Washington Watch Articles From 2016
New York Times' Attempted Whitewash of Israel Poll
This past week the Pew Research Center released the results of a massive poll of Israeli public opinion - focusing on their attitudes toward religion, identity, values, and political issues facing their country. In the days that followed the release, a number of articles appeared in Israel and the US commenting on the study's findings
Will the GOP Implode?
This has been one crazy political week. It has been so tumultuous and, in some ways, so calamitous for the Republican party, that we may be witnessing a fatal rupturing of the GOP.
Trump: Feeding the “Monster”
Donald Trump's candidacy is American politics reduced to the absurd. It is theater in its most stripped down form—a show where the content is not as important as the event and the raw emotion it evokes.
Saudi Arabia is Changing
Something is happening in Saudi Arabia. The country is undergoing real change.
The "Meta-Issues" Behind the Sanders-Clinton Contest
The Democratic presidential primary race is shaping up to be a fascinating contest between the voters' views of two distinct political personalities.
Trump/Netanyahu Meet: an Exercise in Fawning, Fantasy, and Anti-Palestinian Incitement
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with US President Donald Trump was overshadowed by dramatic and unsettling events that preceded and followed their perfectly bizarre press conference.
Sanders is Right: Iraq is Important
Bernie Sanders has been unfairly criticized for being a "Johnny One Note" on foreign policy because he continually reminds voters of his early opposition to the Iraq War.
Silencing Critics of Israel
Israel doesn't accept criticism. In fact, whether from friend or foe, even mild criticism is viewed as an existential threat prompting Israeli officials to unleash a torrent of abuse in an effort to silence and/or punish critics.
It’s Not Just a Muslim Ban, It’s Much Worse
With a stroke of the pen on a misdirected and, I believe, malicious Executive Order (EO), President Donald Trump unleashed a dynamic that will, I fear, have consequences as far-reaching and damaging to my country and my community as the Bush Administration's wrong-headed responses to the 9/11 terror attacks.
We Need More From Our Candidates
I have long argued that how candidates for high office speak about the Middle East should be a critical test of their capacity to lead our nation.
Trump Justifies Executive Orders with Exaggerations Grounded in Bias
By now, Donald Trump's penchant for exaggeration and self-promotion has become well-established.
Iowa Will Be Important
For both Democrats and Republicans, this year's presidential contest is another "Armageddon election", the outcome of which will decide critically important domestic and foreign policy concerns.
What Will Donald Trump Do?
When Donald Trump shows up for work next week, it's anyone's guess as to what he will do. Over the past month, many reporters have asked me "what do you think Trump will do and what are you most concerned about?".
The State of Dis-Union
On Tuesday of this past week, President Obama delivered the annual State of the Union (SOTU) address to a Joint Session of Congress.
Don’t Mess with Jerusalem
In just a matter of days, President-elect Donald Trump will have to decide on whether or not to make good on his promise to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Muslim Millennials’ Views on Religion
At the close of 2015, Zogby Research Services (ZRS) conducted face to face polling of 5,374 Muslim youth between the ages of 15 to 34 in eight Arab countries:
Iranians are Dissatisfied
In the lead-up to Iran's presidential elections, a new Zogby Research Services (ZRS) poll shows that the Iranian people are not happy with either their economic situation or their government's priorities and performance.
The “New Normal”
The twin conflicts raging in Iraq and Syria have unleashed an unsettling dynamic that is transforming both the Middle East and the world beyond this deeply troubled region.