Outside the Beltway

One of the last survivors of Israel’s founding generation has passed away.

A massive attack hits Istanbul’s airport.

Turkey has issued a formal apology to Russia over the November 2015 downing of a Russian jet that had briefly strayed into Turkish airspace.

Donald Trump’s speech yesterday at a meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition was as bizarre as anything else we’ve seen from him.

France launched its first attacks against ISIS even as the investigation into Friday’s attacks continues, but it’s not clear that the retaliation really accomplished anything.

President Obama has apparently come to the same realization as many of his predecessors, that trying to craft a legacy by single-handedly bring about “Middle East Peace” is largely a waste of time.

The Vatican has announced that it will recognize Palestinian statehood, but this is not going to resolve the underlying issues that prevent a Palestinian state from actually coming into existence.

By a wide margin Americans think it was wrong of the GOP to invite Israel’s Prime Minister to speak to Congress.

ISIS apparently now has a foothold in Libya, and is making inroads in Yemen.

2014 was not supposed to be a wave election, but it clearly qualifies as one.

Quietly, oil prices have been falling for months now. That’s potentially a very big deal.

Closing down international air travel won’t stop Ebola from becoming a bigger public health threat.

Despite the President’s assurances of an international coalition, the rest of the world doesn’t seem all that interested in joining the fight.

The two sides in Gaza keep extending the humanitarian cease fire, but remain miles apart on the major issues dividing them.

The chattering class is chattering about the President’s vacation again. It really is quite tiresome.

The shooting of Michael Brown is just another example of an ongoing problem.

Institutional reform does take place in other democracies.

Well, it was nice while it lasted.

The war in Gaza seems to be winding down, but the underlying issues remain.

A glimmer of hope in Gaza is quickly snuffed out.

The Israeli public if overwhelmingly behind the war in Gaza, and that means it will probably continue for awhile.

Republicans are dismissing talk of impeachment as a Democratic fundraising ploy, but it may be they are protesting just a bit too much.

The American people don’t want to turn those migrant children from Central America away after all.

Fairly or not, the President has created the impression that he is not a good leader, and there’s not much he can do about it at this point.

A new poll shows that Americans are divided over Israel’s actions in Gaza, but this most likely will not impact relations between the two countries.

Add Libya to the list of the world’s trouble spots.

Hopes for a temporary respite in the Gaza conflict faded away today.

Crisis seems to be brewing all over the world, but the American people aren’t persuaded that it’s necessary for the United States to act.

The next phase of Israel’s attack on Hamas has begun.

An effort yesterday to bring about a cease fire in Gaza came to naught when Hamas rejected the proposal.

Things look to be going from bad to worse in Gaza.

Open mouth, insert foot.

Could economic chaos bring Egyptians back out into the streets?

JR is from Texas wants you to know that Texas is big. No, bigger than that.

Middle East peace talks are apparently in such bad shape that the U.S. is thinking of releasing Jonathan Pollard as an incentive to Israel.

Barack Obama is no Jimmy Carter.

After eight years in a coma, Ariel Sharon has passed away.

Some questions that the Administration needs to answer before attacking Syria.

Secretary of State Kerry becomes the latest American official to wade into the Middle East’s longest lasting quagmire.

The events of the last week in Egypt raise a whole host of questions.

Signs and portents in the Middle East.

The smear campaign against defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel has taken a bizarre turn.

They are playing the game without rules in Egypt.