Al Majalla last week covered key developments across the world and region, while also reflecting on 2025’s most significant events and trends. For his part, Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy examined How Israel's war on Gaza helped the Arab world rediscover its agency. In his piece, he says, “In response to events since October 2023, Middle East nations have found that they are strong when acting in concert. This has the power to fundamentally change the game.” 

For his part, Tarek Rashed looks at another consequence of Israel’s war on Gaza: dwindling support from America’s Christian right. This has alarmed pro-Israel forces, given Christian conservatives’ traditionally strong support for Israel.  Rashed explains all the ways these forces are trying counter the phenomenon and why it seems to be backfiring. And in Culture, Shadi Alaa Aldin looks at how Israel’s war on Gaza impacted cultural trends in 2025. From theatre to cinema to music and beyond, Palestinian solidarity was front and centre on the artistic stage in unprecedented ways.

Our writers also unpacked strategic Israeli moves around its periphery and the reasons behind them. Omar Harkous looks at Israel’s recognition of Somaliland and its implications. He says that while the Abraham Accords-like deal reached with the breakaway nation on the Horn of Africa is a strategic win for Tel Aviv, it also carries significant risks. Read his article to find out why. For his part, Omer Onhon examines Israel’s efforts to revive the EastMed pipeline project, which he argues are aimed at shutting Türkiye out from access to economic, strategic, and political advantages.

And Malek Al Athamna analyses newly-released Jordanian-British notes from a meeting that took place on the eve of the US-led invasion of Iraq. His reading argues that the exchanges demonstrate that King Abdullah II sought to blunt the impact of a US-led invasion of Iraq by offering a diplomatic off-ramp to avert catastrophe, and that the king was acutely aware that any new conflict in the region would have serious repercussions for the Palestinian issue and wider regional stability.

Onto Syria, and Haid Haid pens a piece titled Syria's new post-sanctions test. In it, he says, “Damascus finally gets breathing room after the US repealed its draconian Caesar sanctions, but it can't exhale just yet.” Read the piece to learn why. Moving next door to Lebanon, Alia Mansour explains why she thinks that Hezbollah's dangerous delusions invite more war to Lebanon. Marco Mossad details the growing utility of technology in the recently unveiled US National Security Strategy. 

In Business, Mohamed Sharki highlights Global economic trends in the first quarter of the 21st century, while Abdulfattah Khattab details how Arab economies fared in 2025. And last but not least, writing for Culture, Samer Abou Hawwach takes readers on a riveting journey through Mexico City, which he toured on the margins of the Guadalajara International Book Fair. In his piece titled Mexico City: where the ordinary and extraordinary coexist in chaotic harmony, he explains how he was constantly amazed by the country's capital, home to 23 million, the mundane and the marvellous.