Afkār is a publication of the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, providing short-form analyses, insights, and perspectives on regional issues and developments from the Council's experts and outside contributors. Afkār is published in English and Arabic, and is edited by Omar H. Rahman.
Despite the limits and external motivations of the PA reform agenda, long-delayed elections could offer Palestinians a rare opening for political renewal and leadership change.
The signing of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement marks a significant step in relations between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan, representing a shift from sporadic defense cooperation to a more structured framework.
With neither a decisive military victory nor a political settlement in sight, the Middle East is sliding into an open-ended war of attrition that threatens security, trade, energy supplies, and the global economy.