Author Archives: jonathanspyer

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About jonathanspyer

Jonathan Spyer is a Middle East analyst, author and journalist specializing in the areas of Israel, Syria and broader issues of regional strategy. He is the director of the Middle East Center for Reporting and analysis (MECRA), a research fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for strategy and Security (JISS) and a Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

What Does Assad Want?

Posted on April 5, 2011 by jonathanspyer

07/03/2010 In Damascus last week, the full array of leaders of the so-called ‘resistance bloc’ came together in a series of meetings. Presidents Ahmedinejad of Iran and Assad of Syria were there, alongside a beaming Khaled Meshal of Hamas and … Continue reading →

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Afghanistan Shows Iran’s Stake in Regional Insecurity

Posted on April 5, 2011 by jonathanspyer

Jerusalem Post- 04/05/2009 A month ago, US President Barack Obama announced a new strategy to address the current crisis in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Obama’s plan to ‘disrupt, dismantle and defeat’ al-Qaida and the Taliban in ‘Afpak’ includes deployment of an … Continue reading →

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Analysis: Damascus Gets What it Needs

Posted on April 5, 2011 by jonathanspyer

Jerusalem Post- 13/05/2009 In his letter to Congress announcing the renewal of US sanctions on Syria, President Barack Obama was specific regarding the reasons for his decision. Syria, the President said, was “supporting terrorism, pursuing weapons of mass destruction and … Continue reading →

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Imagined Partners

Posted on April 5, 2011 by jonathanspyer

Gloria Center- 25/03/2008 The Middle East is currently divided between an alliance of radical Islamist and associated states and organizations, which take support and inspiration from Iran, on the one hand, and a coalition of pro-Western states, on the other. … Continue reading →

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Analysis: The Legacy of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh

Posted on April 5, 2011 by jonathanspyer

Gloria Center- 26/03/2010 Wherever departed Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh is now, he is presumably enjoying the considerable trouble the nature of his exit is causing his Israeli enemies. The British decision to expel an unnamed Israeli diplomat following the conclusion … Continue reading →

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A New, Old and Ugly Spirit

Posted on April 5, 2011 by jonathanspyer

Haaretz- 06/09/2009 The article in the popular Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet alleging the Israel Defense Forces were involved in organ theft was the latest and most heinous example of an increasingly familiar phenomenon: classic anti-Semitic tropes and expressions of open hostility … Continue reading →

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Analysis: Suddenly, the Arab World Wakes Up to Yemen’s Rebellion

Posted on April 5, 2011 by jonathanspyer

Gloria Center- 20/12/2009 The 30th summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council, meeting in Kuwait this week, expressed its solidarity with Saudi Arabia in its fight with the Shi’ite Houthi rebels in northern Yemen. The Kuwaiti emir noted that Saudi Arabia … Continue reading →

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Analysis: Hizbullah Turns up the Temperature in the North

Posted on April 5, 2011 by jonathanspyer

Jerusalem Post-30/07/2009 Israel’s border with Lebanon is currently at its most tense since the cease-fire which ended the war of 2006. This tension has been brought on by the combination of a number of factors. Ongoing internal political frictions in … Continue reading →

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Iran Hasn’t Won the Cold War Yet

Posted on April 5, 2011 by jonathanspyer

Gloria Center- 07/01/2010 The salient strategic fact in the Middle East today is the Iranian drive for regional hegemony. This Iranian objective is being promoted by a rising hardline conservative elite within the Iranian regime, centred on a number of … Continue reading →

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Analysis: Lebanon Election Results Offer Some Relief, but No Major Changes

Posted on April 5, 2011 by jonathanspyer

Jerusalem Post-08/06/2009 It is now clear that the pro-Western March 14 alliance has won an unexpected victory in parliamentary elections in Lebanon, and senior sources in the Hizbullah-led March 8 bloc have conceded defeat in statements to Western reporters. Contrary … Continue reading →

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