Nicholas Saidel, at The Blogs

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Sep 16, 2015, 1:13 PM

Israel must free Marwan Barghouti

The jailed Fatah leader has the will and the street cred to lead Palestinians to a two-state solution

Jan 30, 2015, 11:53 PM

Hezbollah: The Sacrificial Lamb for Iranian Ambitions

The future of Hezbollah seems bright from afar. The “Party” has grown numerically and expanded geographically, has drastically improved its missile, rocket and drone arsenal, and has become a battle-hardened fighting force from its experience in the ongoing war...

Aug 22, 2014, 11:20 PM

Axing the Axis: A doctrinal assessment of Israel’s war with Iran’s Resistance Axis

As Operation Protective Edge confirmed, Israel faces an increasingly dangerous enemy in Hamas. Hamas' power, to a large extent, relies on its relationship with Iran - historically, Hamas' main benefactor. Israel and the West should engage in a robust...

May 18, 2014, 1:18 PM

NATO – Turkey out, Israel in

Ankara's dalliance with Iran and clampdown on civil freedoms should disqualify the Turks from the Treaty

May 10, 2014, 12:36 AM

The Time is Ripe for Israel’s Accession to NATO

Reports now indicate that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is getting cold feet regarding a deal to normalize relations with Turkey. His incredulity is justified given Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan’s behavior towards the Jewish state since the Mavi...

Feb 5, 2013, 6:53 PM

A Battle Lost: Israel’s Misguided Silence at the United Nations Human Rights Council

Israel cannot get a fair shake at the United Nations (UN). This much most Zionists, be they liberal or conservative, can agree upon. Innumerable UN resolutions have unfairly singled out Israel for condemnation, while truly repressive regimes such as...

Dec 13, 2012, 6:59 PM

Iran’s Naval Upgrade Could Spell War for Israel in Africa

Iran's sea power is growing. For evidence of this one need look no further than the Iranian-made Fajr-5 rockets that were fired from Gaza into Israel during Operation Pillar of Defense. These rockets, which by Hamas' intent landed in...

Nov 3, 2012, 7:49 PM

To Liberal American Zionists: A Call to Intervene

Due to a breakdown in budget negotiations within the governing Likud-led coalition, Israel is now scheduled to hold elections on January 22, 2013. What a perfect opportunity for liberal Zionists in America who support U.S. President Barack Obama to...

Aug 27, 2012, 11:30 AM

UC Zionism: A self-pity party

Self-pitying appeals to power, and a failure to draw a distinction between unfair criticism and all-out Jew hatred, undermines the credibility of those who would speak for Israel on campus

Jul 26, 2012, 8:38 PM

The blurring of terror

Last week's despicable act of terrorism that killed five Israeli tourists in Burgas, Bulgaria was rightly condemned by the international community. What was missing in the media, however, was the labeling of the attacker as a "terrorist." For as...

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About Me

Nicholas Saidel is Associate Director of the Institute for Strategic Threat Analysis & Response (ISTAR) at the University of Pennsylvania