Al Majalla selected The Struggle for Power as the title of this week’s cover story because Israel’s elections raise questions that reach far beyond the identity of the next prime minister. They reveal a deeper contest over the nature of political authority, the limits that define it, and the balance that governs the state’s institutions. Early results indicate that the ballot box may prolong the political stalemate rather than bring it to an end. Benjamin Netanyahu does not appear to command a clear majority, while his opponents face the daunting task of converting any electoral advantage into a coalition capable of governing. The implications of this struggle reach far beyond Israel’s borders. The next government will influence the trajectory of the confrontation with Iran, the future of Gaza, tensions with Lebanon and Syria, and relations with Washington and the Arab states.

The People's Authoritarian

by Michael Kimmage Lost Kingdom: The Quest for Empire and the Making of the Russian Nation. Serhii Plokhy. Basic Books, 2017. 432pp. The Long Hangover: Putin’s New Russia and the Ghosts of the…

Majalla

The Liberal Order Is More Than a Myth

[caption id="attachment_55257213" align="aligncenter" width="594"] Flags outside the United Nations (UN) Office as the fourth round of the intra-Syrian talks begin in Geneva, Switzerland on February…

Majalla

Is a Storm Brewing in the Taiwan Strait?

[caption id="attachment_55257207" align="aligncenter" width="594"] Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen inspects a military exercise at Penghu Islands on May 25, 2017 in Penghu, Taiwan. (Getty Images)[…

Majalla

Privileges to Poverty

[caption id="attachment_55257135" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Movenpick Resort in Ain Sohkna (Source- Maria Asaad).[/caption] By Maria Asaad I remember looking up towards the blinding ball of…

Majalla

Macron's Reformist Victory

[caption id="attachment_55257129" align="aligncenter" width="594"] Employees of French state-owned railway transport company SNCF join a demonstration called by nine pensioner unions on June 14, 2018…

Majalla

The Fall of Daraa

[caption id="attachment_55257123" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] A Free Syrian Army fighter in Yadouda, in Syria's Daraa Province, May 2018. (Reuters)[/caption] by Suha Maayeh and Nicholas A…

Majalla

A New Military Strategy for Japan

[caption id="attachment_55257060" align="aligncenter" width="3505"] Replenishment ship Tokiwa's captain Yasuo Takamori (2nd R) of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) supplies fuel and water to…

Majalla

Standing Up for Democracy

[caption id="attachment_55257056" align="aligncenter" width="4441"] United States Capital Building Dome. (Getty)[/caption] By Richard Fontaine In its 2018 National Defense Strategy, released in…

Majalla