Elie Podeh

The author teaches at the Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is a board member of Mitvim – the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies.

 US PRESIDENT Donald Trump bids farewell as he boards Air Force One in Abu Dhabi, at the conclusion of his Gulf tour.

What are implications for Israel regarding Trump's Middle East visit? - opinion

 Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi meets with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the Ittihadiya presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, November 10, 2023

Qatargate, Gaza talks: Qatar is important, but Israel must prioritize ties with Egypt - opinion

 EGYPT’S FOREIGN MINISTER Badr Abdelatty (right) meets with Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on details of a Gaza reconstruction plan, in Cairo last week, ahead of an emergency Arab summit.

Arab leaders unite on paper, but who will rebuild Gaza? - opinion


Trump’s proposals for Gaza: A political gamble with global risks – opinion

Trump’s vision for Gaza could reshape the region—but at what cost?

 US PRESIDENT Donald Trump is flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Jordan’s King Abdullah II at a meeting in the Oval Office on Tuesday.

Riyadh is the Arab world's new real leader - opinion

Egypt's demographic and economic challenges have weakened its position, creating a vacuum that has been filled by an increasingly assertive Saudi crown prince.

 FOREIGN MINISTERS and other delegates participating in a meeting on the future of Syria pose for a group photo, in Riyadh, earlier this month. Saudi Arabia has assumed a prominent role under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, say the writers.

Normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia provides new opportunities - opinion

An agreement with Saudi Arabia would strengthen the regional coalition against Iran. Saudi Arabia also serves as a crucial economic anchor for Egypt and Jordan.

 SAUDI ARABIA’S Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud looks on during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week. An Israeli agreement with Saudi Arabia would strengthen the regional coalition against Iran, says the writer.

Israel's 2024 military successes came at a cost - will it pay in 2025? - opinion

Israel’s 2024 in review: Strengthened regional power, deep divisions, and global criticism

 DEMONSTRATORS HOLD posters of (from left) former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh alongside former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and of Nasrallah next to former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, at a protest in Tunis. Israel is now regionally stronger, but internal divisions are deeper, the writer argues.

The fall of Assad is just the beginning: The struggle for Syria has resumed - opinion

The country may have exited the Axis of Resistance, but this does not mean that it has automatically crossed to the opposing camp.

THEN-SYRIAN PRESIDENT Bashar al-Assad is cheered by deputies on his arrival in parliament, July 2000. He was formally sworn in after taking the office his late father, Hafez, had held for the previous three decades.

Most Mideast autocrats welcome President-elect Trump - opinion

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was among the first leaders to congratulate Trump.

 EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT Abdel Fattah al-Sisi greets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Cairo.

How Israel’s war risks destroying ties with Jordan and regional allies - opinion

The longevity of peace treaties with Jordan and Egypt may create the impression that these relationships are immune to crises. However, this assumption should not be put to the test.

Prime ministers Yitzhak Rabin and US president Bill Clinton congratulate Jordan’s King Hussein after his speech at the Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty signing ceremony on October 26, 1994.

Israel's restored deterrence comes at the cost of diplomatic and moral challenges - opinion

The political, military, and intelligence failures of October 7 are now compounded, a year later, by a moral failure – the failure to secure the release of the hostages. 

A POSTER displays (from left) former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and former top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, in Wadi El Zayni, Lebanon. October 7 provided an opportunity to confront Hamas and Hezbollah, but also a chance to settle the Palestinian issue

At his end, Nasrallah was a victim of his own rhetoric – opinion

Media presentation is an extremely powerful tool – one that ultimately cost Hassan Nassrallah his life.

 Soldiers stand guard near a poster of Hassan Nasrallah, during a rally to commemorate him and show support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in Sanaa, Yemen, last week.

Islam’s influence in Jordan presenting significant challenges for the king - opinion

The recent Jordanian elections saw a significant rise in support for the Islamic Action Front, highlighting the growing influence of political Islam and presenting new challenges for Israel.

 MURAD ADAILAH, the head of Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood, is interviewed in Amman, earlier this month.