Netanyahu Trailing In New Polls, But He Could Remain In Power

Benjamin Netanyahu is trailing in the final polls leading to Tuesday’s election, but he still may be able to form the coalition needed to stay in power.

Senate GOP’s Letter To Iran Likely To Achieve Exactly The Opposite Of What It Intends

Senate Republicans have done more harm to the goal of stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons than they have done good.

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Most Americans Oppose GOP’s Decision To Invite Netanyahu To Speak Before Congress

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

ISIS is What it Says it Is

The Atlantic has a fascinating cover story by Graeme Wood titled “What ISIS Really Wants.”

Arnaud de Borchgrave Dead at 88

The intrepid foreign correspondent and editor Arnaud de Borchgrave has died, aged 88, of cancer.

IR TOs WH NSS

Most in the international relations community are not amused by the president’s National Security Strategy.

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Netanyahu Reportedly Considering Canceling Speech To Congress

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is apparently realizing that speaking to Congress may not be a good idea after all.

Netanyahu’s Speech To Congress Becoming Even More Of A Partisan Football

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhu’s speech to Congress is becoming even more partisan, much to the apparent chagrin of the Israelis.

Democrats Consider Boycott Of Netanyahu Speech To Congress

Some Congressional Democrats are considering skipping a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a Joint Session Of Congress.

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Congress Is Making The U.S.-Israeli Relationship Even More Partisan

By inviting Prime Minister Netanyahu to address Congress, Republicans are damaging the U.S. relationship with Israel.

Obama’s Absence From Paris Rally: Egregious Diplomatic Error, Or Much Ado About Nothing?

Some are criticizing the President for not going to Paris for yesterday’s rally.

Rand Paul The GOP Front Runner? Not Likely

Even leaving aside the fact that it is far too early to be making such assessments, the idea that Rand Paul is the front runner for the Republican nomination in 2016 fails the logic test.

GOP’s Big Donors Seek To Narrow The 2016 Field, But They Have Less Control Than They Think

The GOP donor class would like the 2016 race to be short and sweet, but that’s unlikely to happen.

Egyptian Court Drops Charges Against Mubarak, Further Cementing Renewed Military Rule

Well, so much for that “people’s revolt” that brought down a military dictator.

ISIS’s New Beheading Video; Casus Belli, Or A Trap?

The latest ISIS video is horrible and barbaric but we should not take the bait they are offering before considering the consequences of our actions going forward.

Republicans Expand House Majority

The GOP added to its majority in the House, giving it the biggest majority it has had since Truman was President.

Supreme Court To Decide If Congress Can Dictate Where Jerusalem Is

The Supreme Court will decide if Congress can override American foreign policy when it comes to declaring who has dominion over Jerusalem.

Oil Prices Have Been Falling For Months, And That’s Likely To Have Wide Repercussions

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

Are Billionaires Replacing Political Parties?

Rich guys are backing organizations that are taking over traditional party functions. Is that a problem?

Sweden Will Recognize Palestine

Sweden is set to recognize Palestine as an independent state.

Banning Air Travel Is The Wrong Response To The Ebola Outbreak

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

The U.S. Should Stay Quiet About The Protests In Hong Kong

In the current situation, speaking out forcefully as some are demanding can only do more harm than good.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews Delay El Al Flight Over Women Passengers

There is apparently such a thing as too Jewish.

Israel’s ‘Secret’ Nukes

Everyone knows that Israel has had nuclear weapons for decades. Don’t tell anyone—it’s a secret.

Obama’s Flimsy Legal Case For War

The Obama Administration’s legal justification for war against ISIS is laughably flimsy.

Gaza Cease Fire Extended, But Prospects For Bigger Peace Deal Seem Dim

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

Why Debating Districts Misses The Larger Point

There are plenty of other factors that help our two major parties retain power.

Ukrainian Forces Reportedly Have Rebels In Donetsk Surrounded

End game? Or the potential spark of a wider war?

Gaza Truce Ends As Hamas Refuses To Extend Humanitarian Ceasefire

Well, it was nice while it lasted.

As Gaza War Winds Down, What Happens Next?

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

Immigration Legislation: Veto Players in Action

The current immigration debate is yet another great example of how our system works (so to speak).

72 Hour Gaza Ceasefire Collapses In Less Than Two Hours

A glimmer of hope in Gaza is quickly snuffed out.

Despite International Pressure, Israeli Public Supports Netanyahu On The War In Gaza

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

Americans Divided On Israel’s Actions In Gaza

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.

Israel Rejects Temporary Cease Fire Plan As Gaza Conflict Continues To Rage

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

Iran’s Nuclear Program And The Incentives Created By U.S. Policy

George Will has come under criticism for pointing out what seems to be an undeniable fact.

Despite A Plethora Of World Crises, Americans Oppose Greater Foreign Intervention

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.

A Partisan Divide Over Israel? Not Really.

Recent polls notwithstanding, Republicans and Democrats remain largely in lockstep when it comes to U.S. policy toward Israel.

Israel Begins Ground Operations In Gaza

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

Hamas Rejects Egyptian Cease Fire Deal Israel Had Accepted

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

Paying Attention To Politics? You’re Probably Really Stressed Out

In a new survey, Americans cite politics and the news as the biggest sources of stress in their lives.

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The Border Crisis: Many Causes, No Simple Solutions

Trying to make sense of a very complicated issue.

Israel Intensifies Attacks On Gaza, Hints At Ground Invasion

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

Institutional Design and Governance

A piece at Foreign Policy provides a chance to give some thought to institutions.

Islam And World War One

The First World War played an intriguing role in the birth of the radical Islam we are dealing with today.