WORLD ROUNDUPEurope Is Walking the Terror Tightrope | Britain's Unprepared’ for ISIS Drone Attack | Some U.S. Weapons Stymied by Russian Jamming in Ukraine, and more
· Is the European Union Too Big for Further Enlargement?
One key challenge today, which has undermined the old EU enlargement narrative, is democratic backsliding in some member countries
· Far-Right Minister Who Visited Contested Jerusalem Site Has Long History of Controversy
Itamar Ben-Gvir has been convicted eight times for offenses that include racism and supporting a terrorist organization. His views were so extreme that the army banned him from compulsory military service
· Terrifying Warning Issued That Britain’s ‘Unprepared’ for ISIS ‘Drone Attack Plot on UK’
“It’s not that British air defenses couldn’t handle drone attacks,” an expert explained. “It’s that they’re not prepared for these types of drone attacks [on crowds at events]”
· Europe Is Walking the Terror Tightrope
“The terrorist threat to Europe right now is actually quite high because you have an intersection of a range of disconnected but unfortunately mutually reinforcing events”: experts
· Nine in Germany, Accused of ‘Reichsbuerger’ Coup Plot, Go on Trial
A would-be prince, a former judge and parliamentarian, and retired military officers were among nine conspirators who plotted to overthrow Germany’s democracy
· What Hamas Called Its Female Captives, and Why It Matters
Reading too much into the language seems, at this point, to be less of a danger than reading too little into it
· Why the U.S. Should Recognize Palestinian Statehood
Sovereignty would serve America’s interests—and Israel’s
· How Germany Lost the Middle East
Berlin’s unequivocal support for Israel has eroded its soft-power footprint in the region
· Some U.S. Weapons Stymied by Russian Jamming in Ukraine
Two classified Ukrainian reports show that some U.S. precision-guided weapons are vulnerable to electronic warfare, an element in Ukraine’s recent battlefield setbacks
· Can the U.S. Defend South Korea and Taiwan Simultaneously?
To ensure security in Northeast Asia, the U.S. needs to increase its military investments and enhance allied cooperation
Is the European Union Too Big for Further Enlargement? (Ana Palacio, The Strategist)
One key challenge today, which has undermined the old EU enlargement narrative, is democratic backsliding in some member countries.
Most notably, Hungary has clashed repeatedly with the EU over the anti-democratic policies pursued by Prime Minister Viktor Orban since he returned to power in 2010. In Poland, an Orban-emulating right-wing government was replaced last year by a three-party coalition committed to shoring up democracy, but tensions persist. Slovakia’s populist-nationalist prime minister, Robert Fico, was recently the target of an assassination attempt.
This trend has undermined EU-level decision-making, with national interests often trumping the will of the majority. For example, Orban repeatedly blocked EU support for Ukraine and has cultivated closer trade and investment ties with China at a time when other EU members are seeking to reduce dependence on the Chinese market. Budapest was one of only three stops Chinese President Xi Jinping made on his recent trip to Europe, and he and Orbán announced that their countries will form an “all-weather partnership.’
Far-Right Minister Who Visited Contested Jerusalem Site Has Long History of Controversy (AP)
Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site on Wednesday in what he described as a protest against the recognition of a Palestinian state by three European countries. It was the latest act of defiance by an ultranationalist settler leader who has transformed himself over the decades from an outlaw and provocateur into one of Israel’s most influential politicians. In his Cabinet post, Ben-Gvir oversees the country’s police force. As a key coalition partner, Ben-Gvir also has the power to rob Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of his parliamentary majority and force early elections. Ben-Gvir has used his influence to push forward pet projects and encourage Netanyahu to press ahead with the war in Gaza against widespread calls to reach a cease-fire deal that would bring home hostages.
