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Ariel Ben Solomon: Middle East Political Analysis and Commentary | JNS

Ariel Ben Solomon

Explore Ariel Ben Solomon’s analytical pieces on Middle East politics, Israel, and international relations at JNS.org.

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Veteran Arab political observer Shaheen Sarsour said even though the Joint Arab List has 15 members in the Knesset, “it does not influence the government. Mansour Abbas’s move was meant to change that.”
Independent Iran researcher Amir Toumaj said there is both a “general call for immediate retaliation and others pushing for a delayed response, arguing Tehran shouldn’t fall into a trap ahead of talks with the Biden administration.”
“I think Gulf states are hoping that Joe Biden will govern as a centrist with an experienced team and will address the weaknesses of the JCPOA,” said Ali Shihabi, an author and commentator on the Middle East with a focus on Saudi Arabia.
“The Gulf states are not considered ‘kosher’ for leading the Sunnis,” according to Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, an expert on Turkey at the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University.
Some Arab Knesset members quietly support Israel’s new agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, but were forced to vote against them and follow the Joint List leadership.
The Fatah-led Palestinian Authority “has hit rock bottom and is in its worst political position since the first Gulf War,” said Middle East expert Ido Zelkovitz.
Despite no direct evidence tying Hezbollah to the explosions, Lebanon’s increased instability has the terror group scrambling to maintain the status quo and its position in the country.
“It is no secret that e-commerce is growing worldwide, and that every business owner—big or small—understands that you cannot run a business without an online presence,” says Mordechai Arba, the 29-year-old founder and CEO of Ecomhunt.