Articles by: "Schlomo"
The Middle East’s deadly dream palaces

Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is an event of historic proportions in the Middle East. As can be seen from Iran’s response to Israel’s attacks on its Lebanese-based proxy, the shockwaves are spreading …

Israel is enabling Iran’s war of attrition

In 2017, Iran unveiled a digital clock counting down the days to the destruction of Israel in 2040. The display, located in Tehran’s Palestine Square, embodies the Islamic Republic’s long-held commitment to annihilating the Jewish …

Europe’s war jitters

Mark Twain is often quoted as saying, ‘History may not repeat itself, but it often rhymes.’ He might have added that when history does rhyme, the results are often disastrous.  Just as the territorial ambitions …

A reprieve for Israel’s democracy

Last week, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled on two major bills pushed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government as part of its judicial overhaul. The decision to strike down the first and delay activation …

Hubris meets nemesis in Israel

Sooner or later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s destructive political magic, which has kept him in power for 15 years, was bound to usher in a major tragedy. A year ago, he formed the most …

The slow, tragic death of the Oslo Accords

Peace processes tend to be riddled with uncertainties, especially when conflicts are protracted and each side’s intentions, willingness and capacity to comply with any agreement remain unclear. The significant political costs associated with making concessions …

Spain dodges a far-right bullet

‘Spain is different’ is a phrase that has often been used as a substitute for nuanced analysis of developments in the country. But Spain truly was different in its peaceful transition to democracy after the …

Macron’s Gaullist foreign policy

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year galvanised the West against not only the Kremlin, but also other rivals, especially an increasingly assertive China. But last month, French President Emmanuel Macron headed to Beijing, where …

Peace by exhaustion in Ukraine

While wars invariably end, the underlying disagreements often remain. The peace is tenuous and interrupted by spasms of violence. The way a war ends—whether through outright victory, exhaustion or mutual deterrence—might make a difference, with …