On July 21, 2022, the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, published a decree (Decree 38 of 2022) ordering the appointment of Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa as the head of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities. https://www.culture.gov.bh/en  https://www.instagram.com/culturebah/  @culturebah Arab news sites and social media platforms claim the reason for the decree is that Shaikha Mai bint Muhammad…

April 30, 2022 In April 2022, Muslims mark the holy month of Ramadan. Throughout April, violent clashes took place in the al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem between Palestinians and Israeli police. The Palestinians argue they are “Defending al-Aqsa.” The slogan ‘defending al-Aqsa’ has been prevalent in the Muslim world since the early days of the Israeli – Arab conflict. The narrative…

Information On January 17, 2022, an oil depot facility near the Abu Dhabi international airport was attacked apparently by assault drone(s). As a result of the attack, three people were killed, and six were injured. A Houthi military spokesman in Yemen claimed the Houthis carried out the attack. Background: The War in Yemen Yemen is one of the most strategically…

This article was originally published in Algemeiner on July 22, 2021. Here is a link to the original article https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/07/22/is-lebanon-on-the-verge-of-a-military-coup/    A combination of sectarian politics, ethnic divide, animosity, and corruption has brought Lebanon — the country once called the “Paris of the Middle East” — to the brink of destruction. But there is another major reason for this: Iran…

The original article was featured in Algemeiner   Biden and the Middle East: Navigating Between Idealpolitik and Realpolitik by Avi Melamed OPINION US President Joe Biden delivers remarks to Defense Department personnel during a visit to the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., February 10, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo Western foreign policy is often a delicate balancing act between realpolitik policy — one…

Information On Friday, November 27, 2020, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a brigadier general in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s top nuclear scientist, and the head of Iran’s secret military nuclear program, was eliminated in Iran. Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu specifically named Mr. Fakhrizadeh in a briefing he held in April 2018 when Netanyahu unveiled the Iranian nuclear archives the Israeli…

In this short article, I will explain how the Abraham Accord, the peace agreement between Israel and the UAE itself, and the responses to the agreement, represent the new geostrategic construct of the region.

Background Libya is the fourth largest country in Africa. It has the largest oil reserves in Africa, and it has the ninth-largest oil reserves on the planet. The country spans over 700,000 square miles and has a population of 6.8 million people. It is a tribal and conservative society. It is comprised of two major ethnic groups – Arabs and…

Compared to previous Western initiatives, President Trump's plan reflects a more up-to-date dialogue with the realities that exist on the ground. This in itself, it is essential because it marks the end of the paradigm that dominated the outlines offered previously by Western diplomats to end the conflict. Trump's outline - even if not fulfilled, will set the tone for future outlines.

"Council of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden Countries” - yet another layer in the formation of the Israeli-Egyptian-Saudi axis. This alliance strives to curb Iran and Turkey from spreading their influence and power in the Middle East and restore stability to this turbulent region.

The Iranian Mullah regime came to power in 1979. Iran’s official name is the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran is an Islamic Shi’ite theocracy ruled by Mullahs. The word mullah is an Islamic clerical term. A mullah is a learned scholar of Islamic theology who is authorized to share his knowledge. The Shi’ite clerical order is hierarchical. The most senior cleric in the Shi’ite clergy is Ayatollah ‘Uzma – the Grand Ayatollah. The word Ayatollah is two words that mean “Sign of God.” As we learned in the opening chapter, one of the core Shi’ite narratives is that their God-given right to lead the Muslim world was stolen from them in the year 680 when Hussein Bin ‘Ali Bin Abi…

In Part 1 of this Article, I explained and contextualized the events of September 1 on the Israeli Lebanese border. I ended the article by saying the following: "It is likely that yesterday’s short round between Israel and Hezbollah might be the last wake-up call for Western leaders. It should be clear that the potential for a severe, rapid escalation…

In Part 1 of this Article, I explained and contextualized the events of September 1 on the Israeli Lebanese border. I ended the article by saying the following: "It is likely that yesterday’s short round between Israel and Hezbollah might be the last wake-up call for Western leaders. It should be clear that the potential for a severe, rapid escalation…

This short document is being written in light of a seemingly – for now – contained, short round of violence between Israel and Hezbollah on September 1, 2019.  In Part 1 of this 2-part article, I will briefly explain how and why we have reached this phase. And in Part 2 I will explain what must be done to prevent…