What you need to know on the crisis in the Middle East

Information, Insights, & Implications Amidst the Insanity

This is an excerpt of a forthcoming book on the growing crisis in the region.

Since the attacks by Hamas in Israel’s Southern District on Saturday, October 7, there has been a feeling and reality of an escalating, if not spiraling, conflict and crisis in the Middle East. With an overflow of news, images, and social media, it is hard to understand it all. Fundamentally, the situation is deeply personal for many. And there are far-reaching political implications. Beyond all this, moral considerations are at the core.

LINK: Mideastprimer.com

Up Front

o   The terrorist attacks by Hamas represented the greatest loss of Jewish life in one day since the Holocaust.

o   Gaza is in the midst of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that is worsening daily.

o   These latest developments are part of a complex history – wars, displacement, occupation, intersecting relationships, and long memories – before even 1948.

o   We are just at the beginning, and the fronts to watch are Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen to see how this may broaden.

o   While the United States has led the international community’s response, there are no meaningful efforts for de-escalation; this could be a runaway freight train.

o   The conflict in the Middle East has set alight the political scene in Europe and North America in a way that will affect domestic alignment across left and right.

o   Thus far, the contagion to the Gulf appears limited, and the same is true for global energy markets, but this will change if the conflict extends for months.

o   More critically, the world faces two significant conflicts with global power dimensions (Ukraine and now Gaza); a third could rock the geopolitical map and cause tectonic issues for supply chains, economic disruption, and travel.

o   Private organizations may be tempted to take political stands but should take humanitarian ones.

o   As an individual, you may not know where to turn for news, input, or insights. Things that seem clear one day may not be the next. Consider and speak carefully.

Questions & Answers