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 Clash Over Kirkuk

[caption id="attachment_55254760" align="aligncenter" width="4377"] Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi (L) meets with Kurdistan Regional Government President Masoud Barzani (R) upon his arrival at…

Majalla

Primetime Politics

[caption id="attachment_55254741" align="aligncenter" width="7072"] An elderly woman watches TV broadcasting of Russian President Vladimir Putin's annual televised question-and-answer session with…

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Sanctions and Sudan

[caption id="attachment_55254742" align="aligncenter" width="5760"] A Sudanese woman demonstrates outside the US embassy in the capital Khartoum on November 3, 2015, to protest against sanctions…

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Imagining Refugia

[caption id="attachment_55254738" align="aligncenter" width="4131"] Kurdish refugee children from the Syrian town of Kobani look on near makeshift tents in a camp in the southeastern town of Suruc,…

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Staying the Course in Afghanistan

[caption id="attachment_55254735" align="aligncenter" width="5760"] Members of the media try to protect themselves from dust blown up by a British forces transport helicopter as it lands at the…

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Xi Enters New Era of Power

[caption id="attachment_55254728" align="aligncenter" width="3628"] China's President Xi Jinping waves as he attends the opening session of the 19th Communist Party Congress at the Great Hall of the…

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From Rhetoric to Action

[caption id="attachment_55254676" align="aligncenter" width="4640"] Iran's President Hassan Rouhani answers a question during a press conference in New York on September 20, 2017, on the sideline of…

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The Postcolonial Cold War

[caption id="attachment_55254692" align="aligncenter" width="3328"] Mao Tse Toung (1893-1976) chinese president here during review of army of The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in Pekin,…

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