As Lebanon suffers from a collapsing economy and an institutional void, recent developments point to an important bifurcation: Hezbollah’s aggressive widening of power is causing a growing popular discontent toward both the group and its Iranian sponsor. Can Hezbollah sustain its control as its growing influence and unpopularity converge? What are its long-range plans? And what policy opportunities does this situation present to Washington?

Hanin Ghaddar is the Friedmann Senior Fellow in The Washington Institute's Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics, where she focuses on Shia politics throughout the Levant. She has written for the Lebanese newspapers As-Safir, An-Nahar, and Al-Hayat, and has worked as a researcher for the United Nations Development Program regional office. Ms. Ghaddar holds a BA in English literature and an MA in Middle East studies, both from the American University of Beirut.

Sporadic fighting since 1992 between Azerbaijan and Armenia has increasingly involved their unsavory neighbors – Türkiye, Russia, Iran - as well as China. How can Washington work both for human rights and its own national interests in this difficult situation? Just back from a trip to the region, Gregg Roman offers a policy that simultaneously promotes Western norms without driving either country toward America’s opponents.

Gregg Roman, MEF’s director, previously served as a political advisor to the deputy foreign minister of Israel and worked for Israel’s Ministry of Defense and for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. He attended American University in Washington, D.C., and the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya.

Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah a year ago gave clear ideological and religious authorization for escalated confrontation with Israel, and tensions have duly risen since then. Recent weeks have seen Hizbullah provocations reach a level not seen in nearly two decades. How has Hizbullah evolved since the last major fighting in 2006? How prepared is the IDF for war with it? What are the likely implications of such fighting?

Lt. Col. (res.) Sarit Zehavi is the president of the Alma Research and Education Center, which specializes on Israel’s security challenges on its northern border. She served for 15 years in the Israel Defense Forces Intelligence Corps. Ms Zehavi holds an MA and a BA in Middle East Studies from Ben-Gurion University in Israel.

Koran burnings in Sweden and Denmark recall the Danish cartoon crisis of 2006: how to reconcile free speech and criticism of Islam with the fury of both local Muslims and Muslim-majority governments. Is compromise possible? Will the Scandinavian governments bend to Islamist demands? What are the implications for Sweden’s entry into NATO?

Naser Khader is an author, academic, and former member of the Danish parliament. He is a Middle East Forum writing fellow, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, and CEO of Palmyra Cultural Travels. Mr. Khader holds a BA in economics and political science and an MA in theology from Copenhagen University.

Nearly all of Israel's conventional wars have been against multiple Arab states, for its adversaries expected that attacks from all directions could overwhelm its forces. This logic remains in place, making it likely to be the scenario of the next war, this time with Iran, its allies and proxies. This logic failed in the past; will it again? What is the role of Israel’s internal upheaval? How much can Israel count on the Biden administration?

Mordechai Kedar is a lecturer at Bar-Ilan University and vice-president of NEWSRAEL, a news site focused on Israel. He served for 25 years in IDF Military Intelligence. He specializes in Islamism, Syria, and political discourse in Arab countries. Mr. Kedar is known for his robust appearances on Arabic television. He holds a BA and a PhD, both from Bar-Ilan University.

U.S. diplomats are quietly working on a Saudi-Israel peace agreement that could dramatically transform the Middle East, effectively ending the Arab state conflict with Israel and binding Riyadh into a new alliance with Washington. What do each of the three parties want from the other? What are the main obstacles to a deal? What repercussions might an agreement have for such issues as Saudi domestic transformation, the Iran nuclear menace, and great power competition in the region?

Robert Satloff is the Segal Executive Director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He specializes on Arab-Israeli relations, political Islam, and U.S. public diplomacy. He has written on Jordanian political history and the role of Arabs who saved Jews during the Holocaust. Mr. Satloff holds a BA from Duke University, an MA from Harvard University, and a PhD from Oxford University.

The Middle East Forum keeps close tabs on thousands of Islamist activists and groups, cataloging their internal politics, and writing up their activities at its new media outlet, Focus on Western Islamism. But, beyond reporting and analyzing, what is the Forum doing to combat Islamist influence? What impact is it having? What are the key trends?

Benjamin Baird is director of MEF Action, the Forum's grassroots advocacy initiative. In this capacity, he researches Islamist involvement in politics in Washington D.C. and state capitals, organizes to counter these efforts, and educates the public, the media, and politicians on the threat it poses. He is a decorated U.S. Army infantry veteran and frequent contributor to a variety of prominent national publications. He holds a B.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from the American Military University.

You can subscribe to MEF Action by texting "MEF" to 52886, or by visiting www.meforum.org/action.

Investigative reporting by Dexter Van Zile has uncovered hundreds of thousands of taxpayers' dollars given to a collection of radical organizations in Massachusetts, controlled by an imam accused of radicalizing Al Qaeda operative Aafia Siddiqui. How did this happen? And how widespread is this problem of government-subsidized extremism across the rest of America?

Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is taking steps to repair his relationship with the West, hoping in return to acquire upgraded F-16 fighter aircraft and other benefits. Will he succeed, or is it too little, too late? What are the ramifications of Erdogan’s efforts for Sweden and Greece? Does Ankara have a realistic chance to join the European Union?

Endy Zemenides is the executive director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council. He served as Senior Advisor for Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias. He is as a nonresident fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. He holds a BA from DePaul University, an MA from the University of Essex (UK), and a JD from Georgetown University.

U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters organized in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fight both ISIS and Turkish-backed Islamist groups. What function do the 900-strong American troops serve in backing them? What is the US interest in Syria? How is the long-running civil war evolving?

Sirwan Kajjo is a Syrian-born, Washington-based journalist and researcher. Since 2012 he has worked as a broadcaster at the Kurdish service of the Voice of America. Mr. Kajjo has written book chapters on Syria and the Kurds published by Indiana University Press and Cambridge University Press. He is also the author of Nothing But Soot, a novel set in Syria.