Foreign Policy Blogs

Tag Archives: Israel

Iran & Israel – Diplomatic Road Rage

Iran & Israel – Diplomatic Road Rage

US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta’s assertion that Israel is preparing to attack Iran in either April, May, or June has added more speculation and fuel to the sensitive situation surrounding Iran’s nuclear program. David Ignatius’ article in The Washington Post provides us with a bit of evidence that Israel may be preparing for war, […]

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A Candid Discussion with Houchang Hassan-Yari

A Candid Discussion with Houchang Hassan-Yari

With sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran gaining greater momentum and the impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran looming large in the global economy, a key question remains whether or not the Islamic Republic will ink a deal to extricate itself from increasingly biting sanctions and ensure its survival, […]

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A Familiar Refrain

A Familiar Refrain

In his NYT op-ed today entitled ‘Don’t Do It, Bibi,’ Roger Cohen issued another stern warning to his favorite target, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. In his piece, he warns about the grave repercussions if Israel were to attack Iran without political support from the United States. This article is the latest installment in Cohen’s […]

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Tragedies of 2011 Also Inspire

Tragedies of 2011 Also Inspire

2011 was a year of heartbreaking tragedies for journalists caught up in the tide of massive world events. Certain cases of journalists killed and attacked in the crossfire of the stories they were reporting stand out. In 2011, there were many instances in which the media became part of the story they were covering. Sometimes […]

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2011 – An Unexceptional Year for American Exceptionalism?

2011 – An Unexceptional Year for American Exceptionalism?

2011 evidenced our inability to predict substantial change and respond to tumultuous events. The ramifications of foreign policy decisions will not show their true colors for some time. Below, I discuss notable states – Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Qatar, Cuba, Burma, Ivory Coast, Norway, Israel, and Palestine – that I believe are important because of their effects on peace […]

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On Turkish Foreign Policy and the Middle East (Interview)

On Turkish Foreign Policy and the Middle East (Interview)

Dear followers of FPA’s Middle East blog, News.Az, a leading online news source of the Caucasus recently conducted an online interview with me – here you can find the full version of the interview: —————————————————————————————– Turkey is a new leader of the Muslim world in the Middle East. Are you satisfied with the Turkish policy […]

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The Relativity of Time

The Relativity of Time

Roger Cohen, a reliable critic of Israel’s policies, particularly under the Netanyahu administration, argues against attacking Iran in a New York Times op-ed today. This issue has regained momentum in light of the recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which concluded that in six months Iran will have enriched uranium to the level […]

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Flotilla Wars 3.0

Flotilla Wars 3.0

In May 2010, Israel raided a flotilla of aid ships determined to breach the maritime blockade of Gaza which activists claim violates international law by imposing collective punishment on the civilian population of the Gaza Strip. Nine activists were killed in the raid, which created a major international incident for Israel and Turkey, where the […]

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Iran & The Science of Killing

Iran & The Science of Killing

Anyone in the business of studying violence should look askance at recent US claims that Iran’s Quds Force – a unit belonging to the Pasdaran, aka the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – is behind the amateurish plot to assassinate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the US. The main issue in contention here is […]

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Soccer and Security Behind the Scenes at the UN

Soccer and Security Behind the Scenes at the UN

Altogether overshadowed by developing Israel-istine histrionics, the president of Iraq, Jalal Talabani, stood before the United Nations General Assembly on Friday to promote his vision for a democratic state anchored in peace and the rule of law. He extolled the need for a harmonious state, irrespective of sectarian, ethnic or factional affiliations. “This is the […]

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The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming American Foreign Policy

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming American Foreign Policy

Has America exhibited moral courage by addressing change, or the lack there of, in the world? Or has it squandered our hope for a principled effort to rid American foreign policy of its realist inclinations and desire to cling to paradigms? Many of us have placed our trust in America (i.e., President Obama) to challenge […]

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Palestinians Defy U.S., Threaten Peacemaking

Palestinians Defy U.S., Threaten Peacemaking

As you may know by now, the leadership of the Palestinian Authority have decided to seek a vote on statehood at the United Nations later this month. President Obama asked them not to pursue this path and they refused. Now, normally I like to consider weighty matters of international affairs by referencing analysis by think […]

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Israel & Palestine – In Peace, Everyone Hurts

Israel & Palestine – In Peace, Everyone Hurts

Do positive opportunities exist because of the upcoming vote on Palestinian statehood at the UN? Are our diplomats really trying for peace, or are they adhering to a diplomacy of intransigence? Will the development of a mutually hurting stalemate finally allow for peace between Israel and Palestine? The impending vote to recognize Palestinian statehood has inspired […]

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Turkish Naval Buildup in the Eastern Mediterranean

Turkish Naval Buildup in the Eastern Mediterranean

According to Turkish daily Sabah, Turkey’s new strategic focus is shifting from the Aegean towards East Mediterranean. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had indicated earlier that Turkey would take steps towards ensuring freedom of navigation in Eastern Mediterranean, as a reaction to the Palmer report. In the following days it is expected that the Turkish Navy […]

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Turkey, Palestine, the Kurds, and Many Questions

Turkey, Palestine, the Kurds, and Many Questions

Is Turkey’s grandstanding vis-a-vis the Palestine issue hypocritical in light of its own continually deleterious approach to another stateless group – the Kurds? What conditions support the notion that there should or should not be a dichotomy between Turkey’s approach to the two groups – Kurds and Palestinians? With this, how does the apparent contrast […]

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Foreign Policy Blogs is a network of global affairs blogs and a supplement to the Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions program. Staffed by professional contributors from the worlds of journalism, academia, business, non-profits and think tanks, the FPB network tracks global developments on Great Decisions 2014 topics, daily. The FPB network is a production of the Foreign Policy Association.