About
The Middle East Forum Observer

The Middle East Forum Observer was founded in 2024 and provides rapid analysis on leading Middle East developments, from Marrakech to Mashhad and the Bab el-Mandeb to the Black Sea.

More than just an outlet for opinion and opeds, the Observer explores topics in greater depth than American newspapers or opinion essays, often drawing upon primary language research or technical expertise on topics like shipping, aircraft leasing, or counter-terrorism finance. Policymakers and intelligence analysts not only in the United States and Europe, but also across the Middle East regularly read Observer articles. Newspapers and policy journals from Israel to Iran excerpt and debate the Observer’s takes.

As with the Middle East Quarterly, Middle East Forum Observer is open access. All content is available without charge. The Middle East Forum Observer allows reposts of its articles as an integral whole with a citation that includes author, date, title, publication and original URL.

More from MEF
A boy looks at posters of Israeli hostages at the Homer Street memorial in Newton, Mass., during a community gathering on April 7, 2024, to rebuild the display. A Newton resident put up more than 100 posters after the October 7, 2023, attacks. The tribute was vandalized in mid-March 2024, prompting a local hate crime investigation. The attack on the memorial demonstrates how anti-Israel propaganda promoted in public schools and in colleges and universities harms the Jewish diaspora.
Middle East Forum Online
Newton, Massachusetts: A Battleground for Jewish Dignity and Safety
Genocide Lie Justifies Violence Against Jewish Diaspora in U.S.
October 21, 2026
 · 
Dexter Van Zile
Sheikh Salah Al-Sawy, president of a Houston Islamic institution, has justified violence against Israeli civilians by calling them “usurpers."
FWI News
Texas Sheikh Affirms Jihad, Killing of Civilians, and Stoning of Adulterers
Salah Al-Sawy Serves as President of Prominent Islamic Center in Houston
October 21, 2026
 · 
Dexter Van Zile
While Palestinians extort money and leverage sympathy based on their own terrorism, Somaliland has built a democratic culture that invests money into infrastructure rather than terrorist tunnels. Hargeisa business district, Somaliland.
Middle East Forum Observer
Somalia’s Union Died in a 1969 Coup. Why Is Washington Still Honoring It?
The United States Needs a Reliable Partner like Somaliland Along the Gulf of Aden, Where Houthi Attacks Threaten Shipping
October 21, 2026
 · 
Siyad Madey
An Israeli intelligence operative works in front of the flag of the special services.
Middle East Forum Observer
Mossad Must Eliminate Rawa Majid to Collapse Iran’s European Crime-Terror Axis
Outsourcing Terrorist Acts to Local Street Gangs Is Tehran’s Preferred Option to Wage War Against Foreign Enemies
October 21, 2026
 · 
Jose Lev Alvarez
FWI News
Supplications for Slaughter from America’s Top Taxpayer-Funded Mosque
Over The Past Three Years, Islamic Center of Detroit Imams and Prayer Leaders Have Incited Killings and Backed Terrorists
October 20, 2026
 · 
Sam Westrop
More than three years after Hamas, during a ceasefire, launched an invasion of southern Israel to rape, torture, kidnap, and slaughter Jews, there is no doubt that criticism of Israel’s military response has gained traction among the young, ignorant, and antisemitic. Image: Anti-Israel march in New York City, May 15, 2021.
Middle East Forum Online
Is It Right to Panic over the Targeting of Israel?
Among Americans, Opposition to Close Ties with Israel Is Growing
October 20, 2026
 · 
Michael Rubin
A Haitian-American businessman of Palestinian origin accused of providing logistical and material support for the assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moïse found refuge in Turkey after a court operating under the tight grip on the judiciary of the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan refused to extradite him to Haiti to face criminal charges in 2022. Image: Port-au-Prince, Haiti bullet hole on a window glass after extensive firefights in the old city center; March 6, 2024.
Middle East Forum Online
U.S. Court Exposes Alleged Role of Haiti Assassination Suspect Turkey Refused to Extradite
The Case Has Brought Renewed Attention to Turkey’s Handling of an Internationally Wanted Suspect Who Is Now Facing Charges Carrying a Potential Life Sentence
October 20, 2026
 · 
Abdullah Bozkurt
The East-West pipeline to Yanbu allows Saudi Arabia to avoid loading all its crude at Gulf terminals exposed to disruption around Hormuz. It is a meaningful hedge, not an escape from geography.
Middle East Forum Online
Saudi Oil Pipelines and Egypt’s Energy Links Protect Regimes, Not Just Trade
Their Push for Secure Trade Also Protects Centralized Power, Leaving Citizens to Bear the Costs with Little Accountability
October 20, 2026
 · 
Amine Ayoub
The administration of French President Emmanuel Macron seemed to have been taken by surprise, or at least not to have fully apprehended the magnitude of the threat. Image: Macron answered questions from journalists; April 4, 2026, in Paris.
Middle East Forum Online
Macron Struggles to Regain Control amid Riots Propelled by Far-Left Push for a ‘New France’
Even If a State of Emergency Has Not Been Declared, the Prefects Will Be Granted Special Powers, Both Defined and Undefined, to Restore Law and Order
October 20, 2026
 · 
Michel Gurfinkiel
The razor-thin victory of Abdul el Sayed over Haley Stevens — with a margin of less than 1 percent or just 13,792 votes — followed an active season of politicking by at least seven Michigan mosques. Most of that activity appears to contradict IRS guidance. Image: Abdul el-Sayed at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, July 19, 2026.
Middle East Forum Online
I Fled Islamism in Iran. Now, American Tax Dollars Are Funding It in Michigan
Will the Federal Government Do Anything to Stop Islamists from Using Tax-Exempt Nonprofit Groups to Influence U.S. Elections?
October 20, 2026
 · 
Mahyar Entezari