Middle East News
The Daily Signal provides coverage of Israel, Iran, and other regional players, with analysis on how Middle East events impact America’s security and global stability.
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- News
Is Your Connection to Israel ‘More Than Just a Feeling’? This Ancestry Service Can Give You the Answer
ORLANDO, Fla.—An ancestry service based in Israel aims to connect people across the globe, helping them explore their family trees and see whether they have any relatives living in the Holy Land today. “People believe that they have a connection to the Holy Land, and I think one of the things we have now through…Tyler O’Neil -
- News
Rabbi Explains How Israel Rejected Socialism, Grew More Religious, and Fights Terrorism … and Why It Matters for the US
ORLANDO, Fla.—While socialism, secularism, and radical activists seem ascendant in the U.S., an American-born Israeli rabbi who left America in 2011 argues that Israel rejected these trends and represents a model for his birth country to follow. Rabbi Tuly Weisz, an Orthodox Jewish rabbi who left Ohio for Israel and who founded the news outlet…Tyler O’Neil -
- Opinion
Israeli Survivor of Palestinian Terrorism Raises Alarm Over Radicals in US
ORLANDO, Fla.—What can America learn from Israel? David Rubin, former mayor of Shilo, the modern settlement close to the ancient site of Israel's Tabernacle Tel Shiloh, survived a Palestinian terror attack and urges the U.S. to take seriously the axis between radical Islam and the American Left. Speaking to The Daily Signal at the National…Tyler O’Neil -
- Opinion
Happy 75th Birthday to Israel
Israel celebrates 75 years of independence this week. The reemergence of an independent Jewish state came nearly 1,900 years after the Romans’ obliteration of the political autonomy of the Jewish nation. Following the Romans’ destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D., Jews ultimately scattered across the globe—forced to disperse not only by the Romans, but…Joel Griffith -
- Opinion
Israeli Mayor of West Bank Town Talks About Losing 3 Residents to Terrorism
Oded Revivi is the mayor of Efrat, an Israeli town in the West Bank. Earlier this month, three Efrat residents—mother Lucy Dee and daughters Maia and Rina Dee—were shot and killed by terrorists. Revivi joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to talk about how Efrat is moving forward, what the Dee family is experiencing (and why…Katrina Trinko -
- Opinion
From Stanford to Israel, Mobocracy Triumphs Over Deliberation
The very notion of republican self-governance, which has been a core tenet of Western civilization since the demise of the great monarchs of Europe, depends upon the willingness of citizens to debate and deliberate the most pressing issues of society. Sadly, high-profile recent examples, from the tony terrain of Stanford University all the way to…Josh Hammer -
- Opinion
What You Need to Know About Israeli Protests
With hundreds of thousands of Israelis taking to the streets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem over reforms to the judicial system proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, what are Americans to make of it? “Well, basically, what Netanyahu is proposing is to make the appointments of the judges less political and their powers less sweeping….Samantha Aschieris -
- Opinion
Biden’s Job Is Running US, Not Israel
Widely reported in the press is that President Joe Biden called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express his concern about judicial reforms that are currently being considered in Israel. We must wonder why Biden, who demonstrably cannot run our own country, feels behooved to tell others, particularly one as successful as Israel, how to…Star Parker -
- Opinion
Responding to Tragedy in Turkey: How to Aid Earthquake Disaster-Relief Efforts
Media reports on the aftermath of a massive earthquake in Turkey (which now has the official name of Türkiye) look and sound as devastating as that of any war. The 7.8 magnitude quake of Feb. 6 was so powerful that it ripped a 190-mile chasm across the country. Reuters reported Monday a death toll of well…James Carafano -
- News
Biden Agrees to Sell Missiles to ‘Pariah’ Saudi Arabia
The Biden administration has approved the sale of Patriot missiles and support equipment to Saudi Arabia, overriding prior campaign pledges to end arms transfers to the “pariah” country over human rights issues. President Joe Biden notified Congress of the $3 billion sale Tuesday, the day after a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen vowed to extend a…Micaela Burrow -
- News
Trump Predicts Truce in Oil Price War Between Russia and Saudi Arabia
President Donald Trump said Thursday evening that the oil price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia may end soon. Trump said he had just had a 90-minute conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud about their oil price war, on the same day that the Organization of the…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
A Government-Managed Alliance With Saudi Arabia Isn’t the Solution for Low Oil Prices
As the world collectively battles with the coronavirus pandemic, leaders on the world stage also are grappling with how to address the oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia. As prices plummeted, one idea floated is for the U.S. to form an alliance with Saudi Arabia to stabilize prices. Although it’s not clear what…Nicolas Loris -
- Opinion
Netanyahu Faces Hurdles to Building Governing Coalition After Narrow Israeli Election Win
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did better than expected in Israel’s March 2 elections, but nevertheless still might lose his job. Netanyahu is seeking a record fifth term in office, after serving as prime minister from 1996 to 1999, and since 2009. He may be blocked from forming a governing coalition once again, however, as…James Phillips -
- News
Rebuking Russia, Turkey Pledges to Fund Ukraine’s Military
KYIV, Ukraine—Turkish President Recep Erdogan joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday outside Kyiv’s 18th-century Mariyinsky Palace to review an honor guard of Ukrainian troops. A band played the anthems of both countries. Along the nearby streets, Turkish and Ukrainian flags hung side-by-side on light poles. The Mariyinsky Palace originally was built as a residence…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
After Her Husband Joined ISIS, She Started Fighting Islamic Extremism
For Tania Joya, who was raised Muslim in London, it was a long journey to life in the United States. “I wanted to be in America, but my husband … thought that was bad for my religion and he thought that I would teach my children the wrong values,” recalls Joya. “So he took us…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
Problematic Women: Talking Turkey, Career, and Feminism
In our Thanksgiving week special, we interview Problematic Woman Maria Sousa, digital director of The Heritage Foundation, who also is a wife and mother to four children. Sousa is a native of Washington, D.C., a conservative, and a devout Catholic. She candidly shares life lessons, from her college days to more recent balancing of career…Virginia Allen -
- News
Trump Announces ‘Permanent’ Cease-Fire, End to Sanctions on Turkey
President Donald Trump announced what he called a “permanent” cease-fire between Turkey and the Kurds, as well as the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Turkey. The president acknowledged that permanence is unpredictable in the Middle East, saying, “We’re willing to take blame and we’re willing to take credit.” Trump also reiterated his desire to get…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
No, We’re Not Selling Out the Syrian Kurds. But We Should Mediate Their Conflict With Turkey.
Caught up in a conflict between long-standing NATO ally Turkey and a recently engaged Kurdish tactical partner in Syria, the Trump administration has accommodated the legitimate security interests of Turkey by staging a partial pullback of U.S. special operations forces in northeastern Syria. It did so to get out of the way of a Turkish…James Phillips -
- Opinion
Podcast: Will Netanyahu Stay Leader of Israel?
The Israeli election last week resulted in a political stalemate, but Benjamin Netanyahu might still just eke out a coalition and retain his role as prime minister. Today, I’ll unpack the details of the election and what’s to come with Jim Phillips, a Middle East expert at The Heritage Foundation. Plus: Big cities used to…Daniel Davis -
- Opinion
What You Need to Know About the Attack on Saudi Arabia
A major attack on Saudi oil production is stoking tensions in the Middle East. Heritage Foundation expert Peter Brookes discusses what happened, and what it means for the region and the United States. Read the lightly edited interview, pasted below, or listen on the podcast: We also cover these stories: President Trump is defending Justice…Katrina Trinko