Omphalos takes an interdisciplinary look at the contemporary Middle East, and is published jointly with two key partners: Academic Exchange, an educational non-profit that seeks to deepen understanding of Israel in the international academic community, and the Brookings Center for Middle East Policy and its blog, Markaz. Turmoil in today's Middle East today implicates a wide array of legal questions, bears huge costs for civilian populations, and poses diverse challenges to policymakers, activists, lawyers, and reformers. For the issues that Lawfare treats, the Middle East is a kind of omphalos.
Saudi forces are closing in on Hodeidah but will no longer receive refueling support from the United States, a tenuous ceasefire is in effect after two days of violence along the Israel-Gaza border, and Turkey shares intelligence about Khashoggi’s death.
Canary Mission undermines the Israeli cause.
The Alqasem ruling seems to make the possibility that the Supreme Court will strike down Israel’s anti-BDS law even more remote.
The Trump administration ramped up pressure on Iran this week, but what does it want?
A Democratic House can help decrease the risk of terrorism, limit the endless post-9/11 wars, and restore some coherence to the U.S.’s Middle East policy.
The Trump administration implements its second round of Iran sanctions, the Pentagon warns of Islamic State reconsolidation, and MBS escalates his war in Yemen.
Tunisia's new law protecting minorities could be a model for the region.
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