Michael Ratney, at The Blogs

Michael Ratney

May 3, 2026, 3:01 PM

How to stop the decline in US support for Israel

IDF soldiers stand behind a masked settler swinging a slingshot while hurling stones at Palestinians who had gathered for the annual olive harvest season, during an attack by Israeli settlers on the West Bank village of Beita, south of Nablus, on October 10, 2025. (Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP)

The country's next leader must change policies that degrade Palestinians or risk a permanent break with American Jews and allies

Mar 19, 2026, 3:07 PM

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The Iran war’s double-edged sword

A black plume of smoke rises from a warehouse at the industrial area of Sharjah City in the United Arab Emirates following reports of Iranian strikes in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Gulf states and Israel may welcome Iran’s weakening, but retaliation, instability, and uncertainty threaten to undermine any strategic gains

Feb 1, 2026, 3:05 PM

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Trump wants Gaza to be his legacy. Netanyahu wants it to fail

US President Donald Trump speaks at a Board of Peace charter announcement during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The White House’s 20-point plan is deeply imperfect, but modest success is still possible if humanitarian priorities prevail over political sabotage

Sep 9, 2025, 4:26 PM

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The peace-seekers who see each other’s humanity – even now

People take part in a rally for peace outside Jerusalem’s Old City, on May 19, 2021 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Those Israelis and Palestinians committed to coexistence are the ones who can help lead their communities out of today's dark reality

About Me

Michael Ratney, a Distinguished Fellow on the Policy Fellows Council of the Israel Policy Forum, served for over three decades as a US Foreign Service Officer. He was US Consul General in Jerusalem from 2012 to 2015, Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy to Israel in 2021, and US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2023 to 2025.