Hamas
A year ago, I wrote about Operation Breaking Dawn and noted that the absence of Hamas on the battle ground was a realpolitik move. Watching from the sidelines, Hamas gave the impression that Israeli appeasement policy was working when in fact it was a perfect ruse to eliminate any threat or challenge to their leadership […]
The Arab Spring And Extremism Among Sunni Minorities In Iran
ABSTRACT Scholarly works underline that sections of the Sunni minorities, mainly the urban middle class and the educated elites supported the creation of the Islamic Republic. Despite the Sunni ulema publicly censuring Sunni extremist groups and developing a new ‘Islamic Diplomacy’, the state’s insecurity and paranoia towards its Sunni Muslim minority increased. The state suppressed […]
The Israel-Lebanon Maritime Agreement: A strategic conflict-solving model in the region
The rare diplomatic breakthrough between Israel and Lebanon on the Maritime Border Agreement is a strategic and economic bargain between the two countries. Mediated by the United States of America at a UN base near the border, the agreement does not signal a move to normalize relations. It will, however, significantly reduce short term conflicts […]
Operation Breaking Dawn’ portends new trends in the Middle East
The truce between Israel and the Islamic Jihad holds firm after tensions flared in Gaza on August 7. And while the three-day conflict took place in a familiar setting, Hamas, the de facto leadership in Gaza since 2007, observed Israel’s advances from the sidelines. Publicly, Hamas expressed solidarity with the Islamic Jihad, but the decision to stay […]