Mel Gurtov

Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Portland State University

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Dec 3, 2023, 6:15 AM

Israel’s Intelligence Failure: Worse Than We Thought

Turns out that over a year before the Hamas attack, Israeli intelligence secured multiple documentation that gave a detailed account on what Hamas would do Oct. 7. But the Israelis discounted the plan as being unrealistic and therefore not...

Nov 21, 2023, 1:20 AM

Cease Fire? Obstacles and Opportunities

Appeals for a cease fire in Israel’s war with Hamas are growing louder. Along with about 100 governments and many international and nongovernmental organizations, the UN General Assembly, by a 120-14 vote (with 45 abstentions), has called for an...

Nov 21, 2023, 12:57 AM

Israel’s Al-Shifa Operation, A Critical Examination

Israel’s attack on the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City has become both the reality and the symbol of all that is wrong with its war on Hamas. To some in Israel, it has become a “litmus test” of support...

Feb 28, 2023, 10:33 PM

The Coup in Israel

Israel has always been touted as America’s most reliable friend in the Middle East, a bastion of democracy in a region dominated by autocracies. Now that picture is fraying as the far-right coalition of PM Benjamin Netanyahu takes power....

Dec 13, 2022, 4:29 AM

The Iran Protests and US Policy

Streets in dozens of Iran cities are filled with angry people in popular protests that have already gone on much longer—three months and counting—than those in 2009 and 2019. The unrest erupted when news broke on September 16 that...

Nov 22, 2022, 9:12 PM

The Biden-Xi Summit in Bali

Some Reasons for Optimism The much-ballyhooed first in-person summit between Pres. Biden and Xi went off pretty well. Biden clearly communicated the US belief that a new Cold War will not happen, that the US is “not looking for conflict”...

Nov 15, 2022, 9:23 PM

A Post-Election Caution

What a difference a day makes, as the old song goes. The day before Election Day, liberals and progressives feared the worst: a solidly MAGA takeover of the House and Senate. Consider these expectations that proved unwarranted: • MAGA election...

Nov 10, 2022, 7:51 AM

Time to End US Military Ties to Saudi Arabia

An Uneven Balance Sheet Saudi Arabia and OPEC have decided to cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day. President Biden is miffed, and has signaled that he’s fed up with the Saudis who, according to a New York...

Nov 9, 2022, 4:07 AM

How Should the US React to the Religious Zionists?

The Threat to Human Rights No one should be surprised to find Benjamin Netanyahu back as prime minister of Israel, with decisive support from far-right religious extremists. With the recent election, the religious bloc called Religious Zionism put Netanyahu’s Likud...

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About Me

Mel Gurtov is Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Senior Editor of ASIAN PERSPECTIVE. He has published over 30 books and numerous articles on US foreign policy, Chinese politics, and international affairs from a human-interest perspective. He previously served with the RAND Corporation, during which he co-authored the Pentagon Papers. He blogs "In the Human Interest," has a podcast on Substack, and does weekly, five-minute radio commentaries on two stations in Oregon.

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