Category Archives: Middle East
Without Palestinian statehood, is Trump’s Gaza peace plan just a mirage? (Interview)
Trump has brought together nations willing to work with Washington to stabilize the Middle East but not tackled the real cause, analysts say
Published: 11:30am, 16 Oct 2025
Far from being a historic deal to end war in the Middle East as claimed by US President Donald Trump, the Gaza peace declaration has only established a bloc of regional countries that will work with Washington for now to stabilise the region, observers say.
Composed of Egypt, Arab monarchies led by Saudi Arabia, and Nato member Turkey, this “Axis of Stabilisation” in the making will continue to diplomatically engage Iran and its “Axis of Resistance” allies, including Hamas, to reduce the risk of further conflict in the region.
Continue readingSyria, the Druze, and the Crisis in Suwayda
In this latest edition of Tel Aviv Notes, Nir Boms and Karim Nassar examine the Suwayda crisis in Syria and how it has affected the delicate balance of relations between the new government in Syria and its Druze minority.
Bedouin families leaving the city of Suwayda, July 2025. Credit: Syrian Ministry of Interior, via Wikimedia commons
In July 2025, violence erupted in Suwayda, a southern Syrian city and stronghold of the Druze minority in Syria. Disturbing images of death, mutilation, and militia clashes shocked Israel and much of the world. To grasp the crisis, one must understand the interplay of local rivalries, national politics, and the struggle for regional power shaping southern Syria today.
Continue readingRecent Events in Suweyda: A perspective from Israel
Recent Israeli strikes in Syria have been analyzed by some as humanitarian interventions to protect the Druze community, and others as escalatory breaches of Syrian sovereignty that risks further destabilizing the country. This policy wall tackles the nature of Israeli-Syrian relations post-Assad, the prospects of some form of agreement between the two sides, and the potential input of the Abraham Accords countries such as the UAE in mediating this interplay. Speaker: Nir Boms, Research Fellow, Moshe Dayan Center, Tel Aviv University, Israel Moderator: Mahdi Ghuloom, Junior Fellow in Geopolitics, ORF Middle East.