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On this edition of Parallax Views, independent journalist James Dorsey of The Turbulent World with James Dorsey returns for our regular Middle East update. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss the historic visit of Al-Sharaa to Washington and what it signals for U.S.–Syria relations, the internal ethno-religious divides within Syria, and the concerns of Alawite minorities amid shifting regional dynamics.

We then turn to Mohammed bin Salman’s Saudi Arabia, where a push toward economic and cultural liberalization coexists uneasily with continued political repression.

From there, we unpack the tenuous Gaza ceasefire, examining why some see it as farcical, how Israel’s long-term right-wing radicalization complicates peace efforts, and the internal divisions within the Palestinian world that further muddy the waters.

Finally, we explore the emerging MAGA split on Israel—how evangelical Christians, particularly in the Global South, are no longer uniformly pro-Israel; and how segments of the MAGA movement are expressing a mix of Islamophobia and antisemitism, reframing their stance on Israel in troubling ways.

As always, James Dorsey brings deep insight and context to a region where politics, religion, and power intersect in volatile and unexpected ways.