Mohamad Bazzi

Trump fell in love with Mamdani, who didn’t even give him a luxury plane or invest billions in Trump’s real estate and crypto ventures

Saudi Prince Mohammed is being lavished with praise by Trump. It’s clear why | Mohamad Bazzi Autocrats like Prince Mohammed are eager to benefit from Trump’s brazen effort to use the presidency to enrich himself and his family

“With little restraint on his power, Trump has expanded his corrupt and transactional method of governing in his second term. And autocrats like MBS are eager to benefit from Trump’s brazen effort to use the presidency to enrich himself and his family” — my latest for @theguardian.com

How to Topple Maduro And why regime change is the only way forward in Venezuela.

Elliott Abrams says regime change is the only way forward in Venezuela and nothing could go wrong. Just like with Iraq. Do we really have to do this again?

www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

It's almost as if one of the belligerents doesn't honor its ceasefire commitments.

After the Jan 6 attack, when the Trump brand became toxic, Saudi Arabia became one of the most important sources of new deals for the Trump Organization.

My latest for @theguardian.com on how Trump and MBS bailed each other out | www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Saudi prince Mohammed is being lavished by Trump. It’s clear why | Mohamad Bazzi Autocrats like Prince Mohammed are eager to benefit from Trump’s brazen effort to use the presidency to enrich himself and his family

When Trump was out of power, Saudi Arabia became one of the most important sources of new deals for the Trump brand, which had become toxic after the Jan 6 attack. Trump has now reciprocated by absolving MBS for ordering Jamal Khashoggi's assassination — my latest @theguardian.com

Imposing Sanctions on Israel with Love As an Israeli Jew in voluntary political exile since 1983 facing horrors being done in my name and without my consent

Imposing Sanctions on Israel with Love

Supreme Court issues emergency order to block full SNAP food aid payments The Supreme Court has granted the Trump administration’s emergency appeal to temporarily block a court order to fully fund SNAP food aid payments amid the government shutdown.

President of the richest country in the history of the world appeals to his country's supreme court to allow him to let millions of poor people starve — and the court says “sure, go ahead”

Scoop: U.S. pushing to finalize plan for international Gaza security force The ceasefire is fragile, but getting to the next phase is politically explosive.

According to Barak Ravid, Trump is inclined to overrule Israeli objections to a Turkish military presence in Gaza and formally invite Turkey to participate in the "International Stabilization Force".

Egypt has made clear it wants Turkey involved.

I wrote for @theguardian.com on Jared Kushner‘s many financial conflicts emerging from his work on Trump‘s Gaza plan | www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Jared Kushner is back – and so are big questions about his financial ties | Mohamad Bazzi Kushner’s investment firm is backed by three Arab petrostates critical to the Gaza agreement. And the deals keep coming

“Kushner’s key role in brokering the Gaza deal cannot be separated from the investment firm he owns, Affinity Partners, which is overwhelmingly financed by the very Arab petrostates critical to the agreement and potential reconstruction – Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE” — my latest @theguardian.com

The President's Murder Spree Claims 14 More Victims The military is using the tactics of authoritarian regimes and applying them on the open seas and perhaps soon to the territory of other countries.

"The military is using the tactics of authoritarian regimes and applying them on the open seas and perhaps soon to the territory of other countries." daniellarison.substack.com/p/the-presid...

“Capitalism will always survive, because socialism will be there to save it” — Ralph Nader

She should have been asked about Gaza as well

No Kings and No Economic Emperors.

Have been keeping close track of who on the center-left and left is praising and who is not praising Trump's peace plan for Gaza and overwhelmingly it's been moderate pro-Israel Democrats and Biden foreign policy alumna. Basically the total opposite of the impression Bluesky gives you.

I will be part of a virtual panel discussion this Thursday (October 16) at 7pm EDT: “What does the Western media get wrong about the Middle East?”

This event is organized by @cfetmu.bsky.social.

For more info (and Zoom link):
cfe.torontomu.ca/events/what-...

It was undermined by atrocious @nytimes.com coverage, among other things

When Biden violated US law to give Israel a thirty day deadline to comply with a series of steps in October 2024 I was assured by many people on here that he was finally going to impose consequences. Anyway Israel didn't comply with a single step and Blinken claimed they were in compliance anyway.

Marco Rubio, attending Trump-Sisi meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, claims today "might be one of the most important days for world peace in 50 years."

Trump interjects: "Only 50?"

Rubio, quickly replies: "Maybe 100."

Laughter in the room. End scene.

It’s important to state that the war is not over. There is a ceasefire in Gaza at the moment but Israel’s war is on all its enemies (real or perceived) and includes its actions in Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, Iran and the attack on Qatar. I don’t think these events can be analysed in isolation

An underreported aspect of the Gaza ceasefire: The business deals that Trump's family made with Gulf Arab states gave Trump a personal stake in restraining Netanyahu — my piece @theguardian.com | www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

🔴 NEW: Israel Expands Campaign Against Reconstruction in South Lebanon

At 4 AM, Israeli jets launched ten strikes on six excavation yards along the Al-Msayleh road, sparking fires so large they cut off the route. Fire crews rushed in as one civilian was killed and another injured while passing...

Trump’s strong-arming of Netanyahu led to a deal. He must sustain that pressure | Mohamad Bazzi The US president long refused to use his influence over the prime minister. Last month, that appeared to change

“Trump’s willingness to strong-arm Netanyahu was the key to achieving this latest deal. The US president will need to sustain that pressure on Netanyahu to make sure he doesn’t blow up the ceasefire, as he did in March, and resume Israel’s genocidal war” — my latest for @theguardian.com

“Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza” — Biden never made this simple demand, despite 15 months of relentless Israeli slaughter of Palestinians during his presidency

Once again, Netanyahu has outplayed Trump | Mohamad Bazzi Trump considers himself a master deal-maker. But he’s been regularly outmaneuvered by strongmen like Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin

“After two years of obstructing ceasefire negotiations, Netanyahu got almost everything he wanted, thanks to Trump. It’s close to the 'total victory' over Hamas that Netanyahu has consistently promised the Israeli public, but failed to deliver on the battlefield” — my latest for @theguardian.com

Once again, Netanyahu has outplayed Trump | Mohamad Bazzi Trump considers himself a master deal-maker. But he’s been regularly outmaneuvered by strongmen like Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin

“Like Trump’s current peace plan for Gaza, the Abraham Accords were negotiated directly with Israel and autocratic Arab regimes – and they excluded Palestinians from any discussion of their future or aspirations. These are deals conceived by real estate tycoons” — my latest for @theguardian.com

A year after losing its longtime leader, Hezbollah is beginning to regroup Hezbollah is regrouping after suffering significant losses in its recent conflict with Israel. The Lebanese militant group lost its longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in Israeli airstrikes a year ago ...

“Growing pressure within Lebanon for Hezbollah to give up its weapons and delays in reconstruction of war-battered areas have left many in its largely Shiite base feeling that there are attempts to marginalize them”