Richard Wallace

The international community needs to ensure that “transitional” governance arrangements in Gaza are just that, transitional.

The last time transitional measures were put in place (Oslo), they became permanent due to Israel’s deliberate obstruction of any pathway towards Palestinian statehood.

The Gaza Deal Is Not Too Big to Fail How Israel’s Military Dominance Could Undermine America’s Quest for Regional Peace

“[T]he Biden administration failed to impose serious costs on the Israeli government for allowing & even encouraging a widening campaign of settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. In this vacuum, Israel appropriated more West Bank land in 2024 than in the previous 20 years combined.”

The harsh truth behind Bangladesh's poverty reversal Why have the earlier gains in poverty reduction proved to be so vulnerable?

“The story of poverty reversal in Bangladesh is a complex one, but it has one simple moral. Growth that leaves people behind is fundamentally fragile; stability that breeds injustice is ultimately wobbly, and data that does not reflect reality is ultimately unsustainable.”

Is the U.S.-Israel Gaza Peace Plan a Deal or a Distraction? Regardless, it took the wind out of the sails of broader efforts grounded in international law.

“[T]he U.S.-Israeli plan excludes [the PLO] from any governance role in Gaza until it has implemented certain ill-defined reforms [including] ones referenced in Trump’s 2020 peace plan, which requires the PA to terminate pursuit of legal accountability against Israelis for war crimes.”

From Assad to today’s transitional government — how have Syria’s religious minorities interacted with the state?

Read more here:

🔗: theoldquarter.substack.com/p/syrias-fra...

From Assad to today’s transitional government — how have Syria’s religious minorities interacted with the state?

Read more here:

🔗: theoldquarter.substack.com/p/syrias-fra...

Palestine, the Wave of Western Recognition, and a Global System in Transformation The moves neither end occupation nor halt the war in Gaza. But they do open a diplomatic window of hope and build on a new balance in the international arena.

“Diplomatically, recognition inscribes the Palestinian narrative onto the international political map and restores the principle that Israeli occupation is not a permanent destiny and that the Palestinian people hold an inalienable right to self-determination.”

New Substack post on The Old Quarter.

In this piece, I examine the relationships between Syria’s religious minority communities and the state, during both the Assad era and under the transitional government.

open.substack.com/pub/theoldqu...

New Substack post on The Old Quarter.

In this piece, I examine the relationships between Syria’s religious minority communities and the state, during both the Assad era and under the transitional government.

open.substack.com/pub/theoldqu...

Recognize Palestine, Then Put Real Pressure on Israel Meaningful international support for Palestinian liberation remains necessary to defeat terrorism.

“It is reasonable and just to reject any “security consensus” in any country that rests on apartheid and leads to genocide. Indeed, by deferring to Israel’s bipartisan commitment to crushing Palestinian rights, Western states have helped create the crisis we face today.”

Bangladesh must uphold its secular heritage Far-right movements in Bangladesh have often been influenced or fueled by external forces.

“[I]n Bangladesh, despite the uprising led by students, Gen Z is often portrayed as leaning towards the far right..this image is misleading. A dysfunctional political culture and limited civic education pushed many young people towards reactionary views.”

www.thedailystar.net/opinion/view...

The “Axis of Resistance” at a Crossroads Israel has inflicted heavy losses on Iran-aligned armed groups, but regional conflict drivers persist. As long as political grievances remain unaddressed, peace in the region will remain elusive.

What next for Iran-aligned armed groups in the Middle East?

My Substack article:

theoldquarter.substack.com/p/the-axis-o...

Civilians made up 15 of every 16 people killed by Israel in Gaza since March, data suggests Report from independent conflict tracker Acled indicates one of the highest civilian death rates since start of war

Civilians made up 15 of every 16 people killed by Israel in Gaza since March, data suggests. That's 94%! Internal data from the IDF indicated a civilian death toll of 83% between the outbreak of war in October 2023 and May of this year.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

Israel’s Gaza Disengagement Worked Far Too Well Leaving Gaza in 2005 wasn’t a failed bid for peace but a catastrophically successful effort to freeze the peace process.

“Israel’s Gaza disengagement was never about pursuing a two-state solution..It was an exercise in conflict management that sought to indefinitely freeze the conflict & torpedo pressure to negotiate with the Palestinians.The disengagement’s flaw wasn’t that it failed, but that it was too successful.”

We need Bangladesh Studies more than ever Amid political pressures and restricted scholarship, independent Bangladesh Studies are more vital than ever. Exploring history, politics, and culture freely is key to nurturing intellectual growth an...

