Jacob Wirtschafter

2 days ago | themedialine.org | Ahmad Qweidar |Jacob Wirtschafter

Water shortages and military incursions are compounding a climate-driven crisis in southern Syria, leaving farmers in Quneitra without resources or aid [Quneitra, Syria] “I had 60 head of cattle—only 30 are left,” said Muammar Khairallah, an olive farmer and herder near Tel al-Ahmar al-Gharbi, about 37 miles southwest of Damascus. “Now the rains are gone, the roads are blocked, and my cows are dying.”We used to make $20,000 a season in net profit. Now the profit is zero.

1 week ago | washingtontimes.com | Jacob Wirtschafter

- Special to The Washington Times - ISTANBUL — Sanctions off. Embassies sidelined. Private money in. That’s the Trump administration’s new playbook for Syria — and it’s nothing like the U.S. foreign policy that came before.

3 weeks ago | momentmag.com | Jacob Wirtschafter

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and Rev. Johnnie Moore, co-founder and president of the Congress of Christian Leaders, are planning a visit to Damascus at the invitation of Syria’s foreign minister to assess the transitional government’s treatment of minorities. The trip comes amid a dramatic shift in U.S. policy following the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

3 weeks ago | washingtontimes.com | Jacob Wirtschafter

CAIRO — In Saudi Arabia and Qatar, President Trump has basked this week in lavish welcome ceremonies and signed eye-popping deals. But in nearby Egypt, Arab leaders are decidedly more skeptical about the American president’s interest in the region — especially in the wake of last month’s remarks about the Suez Canal.

3 weeks 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.