Skip to content
TRENDING:
Donald Trump
Advertisement
Author profile
Jacob Wirtschafter

Jacob Wirtschafter

Jacob Wirtschafter is a leading Mideast-based international affairs journalist. His special correspondence for The Washington Times is often highlighted in the Threat Status daily newsletter.

Columns by Jacob Wirtschafter

President Donald Trump speaks with Jordan's King Abdullah II in the Oval Office at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. (Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump’s Gaza relocation bombshell leaves Arabs scrambling for a counteroffer

President Trump's plan to uproot more than 2 million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, relocate them to neighboring Arab states and remake the territory as a Middle Eastern "Riviera" has already had one clear real-world impact: It has rocked Arab states and forced them to reconsider an endgame to the latest eruption of Palestinian-Israeli violence.

February 14, 2025
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, visits Israeli forces in a buffer zone inside Syria, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Israel Government Press Office via AP)

Israeli moves across Syrian border add to instability, unease after revolution

Israel's deepening military incursions into Syrian territory are adding a new layer of uncertainty and instability at a critical juncture for Damascus, as Syria's untested new leaders try to navigate the way forward in the wake of the stunning collapse of the long-ruling Bashar Assad regime.

January 28, 2025
Palestinians celebrate the announcement of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli-Hamas deal leaves big question to answer: Who will govern Gaza?

The ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants was poised to receive a final endorsement from Israel's Cabinet Friday and could take effect as early as Sunday, but the critical political question of who will govern Gaza over the long run has once again been put off for another day.

January 17, 2025
Relatives and friends of people killed and abducted by Hamas and taken into Gaza, react to the ceasefire announcement as they take part in a demonstration in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Israel, Hamas agree to ceasefire, hostage deal, with joint push from Biden and Trump

Israel and the Palestinian militant movement Hamas agreed to a ceasefire to end 15 months of devastating conflict in Gaza, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced Wednesday. The agreement, brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, will take effect on Sunday, January 19 and includes a phased truce, a prisoner and hostage exchange, and expanded humanitarian aid to the devastated, war-torn Palestinian enclave.

January 15, 2025
An advertisement of bitcoin, one of the cryptocurrencies, is displayed on a building in Hong Kong, on Nov. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

As the Trumps watch, UAE makes aggressive bid to be global crypto pacesetter

The United Arab Emirates has emerged as a global hub for cryptocurrency and blockchain innovation, offering what boosters say is a model for the incoming Trump administration on how clear regulations and strategic investment can drive growth in the booming but volatile digital finance sector.

January 12, 2025
Israeli tanks cross the security fence moving towards the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights from Syria, in the town of Majdal Shams, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Turkey, Israel seize the moment as region reels from Syria’s implosion

The dramatic fall of President Bashar Assad has left Middle Eastern powers scrambling to adapt to a shifting landscape. While Turkey and Israel have moved swiftly to secure their strategic interests, Gulf states and Egypt are cautiously recalibrating in the face of a newly realigned Syria.

December 11, 2024