Blogs

Middle East Matters

Robert Danin analyzes critical developments and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

Latest Post

Subscribe to Blog Updates
U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wait for photographers to depart before beginning their meeting at the Presidential Palace in the West Bank city of Bethlehem
U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wait for photographers to depart before beginning their meeting at the Presidential Palace in the West Bank city of Bethlehem (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters).
Subscribe to Blog Updates

Reading The Trump Administration in Ramallah

by Robert Danin August 6, 2018

Does the United States seek relations with Hamas in Gaza and to undermine the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leadership in the West Bank? Palestinians officials and insiders asked me this question repeatedly during a recent visit to Ramallah. At first, the question seems strange. How could well-informed insiders come to wonder if the United States prefers to deal with an Islamist terrorist organization to a leadership that avows non-violence and actively pursues security cooperation with Israel on a daily basis? Read More

United States
This Week: Mosul Offensive, Netanyahu’s Address, and Turkey’s Incursion
Significant Developments ISIS. Ashton Carter, wrapping up his first overseas trip as secretary of defense, met with top U.S. military and diplomatic officials in Kuwait on Monday to review the U.S…
Blog Post by Robert Danin February 26, 2015 Middle East Matters
United States
This Week: Egypt Seeks Nukes, ISIS Gets Escalation, and U.S.-Iran Shun Extensions
Significant Developments Egypt. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced an agreement to jointly build Egypt’s first nuclear power plant on Tuesday duri…
Blog Post by Robert Danin February 12, 2015 Middle East Matters
United States
This Week: Jordan’s ISIS Battle and Egypt’s Crackdown
Significant Developments Jordan-ISIS. King Abdullah returned to a warm welcome in Jordan today after cutting short his visit to Washington yesterday. Abdullah’s move followed the release by ISIS of …
Blog Post by Robert Danin February 4, 2015 Middle East Matters
  • United States
    Jordan’s ISIS Challenge
    Today’s news and images of ISIS burning Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh to death in a cage comes just days after the group decapitated a second Japanese hostage. Such horrific murders provoke, shock…
    Blog Post by Robert Danin February 3, 2015 Middle East Matters
  • United States
    This Week: Hezbollah Attack, ISIS Rollback, and Jordan Hostage Standoff
    Israel-Lebanon. Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said today that Israel had received reports via the UN indicating Hezbollah does not plan further military strikes following its attack yesterday…
    Blog Post by Robert Danin January 29, 2015 Middle East Matters