News reports suggest the U.S. administration is considering a historic decision to redefine who is and is not a Palestinian “refugee.” I hope the reports are true. A change is long overdue and could actually help the search for peace long-term.
On September 2, Rodrigo Duterte will become the first Philippine president to visit Israel since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1957. The two nations have enjoyed reciprocal support and respect over the last 61 years, but even prior to the formal relationship, it is notable that in 1947, the Philippines was the only Asian nation to vote in favor of UN Resolution 181 that created the State of Israel.
Dr. Matthew Levitt, the Fromer-Wexler fellow and director of the Reinhard program on counterterrorism and intelligence at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, details the European operations of the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah since the organization was partially designated a terrorist organization.
True to form, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is reading his electoral success of June 24, 2018, as a mandate to consolidate his grip on power and undo his enemies, real and perceived.
What matters to players in our own region is the possibility of a meeting of minds between the two leaders on issues that may have a direct bearing on our future, perhaps even on the prospect of growing tensions in Syria and a cycle of potential escalation that could lead to war.