El-Sayed and the limits of Arab expectations
The Arab argument over Abdul El-Sayed’s election to the US Senate says as much about our expectations as it does about his victory. Some have celebrated as though an Arab government had...
Lessons learned from the 2026 US midterms
There were surprises and nonsurprises in this year’s midterm elections in the US.
Democrats were expected to win and they did. All the indicators normally considered in a midterm...
US midterms and the emerging paradoxes
Nothing lasts forever. Last week, the US held highly consequential midterm elections — part of the cycle of elections held every two years in which all members of the House of Representatives,...
The Israeli people have spoken, and they want change
For those who, naively, I hasten to say, hoped that Israeli voters would deliver a clear-cut result at the ballot box, disappointment was inevitable. As has become customary, the electorate has delivered...
Do not expect quick changes to US foreign policy
The results of Tuesday’s midterm elections in America sent shock waves across the country. While polling indicated Democrats would do well, no one expected such a significant victory. Even in places where...
Republicans’ Red Wedding: What comes next?
The morning after America’s midterm elections, Washington woke to a transformed political order. For Republicans, the night carried the shock of the Red Wedding in “Game of Thrones:” power suddenly lost, confidence...
The importance of a unified Gulf approach to US-Iran mediation
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday to revive negotiations between the US and Iran, following last month’s presentation of a seven-day proposal for reciprocal confidence-building measures. Tehran has dismissed the proposals...
Even if Netanyahu is deposed, Israel’s direction unlikely to change
Israel’s latest election has left the country facing a familiar political question: Can Benjamin Netanyahu finally be removed from power or will he once again find a way to remain prime minister?...
Can the Makkah Pact coax Iran toward peace?
When Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani army chief Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin last week sat down in Tehran, across the table were Iran’s most senior...
Shared strategic interests guiding India’s expanding outreach to Africa
In April 2026, while launching the theme and logo of the Fourth India-Africa summit, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that “Africa occupies a central place in India’s foreign policy.” Though the...