Gaza, Kursk, and the US elections have led to a global crossroads

Even if the Ukrainians are forced to retreat, it raises serious questions about the limits of major powers' capabilities and the effectiveness of Russia's nuclear deterrent in the face of a conventional regional threat.

These concerns are further compounded by the puncturing of Russian territorial sovereignty over Russian territory (and, with it, the illusion of a fortification). The damage to Russia's territorial integrity has already been inflicted.

Defining moment in Gaza

Meanwhile, thousands of kilometres away in Gaza, the war appears to be nearing its conclusion. What began as a monumental failure of Israeli intelligence and military preparedness is ending as an apocalyptic nightmare for Palestinians, whose fate is the design Israel's narcissistic political elite.

For the most part, the world has stood by and watched the Palestinians being slaughtered, tacitly endorsing Israel's excess for ten long months. Gaza's desperate pleas to "Arabs and Muslims" have yielded nothing but mumbled grumblings and a bit of humanitarian aid, itself controlled by the Israelis.

The Arab media often shouts that Israel has achieved little in Gaza, highlighting the fierce resistance by Palestinians against the Israeli onslaught, claiming that the goals set by Netanyahu's government at the war's outset have failed.

In truth, the Palestinian cause has been set back decades, and the weakness of Palestinian armed resistance has become apparent, their alliances with the likes Hezbollah and Iran proving useless in their hour of need.

Their profound disappointment at the lack of Arab or Muslim action when the hour came will haunt Palestinians for years to come, even as the flawed assumptions underlying the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023 grow evident.

The past ten months in Gaza have been far more significant and far-reaching than 'just another' political and humanitarian catastrophe for the Palestinian people.

Crunch time for all

Although distant and distinct, the situations in Kursk and Gaza converge to create a global context where the outcome of the American elections will be both a reflection and a determinant of the world's trajectory.

Around the world, autocracies like China and Russia appear to be doing well, while in Washington, Donald Trump has undermined Americans' faith in their democracy by knowingly pushing false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

Authoritarian rule had consistently proven to be more harmful to humanity than the democratic rule of an enlightened majority that respects minority rights. Whether and how those ideologies clash could be the biggest danger we face.