All opinions expressed in this article are solely the opinions of the contributors.
Israel and Hamas have been in a simmering conflict since 1987, but that escalated again in 2023 throughout Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank. On Saturday, Oct. 7, violence erupted as Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel that the Times of Israel called “the bloodiest day for Jews since the Holocaust.”
Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan reviews these important events, but his eyes are already on the broader Middle East as a whole. Alliances are already shifting, peace plans are already breaking, and the long-desired normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel–considered a staple for any Middle East peace plan–might now be at risk.
Excerpted from Peter’s Oct. 7 “Zeihan on Geopolitics” newsletter:
Hamas, a terror/political group (depending on your politics), has launched an attack on Israel. This has been a multi-faceted attack spanning land, air and sea. Prime Minister Netanyahu has declared war on Hamas as a result.
We’ve already seen Ukraine issue their support of Israel, which is notable based on Israel’s hesitant stance on the Ukraine War. I’ll also be keeping an eye on the ongoing talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia on normalizing diplomatic ties.
These attacks have the potential to break some longstanding logjams in the geopolitical schema of the Middle East. I’ll continue to monitor the developments in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and issue updates as I have more info.
