FDD Morning Brief

ANTISEMITISM AND A NEW MIDDLE EAST

HEADLINE 1: The Trump administration escalated its maximum pressure campaign on Iran with a new round of sanctions.

HEADLINE 2: Things are getting hairy between Syria’s new leadership and the Israeli government.

HEADLINE 3: Speaking of Syria, an Israeli journalist uncovered troves of classified intelligence from the fallen Assad regime at Iran’s embassy in Damascus.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC).

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

After nearly a year and half of war following Hamas’s brutal October 7 attacks, Israeli society has proven its resilience and strength. The IDF has had a series of military successes against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and in Iran – though substantial challenges remain, in particular the return of all the hostages from Gaza.

Paired with global political realities, Israel’s military successes present Jerusalem a window of opportunity. What could this opportunity look like? How should Israel turn its military successes into strategic victories and ensure lasting peace and security? Critically, what should Israel do about the future of the Gaza Strip and how can it work together with the U.S. administration to continue down the path of the Abraham Accords and advance normalization with Saudi Arabia?

Yair Lapid, former Israeli Prime Minister and Foreign Minister and current Leader of Opposition of the Knesset, joins FDD to deliver a new proposal for the future of Gaza as part of his strategic vision for a peaceful and prosperous Israel and Middle East. FDD Chief Executive Mark Dubowitz will moderate an exclusive fireside chat following a presentation by Leader Lapid.

For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2025/02/25/the-day-after-yair-lapids-vision-for-a-peaceful-middle-east/

THE HOSTAGE CRISIS: THE STORY OF ALON OHEL

HEADLINE 1: Israeli authorities have arrested 10 people suspected of smuggling arms from Jordan into Israel.

HEADLINE 2: The IDF deployed tanks to the West Bank city of Jenin.

HEADLINE 3: The IDF carried out a series of airstrikes in Lebanon ahead of Nasrallah’s funeral.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Idit Ohel, mother of 24-year-old Hamas hostage Alon Ohel.

Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

SOUTH AFRICA'S MALIGN TIES WITH AUTHORITARIANS

HEADLINE 1: Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was in Iran this week.

HEADLINE 2: Arab leaders are meeting in Riyadh today to discuss alternatives to President Trump’s vision for Gaza.

HEADLINE 3: Iran executed a record number of people in 2024.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Max Meizlish, senior research analyst at FDD's Center on Economic and Financial Power.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

ABRAHAM ACCORDS, 10/7 WAR, IRAN

HEADLINE 1: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Saudi officials in Riyadh.

HEADLINE 2: Israeli troops remain in "buffer zone" in Lebanon to enforce the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire.

HEADLINE 3: The European Union plans to weigh in on the postwar Gaza discussion.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Dan Feferman, a Middle East and Jewish studies scholar who serves as the chairman of the peace-building NGO Sharaka.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

STARTUP NATION, ISRAEL AND THE GULF, AND THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS

HEADLINE 1: Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Israel over the weekend.

HEADLINE 2: On Friday evening, Hezbollah supporters attacked a UN peacekeeping convoy.

HEADLINE 3: The IDF was hard at work in Gaza over the weekend.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Nave Shachar, who serves as the Gulf Cooperation Council and MENA Innovation Diplomacy Director at Startup Nation Central.

Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation between Bradley Bowman, Senior Director of FDD's Center on Military & Political Power (CMPP), and IDF Major General (Ret.) Tal Kelman, who was tasked with overseeing Israel's "Iran file" during his service.

Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ed Husain, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a professor at Georgetown University.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Over the last two months, Turkey has thrown its weight behind Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the victorious Syrian rebel group who ousted Bashar al-Assad’s government from power. Westen countries have labeled HTS a terrorist organization – yet, despite HTS’s jihadi roots, Turkey has argued the group is capable of establishing a state that brings law and order and is dedicated to serving Syria’s diverse population. For Syrian Kurds and other communities opposed to HTS governance, Erdogan’s embrace of the Sunni government foreshadows a grim future where Turkey is the dominant foreign power in Syria. For Turkey’s neighbors, Western allies, and fellow NATO members, Erdogan’s actions are a warning sign that Turkey is trying to fundamentally restructure and reshape regional boundaries.

In light of its ambitions for the Middle East and Arab world, how can Turkey’s expansionist ambitions be best understood? What are the potential consequences for Turkey’s neighbors in the Mediterranean? Will Turkey’s NATO status mean less as the U.S. changes its relationship with the alliance? Can Turkey be trusted to be an honest power in Syria, or will Turkey’s dreams yield a new sphere of influence?

To explore these questions, FDD hosts a sideline session during the 6th Annual Delphi Economic Forum featuring the Cohen Chair in International Relations at Lehigh University and adjunct senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations Henri J. Barkey; FDD Non-Resident Fellow and expert on Turkish domestic politics, Sinan Ciddi; former Minister of Migration and Asylum of Greece and current member of the Greece-Cyprus-Israel-US Interparliamentary Committee Dimitris Kairidis; and FDD Executive Vice President Jon Schanzer. The panel will be moderated by Lena Argiri, Washington Correspondent for Greek Public TV (ERT), with introductions by Endy Zemenides, Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council.

For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/category/events/

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Newsweek Senior Editor-at-Large Josh Hammer.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief