Who Gets to be a State? The Politics Behind Recognition

On September 21, a coordinated effort by the Western nations of Britain, Australia, Canada, and Portugal aimed to promote a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by announcing their recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state. This decision happened amidst the escalating humanitarian crisis following continuous Israeli offensive attacks, which have caused global outrage over […]

The Limits of Israel’s Wars

The Prussian General Carl von Clausewitz famously said “War is merely the continuation of policy with other means.” A state sets a definable list of objectives, and when diplomatic or conventional political means do not suffice, it turns to military means to achieve its goal. War may be accompanied by violence, destruction, and chaos. However, […]

Reaches and Limits of Papal Influence

In a recent statement regarding the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, invoked anger when he suggested that the Ukrainians should have the “courage of the white flag” to come to the table and negotiate. That statement has been met with staunch rebuttal from the Ukrainians, with […]

In Myanmar, Military Drafts Scare Away the Educated

“There’s no future for the youth.” —Tun Myint, Professor of Political Science at Carleton College VOA In Myanmar, youth are forced to confront a deadly choice. The country’s precarious position is under constant threat from rebel groups. Since the 2021 coup that replaced democratically elected leadership with a military junta, Myanmar has teetered on the […]

South Africa Claims Genocide

Under the United Nations Convention on Genocide, “genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: On January 26th, 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) released an interim ruling on South Africa’s case against Israel. In bringing […]

Violence and Disaster in the Middle East: An Analysis of October 7th

“The problem of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was always trust. This is just a case of broken trust, this is a case of broken everything.” –Professor Ron E. Hassner Conflict Breaks Out: A Timeline October 7th, 2023. Hamas, a terrorist group operating within the Gaza Strip, fired a cascade of around 2,200 rockets into southern Israel. […]

The Stakes of Egypt’s Next Presidential Elections

Amidst the latest atrocities in the Middle East, the world’s attention has again turned to commonly overlooked regional powers such as Egypt. Until recently, many of these powers had faded from political discussion since the end of the Arab Spring, superseded by the Saudi Vision 2030 seizing social media to highlight the progressive Gulf and […]

The Two State Solution Is Dead.

The holy grail of conflict management has always been between Israel and Palestine; it is the most shining accomplishment for any individual or state mediator. Since the establishment of the state of Israel, the most preferred solution to the Israel/Palestine problem has been the “Two State Solution,” which essentially proposes two sovereign states for two […]