Edward Finkelstein

In a city that once prided itself on being the beating heart of American pluralism and resilience, New Yorkers have just handed the keys to City Hall to Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist firebrand whose ascension reeks of ideological fanaticism masquerading as progress.

As polls close on this pivotal Election Day, New Yorkers face a stark choice: preserve the world's greatest city as a beacon of freedom and diversity, or hand the keys to Zohran Mamdani, a radical Democratic Socialist whose unapologetic hostility toward Israel veers perilously close to outright endorsement of the terrorist group Hamas.

Foreign ministers from several Muslim-majority countries will convene in Istanbul on Monday to discuss the current Gaza ceasefire and potential next steps, including the establishment of a "stability force," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced on Friday during a press conference in Ankara.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday he would consult with the defense establishment to determine an appropriate response to what he described as new violations of the ceasefire deal by Hamas, after the militant group returned the remains of a hostage on Monday, remains which, according to Israeli authorities, had already been recovered two years ago.

In yet another alarming blow to press freedom, Turkish authorities have seized control of opposition television channel Tele1 and arrested its editor-in-chief, Merdan Yanardag, signaling a continued descent of Turkey into autocracy under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

A Turkish court on Friday dismissed a case seeking to annul the 2023 congress of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and oust its current leader, Özgür Özel. 

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, strongly criticized Israel on Tuesday, accusing it of repeated violations of the current ceasefire in Gaza, following a series of Israeli airstrikes that reportedly targeted Hamas infrastructure in the enclave.

The Lebanese army has stepped up its campaign against the country’s narcotics trade, carrying out a series of raids and arrests that expose a sharp contrast in its willingness to act against Hezbollah’s armed presence. 

The European Union unveiled a new strategy on Thursday aimed at revitalizing and strengthening its relations with countries in the southern Mediterranean, including Lebanon and North African nations such as Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, and Syria.

As the United Nations urges a surge in humanitarian aid to Gaza, its top officials are once again missing the point. The issue is not the number of trucks waiting at the border — it’s who controls what happens once those trucks roll in.

On the 10th anniversary of the Aqaba Process, a counterterrorism initiative launched by King Abdullah II of Jordan, Italy hosted for the first time the high-level summit of this strategic forum. 

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez once again proves that he is no architect of peace, but rather a political arsonist fanning the flames of conflict.