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.

Four Years after the Euromaidan

[caption id="attachment_55255212" align="aligncenter" width="3000"] Anti-government protesters clash with police in Independence square on February 20, 2014 in Kiev, Ukraine. (Getty)[/caption] by…

Maia Otarashvili

The Women Who Escaped ISIS

[caption id="attachment_55255200" align="aligncenter" width="4112"] Iraqi women pose for a photo in Baghdad's Tahrir Square on December 10, 2017, during a gathering celebrating the end of the three…

Majalla

Iran’s Fourth Estate

[caption id="attachment_55255129" align="aligncenter" width="787"] Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontieres- RSF) activists take part in a protest in front of an Iran Air agency in Paris,…

Majalla

Why the Taliban Isn't Winning in Afghanistan

[caption id="attachment_55255137" align="aligncenter" width="4928"] Taliban fighters stand with their seized weapons as they are presented to the media in Kabul on January 5, 2016. (Getty)[/caption]…

Majalla

Hezbollah Will Not Yield Lebanon

[caption id="attachment_55255084" align="aligncenter" width="5724"] Young female supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah Shiite movement hold a giant symbolic key of Palestinian homes during a rally held…

Hanin Ghaddar

Will Iran be challenged in 2018?

[caption id="attachment_55255080" align="aligncenter" width="6432"] Iran's President Hassan Rouhani ( Getty Images)[/caption] by:Hanin Ghaddar As the New Year unfolds, the Middle East looks more…

Hanin Ghaddar