Middle East Forum Online
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![Jamal Maarouf: “When Daesh [ISIS] stood as a firm stumbling block before us and prevented us from continuing the fight against Bashar’s army, we had to fight it and expel it from Idlib and its countryside, Hama countryside, Jabal al-Turkoman [in Latakia] and Aleppo countryside.” Above: Aleppo, Syria, March 12, 2016. Military convoys of the Syrian opposition forces head to fight ISIS.](https://cdn-mef.meforum.org/dims4/default/3b369ca/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5246x2948+2+0/resize/500x281!/brightness/10x0/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk2-prod-mef.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fcd%2F92%2Fb95ba9514dbdb21456f4274a85c6%2Fsyrian-opposition-forces-03-12-2016.jpg)
A Discussion of the History of the Syrian Revolutionaries Front, the Conflict with Jabhat Al-Nusra, and How Maarouf Views the Current Situation in Syria
The Remnants of the Still Healthy and Free ‘West’ Today Lie East of the Former Iron Curtain: Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovenia
An Affidavit Filed in Virginia Revealed an Alleged International Crime Network Using Turkey as a Central Hub for Laundering Stolen Euros and Operating a Human Smuggling Route to the U.S.
The Venice Commission Emphasized That the Right of the Orthodox Church to Use Its Own Titles, Including ‘Ecumenical,’ Is Part of Religious Freedom and Institutional Autonomy
‘This is Berlin; long live the Arabs!’
Hamas Seems Determined to Show That It Controls Events on the Ground
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Presence at the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit Is a Clear Geopolitical Mistake
Erdoğan’s Goal Will Be to Incite Indian Muslims to Embrace Their Religious Identity Before Their National Identity
Israel’s Assessment of Hamas’s Ability to Return the Majority of Hostage Bodies Contradicts Statements Made by Top U.S. Officials
U.S. Top Court’s Halkbank Ruling Could Spell Trouble for Turkey’s Erdoğan over Iran Sanctions Scheme
At the Heart of the Dispute Lies an Allegation That Halkbank Played a Central Role in an Elaborate Financial Network Designed to Help Iran Evade U.S. Sanctions
At Its Height, in the 15-Month Period Between April 2024 and July 2025, This Was a Region-Wide, State-to-State Conflict
Against All Odds, Two Years After October 7, 2023, Israel Has Generated a Much Higher Level of Security than It Had Before the Hamas Attack
The Conviction for ‘Hate Speech’ Has Ignited a Conversation About the Boundaries of Religious Expression and Freedom of Conscience in Europe
Erdoğan’s Endorsement of the Ceasefire Is Crucial Because It Sets a Precedent That Could Resolve Two Persistent Conflicts for Which Turkey Is at the Center
It Is Unlikely That These Arrests Are Random or Merely Aimed at Intimidating Local Populations
Real Peace Can Come Only After a Clear Victory for Israel — Or, Put Another Way, the Unmitigated Defeat of Its Enemies
We Can Cripple Tehran Without Firing a Shot
The October 2023 Hamas Attack on Israel Exposed a Fundamental Truth: Hamas’s Control Masked but Never Eliminated Deeper Tribal Loyalties
The Guardian Council Approved New Laws Stiffening Punishments for Espionage and Collaboration with Israel or ‘Hostile States’
How a Ceasefire Snatched Defeat from the Jaws of Victory, Ensuring the Terror Group Survives to Fight Another Day
Loud Chanting of ‘From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free’ and Other Slogans Advocating the Destruction of Israel Were a Constant Accompaniment to the Events at the Square
The Region Remains Suspended Between War Exhaustion and Recalibration
The Social Contract Must Evolve
