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June 11, 2026
12:00 pm
EVENT: The Arab Case for Israel: History, Mythology, and Pathways to Peace
Before Israel's founding, Arab nationalism and Islamism rejected European-drawn borders, envisioning a unified Arab or Muslim nation rather than a distinct Palestinian state. As Lebanese-Iraqi scholar Hussain Abdul-Hussain argues in his new book, The Arab Case for Israel, Palestinian national identity as it exists today emerged only in 1964, shaped by inter-Arab rivalries rather than deep historical roots. The Palestinian narrative of a "lost state" reflects not a recoverable past but an aspiration for a Middle East without Israel — one that risks producing yet another failing state in a region already scarred by instability in Syria and Iraq.
Yet the current moment presents a rare opening for a more pragmatic regional order. U.S. pressure on Iran's nuclear program and Israel's campaign against Hezbollah have placed Tehran's axis of destabilization under unprecedented strain, forcing Arab states to reconsider long-held assumptions. The Abraham Accords have already demonstrated that normalization with Israel yields concrete economic and security dividends. As Iran's influence recedes, Arab leaders who privately favor coexistence must find the courage to say so publicly.
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Overnight Brief: June 18, 2026
Read Full BriefToday In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
- "Why Squander The Greatest Leverage Ever Built Against Iran?" The Daily Wire
- "US must halt the terror-driven gold rush that’s looting Venezuela," New York Post
- "In Iran, Christians Are Prosecuted as ‘Zionist Traitors’," The Algemeiner
- "Can US Engagement Rescue the United Nations From Irrelevance?" Quillette
- "Trading Away Lebanon: Washington's Bargains at Beirut's Expense," This Is Beirut
- "Gifting Iran Early Concessions Surrenders Washington’s Upper Hand," FDD Policy Brief
- "Fog of the Deal," Generation Jihad (FDD's Long War Journal)
- "Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi meets US envoy amid militia pressure," FDD's Long War Journal
The Must-Reads
- Israel pushes back against US-Iran pressure to quit Lebanon
- NATO’s Rutte says European allies ready to help restore Gulf shipping
- US and Iran presidents sign ceasefire agreement, but Trump says he could still resume attacks
- WSJ Editorial: Is Iran really a ‘normal country’?
- Inside the race to save one of Ukraine's holiest sites from a Russian strike
- After war losses, Hezbollah seen gaining from Iran-US deal
- Hezbollah MP claims delegations to Turkey promised to ‘support the resistance’ in Lebanon
- JPost Editorial: Diplomacy is not enough: Iran's deal must weaken, not strengthen, Hezbollah in Lebanon
- WSJ’s Sadanand Dhume: Big winner of the Iran deal: Pakistan
- Taiwan not 'provoking' China, hopes new US arms sale package can be approved soon, president says
- Japan’s Defense Chief challenges China's military spending data
- The deadly drone war terrorizing Colombia