Middle East

Borah Peak, at 12,662 feet high, is the highest point in Idaho.

[That may sound like a strange place to begin this column, but please bear with me.]

It was named for Senator William Borah, known as "the Lion from Idaho." He had an impressive political career, even running...

The warring parties in Lebanon agreed to a deal brokered by Arab diplomats, and incoming flights to Beirut's International airport have resumed ending a week of bloody, political crisis.

More than 60 people were killed since violence in Lebanon broke out on May 7, after the government discovered an electronic...

President Bush apparently took a long distance swipe at presidential candidate Barack Obama in Israel yesterday, debasing the notion that America should negotiate with Iran as the "false comfort of appeasement."

Bush used a particularly uncouth Nazi analogy for his Israeli audience, saying, "We have heard this foolish delusion...

President George W. Bush may attempt to sound visionary, talk tough, and criticize opponents as naïve, but the Middle East which he is visiting this week is in shambles, due in no small part to policies he has pursued or failed to pursue during his two terms in office.

The...

The storm over President Bush's "appeasement" remarks in Israel misses the point. No, we should not appease, engage, or give shoulder rubs to Islamist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah. But wishing they would go away, while arming their enemies has gotten us nowhere.

Plus, haven't we, to some degree,...

George W. Bush is unworthy of the presidency. He is a disgrace to himself, our Nation, and the high office he holds.

In a speech to the Israeli Knesset on Thursday, Mr. Bush forfeited the last scraps of his moral authority, dishonoring himself by using one of...

In 2008, Arab attitudes toward the U.S. remain at alarmingly low levels. Concern with U.S. policy is the reason. And because the U.S. role in the region is so critical, interest in the American elections is high across the Arab world. These are some of the findings of polling that...

Celebrations have been taking place across Israel to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state. Israeli families enjoyed fireworks, concerts and an aerial display while countries around the world, principally those countries that helped create Israel, showered it with words of admiration and congratulations.

Earlier this...

The war of words between Lebanon's political leaders has finally turned into battles on the streets of Beirut. Today, gun battles have erupted in Beirut following a speech by Hezbollah's Secretary General, Hassan Nasrallah, in which he labeled the Lebanese government's decision to dismantle a Hezbollah operated communication network a...

When I was a U.S. government prosecutor during the Carter Administration, the first thing we came to understand is that the rule of law requires the equal application of the law. Today, in the wake of former President Carter's unauthorized talks with Hamas leaders, the issue is whether our laws...

The year's Arab Broadcast Forum in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, will bring together a few hundred electronic and print journalists from across the Arab region. They will engage each other in a series of discussions in the round, covering a range of topics of critical...

If you listen very carefully, above the din of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's nonsensical theatrical performances, the distant sound of war drums in the Persian Gulf are growing increasingly audible.

Two weeks ago, when Gen. Petraeus and Amb. Crocker appeared before Congress, they testified that Iran had greatly accelerated its...

A week ago, I wrote about Jimmy Carter's meeting with representatives of Hamas. Carter had a simple idea: you only make peace with your enemies and you can only make peace when you talk to your enemies. Today, Carter explains his position more fully in public.

He...

Yesterday could not have presented a more stunning portrayal of the self-marginalization of America as an actor in Israeli-Arab conflict resolution under the Bush administration.

On the Israeli-Palestinian front the president was hosting PLO Chair Mahmoud Abbas at the White House while the real action was taking place in...

General Petraeus has been tapped to be the next commander of CENTCOM, which leads to a number of quick questions / observations.

First, it'll be interesting to see how he handles the tension of Afghanistan and Iraq from that position since Gates, Mullen and Fallon have all made clear...

By negotiating a Shiite truce, Tehran embarrassed Washington last week and arguably proved itself to be a more potent stabilizer of southern Iraq.

Iran's role in Iraq came as a sharp reminder that the George W. Bush administration's accusations of Iranian mischief notwithstanding, Iranian influence in Iraq is both undeniable...

Although people in the Middle East cannot vote in the U.S. presidential primaries, the Arab media is providing daily coverage of the ongoing duel between Clinton and Obama. Less attention is being paid to McCain, except for when he makes outrageous remarks, such as his statement about keeping the troops...

Every day that Jimmy Carter continues his works of peace and humanitarian outreach justifies the day that I cast my first vote in a presidential election for him some... okay, a lot of years ago. His recent foray to establish another line of communication with Hamas is another act of...

Many of you will be at Passover Seders tonight. Those of you that won't, well, chalk it up to bad planning. A Seder features good stories, classic family arguments, a rich liturgy, four cups of wine--required by the service!--and often terrific food. Next year get started early finding Jews with...