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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opinion
American Pastor Back Behind Bars in Turkey
They may not have had any evidence against American pastor Andrew Brunson, but that didn’t stop Turkish officials from holding a 13-hour hearing. For the North Carolina father, who’s spent the last 500 days in jail, it was another grueling chapter in the persecution of an innocent man. Facing up to 35 years in prison,… -
opinion
What Saudi Arabia’s Reformer Prince Hopes to Achieve in US Visit
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is an ambitious young man in a hurry who is trying to reform his own country and secure the leading role of his wing of the ruling family. He came to Washington this week seeking American help in modernizing the Saudi economy, defending its interests in Yemen, and cooperating… -
opinion
Q&A: How the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia’s Views on Islam, Economy Could Change Country
Jim Phillips, senior research fellow for Middle Eastern affairs at The Heritage Foundation, gave his insight into the recent events related to succession that have taken place in Saudi Arabia in an interview Tuesday with The Heritage Foundation’s Genevieve Wood. Here is an edited transcript of the interview. Wood: So people understand, so currently the… -
opinion
Turkey Has Imprisoned an American Pastor for a Year. It’s Time We Take a Stand.
It’s been almost one year since Andrew Brunson, an American pastor, was unjustly imprisoned without charges in Turkey. Imagine spending a whole year in a Turkish prison as a hostage. Unfortunately, most Americans have no idea what is really happening in Turkey. Turkey has traditionally been a strong ally of the United States, but has chosen… -
news
Women’s March Stays Silent on Saudi Arabia Allowing Women to Drive
King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia finally decided to end one of the world’s most oppressive policies against women, issuing a decree on Tuesday allowing women to drive. In 2017, this is an incredibly big deal for women’s equality. In Saudi Arabia, women still need a male guardian’s permission to marry, divorce, travel, open… -
opinion
How Saudi Arabia Is Laying the Foundation for Improved Relations With Iraq
The Iraq-Saudi Arabia relationship, while historically rocky, appears to be on the mend. Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 prompted Saudi Arabia to close its border with Iraq. Since then, only Iraqi religious pilgrims have been allowed to cross once a year during the hajj season. After 27 years, the two nations are now… -
opinion
Trump, Netanyahu to Reset US-Israeli Relations After Strained 8 Years
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the White House on Wednesday will mark a chance for the United States and Israel to renew a relationship that had turned tumultuous in the eight years under President Barack Obama’s administration, experts say. “It probably won’t take long to return to the warm relationship that has characterized… -
opinion
Trump Administration Slaps Sanctions on Iran for Missile Test and Other Provocations
The Trump administration followed through on Friday with a new round of sanctions on Iran, two days after National Security Advisor Michael Flynn announced that it was “officially putting Iran on notice” for a missile test and its hostile regional policies. The sanctions were targeted at 13 individuals and 12 entities for their support for… -
opinion
Iran’s Ballistic Missile Test Defies UN, Trump Administration
The more things change, the more they stay the same. On Sunday, Iran “welcomed” President Donald Trump into office by conducting a medium-range ballistic missile test in defiance of United Nations Resolution 2231, which endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (i.e. the Iran nuclear deal) and lifted nuclear-related sanctions on Iran. Iran’s actions are… -
opinion
Russia-Turkey Relations Unlikely to Be Derailed by Shooting of Ambassador
The shocking assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey at an Ankara art exhibition on Monday by a Turk seemingly motivated by the situation in neighboring Syria clearly will not help stabilize a region that is rife with trouble—especially since it involves two of Eurasia’s key players. Ties between Russia and Turkey were already both… -
opinion
Hostage Deal Is Latest Example of Obama’s Sell-Out to Iran
The only thing more pathetic than the Obama administration paying the Islamist Republic of Iran ransom for American hostages, and thereby ensuring more Americans will be taken hostage by thug regimes around the world, is that they expect us to believe, despite evidence to the contrary, that they didn’t. Right. First, President Barack Obama and… -
opinion
The Attempted Coup Reveals Turkey’s Instability. That’s Bad News for the US.
An attempted military coup in NATO member Turkey was foiled over the weekend. At the time of writing, at least 265 people have been killed and another 1,400 wounded. Thousands of judges have been dismissed or arrested. Tanks shelled the parliament in Ankara and at one point President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was forced to address… -
news
As Turkey Attack Unfolds, Cruz Faults Obama for How He Talks About Terrorism
As Sen. Ted Cruz convened a hearing intended as a platform to criticize how President Barack Obama talks about Islamist extremism, news broke of suicide bombers attacking an airport in the capital of America’s NATO ally, Turkey. While families of the 41 people murdered in Turkey mourned, and world leaders and politicians expressed condolences, there… -
news
America’s Iran ‘Tilt’ Likely Topic as Obama Visits Saudi Arabia
President Barack Obama will visit Saudi Arabia Wednesday trying to salvage what he can from a historically stable partnership that has frayed over differing priorities related to major issues like the Syrian civil war and Iranian influence. As the Obama administration has focused its policies on defeating the Islamic State in Syria over ousting its… -
news
GOP Opens Investigation Into Allegations of White House Spying on Congress, Netanyahu
Republicans in Congress vowed to investigate the Obama administration after a report revealed that U.S. intelligence collection ensnared private conversations between lawmakers and top Israeli officials during negotiations on the Iran nuclear agreement. The House Intelligence Committee opened a probe Wednesday into The Wall Street Journal report that the White House eavesdropped on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu… -
opinion
Leading Muslim Voice Speaks Out Against Islamic Extremism
In the aftermath of the massacre in Paris and the shooting this week in San Bernardino, Calif., the debate over the threat of Islamic terrorism is again front and center. Many political leaders, including President Barack Obama, refuse to make the connection between the terrorist acts of groups like ISIS and the religion of Islam…. -
news
Netanyahu: Iran Deal ‘A Grave Mistake’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ABC News that the nuclear agreement with Iran endangers the safety of the entire world. “I think this puts all of us in danger. Israel, our Arab neighbors, the Middle East as a whole,” Netanyahu told ABC. Netanyahu tweeted that the United States and Israel are especially endangered by… -
news
McCain: Obama Needs to ‘Get Over’ His ‘Temper Tantrum’ About Netanyahu’s Reelection
This morning on CNN’s State of the Union, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., blasted the president’s priorities when it comes to U.S.-Israeli relations. McCain said that Israel had a “free and fair” democratic election, is “the only nation in the region that will have such a thing,” and that if President Obama doesn’t like the results,… -
opinion
Angry at Netanyahu, Obama Administration May Stop Defending Israel at UN. Why They Shouldn’t.
On Thursday, Obama administration officials indicated that the president was considering a fundamental shift in U.S. policy. Instead of using its veto to block United Nations Security Council pressure on Israel in peace negotiations with the Palestinians, the administration is now reportedly considering endorsing this effort. It is hard to overstate the seriousness of such… -
opinion
Netanyahu Is Back in the Driver’s Seat in Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scored a major victory and won a fourth term as Israel’s top leader in Tuesday’s elections. Although the last public opinion poll before the election indicated that Netanyahu’s Likud party was trailing the opposition Zionist Union coalition by 4 seats, Netanyahu surged at the end of an acrimonious campaign to win…