Women “make up half of society and we want it to be a productive half” says Saudi Crown Prince Muhammed Bin Salman (MbS).Yet Saudi Arabia ranks near the absolute bottom of every list of female empowerment. What changes have taken place in recent years and what can be expected as MbS pursues his large-scale reforms?

In 2017 Saudi Arabia and the UAE demanded thirteen policy reforms of Qatar and enacted a strangulating air, land, and sea blockade to extract compliance. Three-and-a-half years later, however, the de facto GCC leaders terminated the blockade without a single demand being met. What sparked the blockade and how did tiny Qatar fend off the powerhouses of the Arab world?

With less then three weeks until Israel's elections, this is the peak time for maneuverings and appeals from the many rival parties. What are the prominent issues and which are the key personalities? Is the outcome beginning to take shape?

Growing numbers of Muslims are converting to Christianity, to the point that a term (Muslim Background Believer) and even an acronym (MBB) has emerged. What are the circumstances and main themes of their conversions? What challenges do they face, both in Muslim-majority countries and in ostensibly tolerant Western societies?

President Trump instituted a maximum-pressure campaign against Iran’s economy in hopes of striking a better nuclear deal than that reached by his predecessor. As the Biden administration reverses course, where does Iran’s economy stand? How fast can it revive? Did maximum pressure make Tehran more flexible?

For the first time in Israel's history, a prominent Muslim politician talks of getting involved in the country's decision-making. Might this happen, what effect would it have on the elections and on Israels future?

When Ilhan Omar describes herself as an “intersectional feminist” and Omar Suleiman participates in a pagan ritual, American Islamism is clearly going in new directions. In particular, a Red-Left alliance has been growing for decades. What does each camp hope to achieve in its alliance with the other? Will it succeed or the differences ultimately too deep?

While Russian and Saudi campaigns against dissidents abroad dominated news cycles, Turkish efforts remain obscure. Abdullah Bozkurt will discuss how the regime of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan relies on intimidation, abduction, and harassment to target citizens overseas. What does it do, how far is it willing to go, will the world ever notice?

That the Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) community has at times openly flouted the lockdown rules has generated widespread anger towards it, leading to a strong majority of Israeli voters not wanting its two political parties to be part of the next government. What does this mean for Prime Minister Netanyahu and his most loyal coalition partners?

The Abraham Accords ushered in a “warm peace” between Israel and several Muslim countries, but where do things stand with Western Europe? Although this bloc consistently funds questionable NGOs and votes against Israel in international organizations, it claims to seek Israel’s best interests. How to explain this paradox? What is the role of pro-Israel voices? Is there a chance for improvement?