At times, it can be easy to imagine that Lebanon is doomed to be a pawn in the conflict between Israel on the one side and Iran and Hezbollah on the other. But such a bleak outcome can still be ameliorated through inclusive diplomacy, a national dialogue, and an international commitment to rebuilding the Lebanese state.
With Gaza and large swathes of southern Lebanon destroyed and Hezbollah struggling to keep up with Israel in imposing a deterrence equation, it may be time to reassess the Unity of the Arenas concept.
In Syria’s border regions, changes in demographics, economics, and security mean that an inter-Syrian peace process will require consensus among main regional powers that Syria must remain united, that no one side can be victorious, and that perennial instability threatens the region.
In an interview, Stephen M. Walt discusses U.S. behavior in Gaza, Israel’s failures, and the possible return of Donald Trump.
Bashar al-Assad’s regime has used the drug partly as a means of ensuring that Syria is reintegrated into the Arab world, allowing its leadership to reinforce its position after years of isolation and conflict.
The Biden administration’s plan for the “day after” in Gaza would be disastrous without the promise of Palestinian statehood.
Antony Blinken took his guitar to Kyiv to lift the spirits of Ukrainians, but Arabs are apparently denied his tunes.
