Originally, I conceived this post as a critique of Trump's withdrawal from Syria, which is itself part of an overall U.S. 'pivot' away from the Middle East that has gathered momentum over the past decade or more. But yesterday's announcement of the murder of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi offered an even more direct and specific way into the subject. The success of … [Read more...]
Trump Abandons Syria and Kurds to Putin, Erdogan and Assad
NOTE: Middle East Eye just published my account of a disturbing interview with Israeli Internal Security Minister, Gilad Erdan, in which he declares that Israel will topple the current status quo at the Haram al Sharif. Erdan also intimates that Israel plans to rebuild the Temple, thus implying that the holy mosques would be in danger. Since Trump's … [Read more...]
Khashoggi Murder Leads to Fundamental Regional Alignment: Public Enemy Number 1 is Now Turkey
NOTE: Middle East Eye asked me to contribute to an assessment of what 2019 will hold in store for the Middle East. I focussed especially on prospects for Israel and its relations with the other players in the region. Please read and disseminate it as widely as you can via social media and other ways. It may be an exaggeration to say that the … [Read more...]
BREAKING: Shin Bet Secretly Arrest, Imprison Turkish Citizen at Airport
Let's break another Israeli gag order, shall we? A Turkish news agency reports that Israel's Shin Bet arrested a Turkish citizen, Ebru Ozkan, age 27, at Ben Gurion, as she was about to board a flight home. As with all national security prisoners, she's been denied the right to see her attorney and is undergoing interrogation that could very well include … [Read more...]