The failed effort by a handful of London Awami Leaguers to disrupt a talk @soasuni.bsky.social last Friday triggered further thoughts about the poor state of Bangladesh Studies more generally. 🇧🇩

en.prothomalo.com/opinion/w6ke...

Israel’s attack on Qatar has shaken the Gulf Netanyahu’s preference for endless war over diplomacy is making Saudis and Emiratis reconsider their alliances

“Doha hosted Hamas at [the US’] urging, funded it with Israeli facilitation & mediated talks with everyone’s approval. For Qatar, these moves were meant to amount to an implicit security guarantee. Cultivating the US & hosting its biggest base in the [region] was supposed to deliver an explicit one”

How will Qatar and the Gulf respond to Israeli strike on Doha? Qatar considers legal and military response as GCC states draw closer and US alliance comes under scrutiny

“We will likely see more investment in air defence, a greater push for a GCC security umbrella, and a diversification of strategic partnerships beyond the United States.”

- Dr Andreas Krieg, King’s College London

Israeli strikes shake quiet Qatar, strain US ties Ahmed was in a university lecture when he heard the bangs: loud explosions from unprecedented Israeli air strikes targeting Hamas that shattered Qatar's peace and put the wealthy Gulf region on edge.

The strike "will also put further strain on US-Qatar relations, which is exactly what Israel wants to do", said
@andreaskrieg.bsky.social

"It wants to drive a wedge between Qatar and the United States."
www.france24.com/en/live-news...

History will remember that this picture of a warm embrace between the leaders of the UK and Israel was taken two years into Israel's genocide.

Short photo essay on #Petra, #Jordan.

This is part of the newly-launched Passages series on The Old Quarter, on Substack here👇

theoldquarter.substack.com/p/petra-the-...

Israeli annexation of the West Bank would be ‘red line’ for UAE Emirati foreign ministry’s warning is strongest sign of frustration with Israel since accords signed in 2020

“One of the UAE’s key demands when negotiating the Abraham Accords was that…Netanyahu rescind his threat to annex the West Bank. Israeli officials have revived the threat…in response to several European countries’ recent pledges to recognise Palestine.”

Will the UAE withdraw from the Accords then?

The “Axis of Resistance” at a Crossroads Israel has inflicted heavy losses on Iran-aligned armed groups, but regional conflict drivers persist. As long as political grievances remain unaddressed, peace in the region will remain elusive.

What next for Iran-aligned armed groups in the Middle East?

My Substack article:

theoldquarter.substack.com/p/the-axis-o...

Global hunger monitor declares famine in Gaza Starvation is ‘entirely man-made’, says UN-backed IPC

UN’s emergency relief co-ordinator, Tom Fletcher:

“[F]ood stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel. It is a famine within a few hundred metres of food, in a fertile land…It is a famine openly promoted by some Israeli leaders as a weapon of war.”

Israel’s Emerging Occupation Consensus Despite Misgivings About Netanyahu’s Gaza Plans, Most Israelis Support His Approach to the Palestinians

The Israeli public opinion poll data in this Foreign Affairs article is truly horrifying.

“[T]he fact is that when it comes to Israeli intransigence regarding Palestinians, [Netanyahu] alone is not the problem. The problem is Israeli society, politics, & culture as it has evolved over decades.”

The Next Israel-Iran War Is Coming Both countries’ strategic calculus suggests it will be even more violent.

“Israel is determined to deny [Iran] time to replenish its missile arsenal,restore air defenses,or deploy improved systems.That logic is central to Israel’s strategy:strike preventively & repeatedly to prohibit adversaries from developing capabilities that could challenge Israeli military dominance”

Hamas 'open to shift' by Israel and US towards comprehensive Gaza deal | The National Militant group sees potential to ensure its political survival

“”Thegrand plan remains for Israel to create conditions on the ground that leave the Palestinians little choice but to seek a dignified and secure life elsewhere,” said another source. “Forced evictions also remain on the table.””

Recognition of Palestinian statehood is not enough when it comes to Gaza The UK and Europe must take action, not stick with mere symbolic gestures

“[Israel’s] settlement enterprise is not a rogue fringe; it’s a state-directed policy apparatus..targeted measures must extend to all Israeli ministers, military officials & lawmakers who facilitate or incite violations of international law,including in settlements in the West Bank & East Jerusalem”

Slovenia bans import, export and transit of weapons to and from Israel

"In such circumstances, it is the duty of every responsible state to take action, even if it means taking a step ahead of others" 🇸🇮

BBC reports that PM Starmer spoke to Netanyahu on the phone before the cabinet meeting at which the UK government decided to conditionally recognise a Palestinian state.

Timely reminder that the man on the other end of the line is a wanted war criminal, & the ICC has an arrest warrant out for him.