The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement—recently renamed the Mecca Defense Alliance—has quickly moved from a political declaration to an operational test. On October 5, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye agreed to implement their collective-defense commitments and prepare the rapid deployment of agreed forces and capabilities to the Saudi Kingdom. The decision came amid escalating attacks from… Continue reading Can Pakistan Navigate the Mecca Agreement’s First Critical Test?

With Israel’s October 27 election approaching, voters face a consequential choice over who should govern the country, but a less obvious one over the direction in which it should go. The main opposition parties are campaigning against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership and record, promising greater competence, institutional repair, and improved relations with international partners.… Continue reading Israeli Elections are Wide Open, But Strategic Choices are Narrower than Ever

For decades, the middle class has served as the backbone of stability in Arab societies. It is the class that produces the teachers, doctors, engineers, civil servants and small-scale entrepreneurs whose income allows local markets and businesses to flourish. However, since the turn of the millennium, it has faced successive crises, from the domestic upheavals… Continue reading Two Decades of Crisis Erode the Arab Middle Class