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.

A Tale of Two Photos

[caption id="attachment_55256611" align="alignnone" width="940"] China, September 7, 1901, Boxer Rebellion, The signing of the 'Peking Protocol' by the plenipotentiaries, at the Spanish legation. …

Majalla

The Pro-Assad Alliance Is Coming Apart

[caption id="attachment_55256604" align="alignnone" width="940"] Syria's President Bashar al-Assad during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin (not in picture) at Bocharov Ruchei…

Majalla

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors?

[caption id="attachment_55256470" align="aligncenter" width="5568"] Two men dressed as customs officers take part in a protest outside Stormont against Brexit and it's possible effect on the north…

Ronald Granieri

The Long Arc of Human Rights

[caption id="attachment_55256402" align="alignnone" width="940"] Rohingya refugees wade while holding a child after crossing the Naf river from Myanmar into Bangladesh in Whaikhyang on October 9,…

Majalla

The Reinvention of Iraq's Muqtada al-Sadr

[caption id="attachment_55256399" align="alignnone" width="940"] Iraqi supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr wave the national flag as they listen to his speech during a demonstration in…

Majalla