Jacob Wirtschafter

Amman, Cairo, Istanbul

News Reporter and Editor at ARA

I report and edit Middle East news and features.

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Articles

Trump sees opportunity for peace, profits in trip to Middle East

3 days ago | washingtontimes.com | Jacob Wirtschafter

- Special to The Washington Times - President Trump departs Washington Monday to begin a high-stakes, three-nation tour through the Gulf, starting in Saudi Arabia Tuesday, that is aimed at rebooting U.S. alliances under his “reciprocity” doctrine. With stops in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Doha, Mr. Trump is signaling a return to transactional diplomacy focused on arms deals, tech investments and countering China and Iran.
Gaza Protest Movement Has a Message for Hamas

2 weeks ago | momentmag.com | Waseem Abu Mahadi |Jacob Wirtschafter

In the narrow alleys of Jabalia and the sun-scorched streets of Beit Lahia, something rare is unfolding in Gaza: open defiance. Not just of Israeli bombardments or international indifference—but of Hamas. For three consecutive days in late March, hundreds of Palestinians, many of them young men, marched through northern Gaza chanting, “We want to live!” and “Hamas out!” The scenes, captured briefly in shaky phone videos, exposed a breach in the longstanding narrative of unity under siege.
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2 weeks ago | themedialine.org | Waseem Abu Mahadi |Jacob Wirtschafter
Israel and Turkey Trade Blows Over Syria as Proxy Conflict Expands

1 month ago | themedialine.org | Ahmad Qweidar |Jacob Wirtschafter

Israeli airstrikes on suspected Turkish-backed positions have escalated regional tensions and drawn sharp international criticism [Quneitra] Unconfirmed reports that three Turkish nationals—described by some sources as “engineers”—were killed in Israel’s April 2 airstrike on Syria’s T-4 airbase have intensified Ankara’s already strident response to Israeli military actions.
A House in Exile: Fire, Memory and the Enduring Spirit of Villa Aurora

1 month ago | momentmag.com | Jacob Wirtschafter

PACIFIC PALISADES, CA—For nearly a century, Villa Aurora has stood on a windswept hillside in this coastal neighborhood of Los Angeles. The mansion’s white stucco walls and Spanish Colonial Revival design match any number of similarly styled homes dotting L.A.’s rugged bluffs. Yet for those who know its story, Villa Aurora is more—a record of German-Jewish exile, a refuge built by intellectuals fleeing Nazi Europe, and now a stark reminder of how fragile cultural memory can be.
Arab plan to rebuild Gaza, head off Trump faces hurdles, skepticism

1 month ago | washingtontimes.com | Jacob Wirtschafter |Waseem Abu Mahadi

CAIRO, Egypt — President Trump and a coalition of Arab nations have proposed very different ways to rebuild and revitalize the Gaza Strip, the crowded Palestinian enclave devastated by Israel’s military campaign to avenge the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist rampage by Hamas militants. For many in Gaza pondering an uncertain future, the how is far less important than the when.
Saudi, Arab allies struggle to deal with Trump's disruptions

2 months ago | washingtontimes.com | Jacob Wirtschafter |Waseem Abu Mahadi

CAIRO — A series of high-stakes meetings is expected to reshape regional politics and global alliances, with Saudi Arabia emerging as a key player in mediating Arab and other international disputes. President Trump’s return to the White House has left the conservative kingdom with a severe case of policy whiplash. Regarding trade, energy and even golf, Mr. Trump is far more open than President Biden in dealing with Saudi leaders.
Saudi, Arab allies struggle to deal with Trump's disruptions

2 months ago | washingtontimes.com | Jacob Wirtschafter |Waseem Abu Mahadi

CAIRO — A series of high-stakes meetings this month is expected to reshape regional politics and global alliances, with Saudi Arabia emerging as a key player in mediating both Arab and international disputes. Donald Trump’s return to the White House has left the conservative kingdom with a severe case of policy whiplash. On trade, energy, even golf, Mr. Trump is far more open to dealing with Saudi Arabia’s leaders than was former President Biden.
Trump's Gaza relocation bombshell leaves Arabs scrambling for a counteroffer

2 months ago | washingtontimes.com | Jacob Wirtschafter

DOHA, Qatar — President Donald Trump’s plan to uproot more than two million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip — relocating them to neighboring Arab states and remaking the territory as a Middle Eastern “Riviera” — has had one clear real‐world impact already: It’s rocked Arab states around the region and forced them to reconsider an endgame to the latest eruption of Palestinian — Israeli violence.
As the Trumps watch, UAE makes aggressive bid to be global crypto pacesetter

Jan 12, 2025 | washingtontimes.com | Jacob Wirtschafter

- Special to The Washington Times - ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates has emerged as a global hub for cryptocurrency and blockchain innovation, offering what boosters say is a model for the incoming Trump administration on how clear regulations and strategic investment can drive growth in the booming but volatile digital finance sector.