What the Palestinians really envisage after September is to exploit a UN endorsement of statehood to legitimize an escalation of the conflict. After having the 1967 lines recognized so as to negate the results of the Six-Day War, they plan to seek recognition of the 1947 partition lines. The post-September scenarios discussed in the upper Fatah echelons involve a return to the struggle.

The reality that confronts Lebanon today raises hidden fears of Shi’ite domination and the transformation of Lebanon into a radical factor in the Middle East, aligned with Syria and Iran.

Ever since Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected in 2005, Iran has been working resolutely to establish a foothold in the Latin American countries - the United States' backyard. Until recently, this region was not of interest to Iran, given the cultural and historical disparities between Iran - even under the Shah, let alone the Islamic Republic - and the countries of the region. The Iranian president's partners in promoting this policy are the presidents of Venezuela and, to a lesser extent, Bolivia, who provide him with a springboard for activity in Latin America.

The controversy inside the Hamas leadership recently became public after a series of statements by Hamas political bureau member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahmoud al-Zahar in Gaza, who personally challenged Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal. Two interviews with al-Zahar provoked an uproar in Hamas ranks, particularly his blatant criticism of Mashaal's speech after Fatah and Hamas representatives signed the reconciliation agreement in Cairo (May 4, 2011), which was interpreted by al-Zahar and others as readiness to authorize the Palestinian Authority to hold peace talks with Israel.

If you paid careful attention to what happened in Cairo's Tahrir Square, you saw the placards of Mubarak with a Star of David on his face. Lara Logan, an American journalist, was sexually molested in the middle of the square and was called a Jew, although she is not Jewish. She does not have to be Jewish. The word "Jew" has become an accepted insult in the public square. A well-known preacher stood up and talked not about freedom but about the Jews, about what is going to happen to us when the masses take over. So we are rightfully worried.

Since the Khomeini revolution, Iran has invested heavily in strengthening its diplomatic, economic, and security ties with Western African countries, especially with Senegal, Mauritania, Gambia, and Nigeria. Iran's goal is clear: to obtain African support for Tehran's policies, and most recently for its nuclear program, in international forums.

Since the May 2010 wave of "flotillas" organized by Turkish and other groups, ostensibly conveying cargoes of vital and indispensible aid intended to reach the population of Gaza, much has been written and televised as to the real intentions of the organizers. Additionally, several enquiries have been instituted in order to analyze the legal, military, and other aspects of the flotilla affair and the way it was handled.

Britain, France, and Germany have expressed an interest in obtaining a united European Union position on the recognition of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines, with a provision for land swaps. Should the Palestinians proceed with their plan to seek a UN General Assembly resolution stating that the Palestinian Authority constitutes a state and its borders should be based on the 1967 lines, the question of how the European Union will vote will be critical.

The most important conflict that is developing in the world today is the Iran-America conflict over the nuclearization of Iran. If Iran does go nuclear, this will have implications for the world order as we know it. First, it may spell the end of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) regime. Some countries, such as Egypt, have said that if Iran goes nuclear, they would too. Others may do it without saying it.

The ongoing crisis in Bahrain, where the Shiite majority (70 percent) is challenging the Sunni royal family, has gradually come to reflect major processes of change that will reshape the political, politico-religious, and social reality in the Middle East.

What is the connection between terrorism and the processes that we are seeing in the Muslim world? They are interdependent, have many common denominators, and will definitely influence one another in the coming years. World War III is occurring right now. It is not only a war of ideas, it is a religious war.

Read the latest in-depth analysis published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

Read the latest in-depth analysis published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

Read the latest in-depth analysis published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.