace far-right hard-line stances, with...

War Has Broken Yemen: Guardian

Hisham Al-Omeisy April 9, 2019
The war in Yemen, which has entered its fifth year, has contributed to a growing humanitarian crisis alongside the hostilities between pro-government and Saudi-led forces and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. A third group “seeking to re-establish an independent southern state” is allied with the pro-government side. As Hisham Al-Omeisy notes for the Guardian, nearly 80 percent of the country’s...

Protests’ Comeback in the Arab World: Economist

April 9, 2019
Recent protests in Algeria and Sudan have brought popular images of the so-called 2011 Arab Spring back to the fore – yet with a stark difference. As an article for the Economist observes, “The wars and chaos that followed the Arab spring have cooled the ardour of activists and their regional patrons …. [and] autocrats have sharpened their tools of repression in order to quash protests at home...

West Bank on Ballot: New York Times

David M. Halbfinger April 8, 2019
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered a last-minute campaign promise of extending sovereignty over the West Bank. Thus, voters in Israel have a clear choice, explains David M. Halbfinger for the New York Times: Do they want permanent control over the West Bank and 2.6 million Palestinians, continuing antagonism, or do they support genuine negotiations working toward a Palestinian...

Challenge to Turkish Poll Results: Al Jazeera

April 2, 2019
Preliminary results suggest that opposition candidates won narrow victories in Turkey’s two largest cities. Candidates with the Republican People's Party, CHP, won mayoral races in both Ankara and Istanbul. “Nationwide, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and its coalition partner won more than 50 percent of votes in Sunday's election, but the ruling party lost the capital,...