Lee Smith analyzes the current US administration’s stance on Syria, questioning whether it will build the foundations of a new Middle East or usher in an era of instability that will affect the entire world.

Itamar Rabinovich examines how Israel is facing a new and changing regional order in the Middle East, from the ramifications of the Arab Spring to a receding US role and beyond. The author looks specifically at Israel’s evolving relationships with Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, and the Palestinians.

STANFORD, Calif. — Although the Israeli and Iranian governments have been virtually at war with each other for decades, the two countries have much in common.