Gregg Roman – Determined Fighter for the State of Israel and Jews Everywhere
Gregg Roman has been the director of the Philadelphia-based Middle East Forum since 2015. His work with the organization includes management of all aspects of its day-to-day communications and financial strategies. Gregg Roman’s writing has appeared in publications that include Newsweek, The Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel, Los Angeles Times, and the Miami Herald.
Iraq’s Drying Rivers and Wetlands Are Signaling Compounding Political Dangers
We know that the effects of climate change are worse on developing nations. Drought and water shortages curtail food supplies, make formerly well-populated landscapes uninhabitable, and force inhabitants to migrate due to increasingly unsustainable environments. The long-standing water crisis in Iraq is an example of what can result from a changing environment—and how a poorly […]
Israel Tries to Manage Armed Conflict Amid Religious Holidays
In the hours leading up to Passover 2022, Israeli police responded with tear gas and stun grenades to groups of Palestinians throwing rocks while barricaded at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Police took the unusual step of entering the mosque to make arrests, resulting in further attacks and response. At least four police were wounded […]
The Tangled Web and Long Shadows of the Iran-Iraq War
After eight years of bloody encounters on the battlefield, the horrific use of chemical weapons, and an estimated half a million dead on both sides, the Iran-Iraq war ended in an effective stalemate in 1988. In addition to those killed, an estimated 1 million more were injured, and the total material losses rose well over […]
Kuwait – From Under Colonial Control to Modern-Day Upheaval
On April 5, 2022, Kuwait saw the collective resignation of its third government in 18 months after critically needed reforms failed to move forward. The resignation came ahead of a vote of no confidence in the prime minister scheduled for later in the week. The deepening political crisis in the small Persian Gulf nation caps […]
How Morocco’s Grip on Western Sahara Is Being Challenged by Rebels and Algeria
In his first official trip to Morocco as Secretary of State, on March 29, 2022, Antony Blinken met in Rabat with the country’s foreign minister, Nasser Bourita, only days after the two men joined a group of six nations for a high-level summit in Israel’s Negev Desert. The so-called “Negev Summit” over the […]
Historic Negev Summit Eclipsed by Reign of Terror in Israel
On Wednesday, March 30, 2022, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog flew to Jordan to meet with King Abdullah II. Officials timed the visit to give Herzog and the Hashemite ruler a chance at smoothing over simmering tensions just ahead of Ramadan. The Islamic holy month of Ramadan, although in its essence a time to […]
Crisis in Ukraine Imperils Essential Food Exports to Mideast
Russia’s unprovoked war of choice on Ukraine is having consequences that extend far beyond Eastern Europe—even to the Middle East. Since the Russian invasion began on February 24, 2022, the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region has seen its already food-insecure countries running short on products they regularly import from both Ukraine and Russia. […]
Russia’s War on Ukraine Reveals Fissures in US-Gulf Relationships
The United States has serious issues with its international allies, primarily Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. While Russia’s attempted conquest of Ukraine increased in brutality daily, President Joe Biden also had to deal with the problem of keeping oil prices in the US manageable as Western sanctions on Russian oil took effect. And […]