Eli Lake

Washington, D.C.

Host at The Re-Education with Eli Lake

Contributing Editor at Commentary Magazine

Columnist at The Free Press

Host at Breaking History

Columnist for @theFP. Contributing editor at @commentary. And Host of Breaking History https://t.co/nDr8JobsOJ

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Articles

Inside the Fight over the Administration’s Iran Policy

1 week ago | thefp.com | Eli Lake

‘Trump Is the Decider’: Inside the Fight over the Administration’s Iran PolicyThe president says he defines what ‘America First’ means when it comes to Iran. These are the factions trying to influence him. Since Israel began its war against Iran, President Trump and his White House have sent mixed messages, giving the warring factions of his political coalition reason to hope they may prevail in shaping his policy toward the new war for the Middle East. It’s been a long time coming.
WATCH: Eli Lake and Haviv Rettig Gur on Israel’s strike—and what comes next.

2 weeks ago | thefp.com | Eli Lake

The world woke up today to a changed Middle East. Israel struck key nuclear and military facilities throughout Iran. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed retaliation. And Donald Trump urged Iran to agree to a nuclear deal. As the dust settles in Tehran, we’re left with many questions. Can Iran mount a major counterattack? Did Israel’s strikes secure its safety? …
Why Israel Hit Iran Now

2 weeks ago | thefp.com | Eli Lake

The long-standing debate over whether there was a military solution to the threat of Iran’s nuclear program will soon be academic. We will learn in the coming days, weeks, and months whether Iran’s centrifuges and missile factories can survive the wrath of Israel’s air force and Mossad. It’s too soon to assess the success of the first of what Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said would be a multiphase operation to destroy Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Sly Stone: Funk Revolutionary

2 weeks ago | thefp.com | Eli Lake

Sly Stone, who died on Monday at the age of 82, was a rare breed. Most innovators never achieve commercial dominance. And most of the kings and queens of the Billboard charts offer safe and familiar hits. For a dazzling six years between 1968 and 1973, Sly and the Family Stone managed to do both as they shaped the culture and rode its wave to super stardom. Just consider their early chart toppers. “Everyday People” and “Dance to the Music” were not just megahits.
Who Profits From Gaza’s Desperation?

3 weeks ago | thefp.com | Eli Lake

On Sunday the world awoke to news of another alleged massacre in Gaza. “Gaza ministry says Israel kills more than 30 aid seekers, Israel denies,” blared the headline from Reuters. The Washington Post chimed in with “More than 30 killed by gunfire near U.S. aid site in Gaza.” The headline in The Guardian read: “Palestinians gunned down while trying to reach food aid site in Gaza, hospital says.”And on and on it went.
How America Funded Islamism in Pakistan

4 weeks ago | thefp.com | Eli Lake

Today we’re bringing you the latest episode of Breaking History, the podcast where I go back in time in order to make sense of the present. The last episode told the story of how comedian Lenny Bruce brought vulgarity into the mainstream of American culture. This week, in the wake of a shocking attack on Indian nationals, we’re diving into the history of Pakistan, a nation that empowers Islamists. Listen to the episode, which features voices from both the past and present, in the player above.
The Quiet Rise of Michael Anton

1 month ago | thefp.com | Eli Lake

Over the weekend, Iranian envoys met with their U.S. counterparts at the Omani Embassy in Rome. At the table was Michael Anton, a senior State Department official with a penchant for charcoal-brown suits, Italian neckwear, and fine wine. Earlier this month, Anton was in Istanbul. He was sent by the Trump administration to keep tabs on the first face-to-face talks between Ukrainian and Russian representatives after three years of war.
American Vulgarity, from Lenny Bruce to Kanye West

1 month ago | thefp.com | Eli Lake

American Vulgarity, from Lenny Bruce to Kanye WestWhen you restrain jokes, an obscene backlash is inevitable. Today we’re bringing you the latest episode of “Breaking History,” the podcast where I go back in time, in order to make sense of the present. The last episode told the story of how North Korea got the nuke. This week, we’re looking at the godfather of American lewdness, Lenny Bruce.
Scholar and Journalist Michael Ledeen Dies at 83 After a Long Career Struggling for American Ideals at Home and Abroad

1 month ago | nysun.com | Eli Lake

The death today of Michael Ledeen takes from America one of its most courageous historians and journalists â a figure who had been one of the liveliest and smartest in Washington, where for years he operated from the American Enterprise Institute. He had a corner office crammed with shelves of books and other totems of a life well lived, among them photos from his time teaching in Italy and a Darth Vader mask. The Darth Vader mask was a testament to his wit.
Trump’s Serenity Prayer for the Middle East

1 month ago | thefp.com | Eli Lake

After months of mixed signals from Washington over what Donald Trump’s foreign policy will mean for the Middle East, the president has revealed his hand. In his speech Tuesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Trump explained that America is no longer trying to remake the world in its image. “In recent years, far too many American presidents have been afflicted with the notion that it’s our job to look into the souls of foreign leaders and use U.S. policy to dispense justice for their sins,” Trump said.