Settlements squeezed, not surged under Trump

Contrary to the narrative promoted by a number of Israeli left-wing NGOs that formed the basis for a number of stories filed by international correspondents over the past four years, Israel’s West Bank settlement growth did not experience a “surge” during the Trump presidency but was actually highly restricted. Growth actually reached a nadir last…

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Greek-Israel defence deal is latest evidence of the blossoming Eastmed alliance

Erdogan seems incapable of maintaining genuine normalisation with anyone: every irritant in every relationship, from the S-400 to Hamas to Khashoggi, is celebrated by Erdogan, who doubles down on these policies to instrumentalise tensions with regional neighbours for domestic political purposes. It is still possible that Erdogan’s disingenuous outreach may pay off, but even if it does, it is unlikely to break the overlapping system of alliances that have been forming to contain him.

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Russia is astutely playing the players in Yemen

The inevitable outcome of the Biden administration’s policy on Yemen, with its overarching goal of ending the Saudi intervention, will again see Russia assume the role of supreme arbiter, as it has in several conflicts and crises across the region.

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Editorial: JCPOA not the Endgame

By ramping up nuclear activity in recent months, Iranian leaders have been trying to intimidate Western negotiators into rushing into a deal that will once more empower and embolden Iran to continue its destructive course with impunity. 

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Cardinal Edward Cassidy became a champion of Jewish people

Cardinal Edward Idris Cassidy, whose funeral will be held at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney on Monday, had a reputation for being down to earth, with a no-nonsense style that earned him respect and affection. But no one was ever left in doubt that he had a formidable intellect and immense diplomatic skill.

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