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, […]
Tag: Netanyahu
The Devolution of Democracy: A Systematic Decimation of Israel’s Judiciary
“Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place. It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government,” wrote James Madison in Federalist No. 51. Madison understood that an absence of […]
Israeli Election: Netanyahu’s Comeback Attempt, Plus Far-Right Revival
“Elections have consequences:” Israelis will pick winners today in a contest with the potential to dramatically alter long-standing norms. Today, Ehud, an Israeli construction worker from the small city of Hadera, will vote on his country’s future. What kind of future? He hasn’t decided yet. With over 30 parties vying for parliament, Ehud likely won’t […]
Homeland: Life in the Disputed West Bank
Israeli-Arab diplomatic breakthroughs mean little for West Bank residents August 2020 —A crowd of hundreds marches towards the outskirts of the Palestinian town of Turmus’ayya. They are headed in the direction of an Israeli military checkpoint, located just 500 meters from the edge of their town. The goal of the Palestinian marchers: to pray on […]
Corruption: The Gravedigger of Populism?
The surge in the success of right-wing populists has been one of the biggest political developments of this decade, as leaders like Viktor Orbán, Jair Bolsonaro and Donald Trump have all demonstrated the power of appealing to social divisions within society to gain power. Recently, however, another surprising trend has arisen: the implication of right-wing […]
The Deal of the Decade
Many thought this day would never come. In an interesting turn of events, negotiations between the United States and Iran over a developing nuclear deal are currently underway. Secretary of State John Kerry has led negotiations with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif over a deal in which sanctions on Iran would be lifted on […]
An Enriched Iran?
The international hysteria regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions has been a pervasive topic in foreign affairs since Iran went public with its program in 2002. Major players in the global community, such as the US and EU, have been hurling sanctions, embargos, and condemnations at Iran in an attempt to stymie the development of its nuclear […]