Jonah Blank

2 weeks ago | washingtonmonthly.com | Jonah Blank |Matthew Cooper

The nationwide anti-Trump No Kings protests, timed to coincide with the June 14 parade honoring the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and the president himself, since it’s his birthday, are likely to be the largest demonstrations against the president’s agenda to date. They may prove larger than the “Hands Off” demonstrations in April, larger (at least in geographical scope) than the Women’s March of 2017 following Trump’s first inaugural, and far larger than anything in between.

Dec 6, 2024 | washingtonmonthly.com | Jonah Blank

Late on Tuesday night, Korea Standard Time, Yook Suk Yeol placed one of the world’s most vibrant democracies under martial law. Within six hours, South Korea’s president found his scheme foiled, his political career probably doomed, and his future home not the Yongsan Presidential Building in Seoul but quite possibly a prison cell. Americans can learn from this episode, which provides a playbook on how our next president might try to seize dictatorial powers—and how we can stop him.

Nov 27, 2024 | foreignaffairs.com | Jonah Blank

When U.S. President Joe Biden leaves office in January, the already-faint prospect of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may follow him out the door. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the very concept. Biden’s successor, President-elect Donald Trump, spent his first term actively promoting Netanyahu’s most expansionist dreams.

Jul 2, 2024 | washingtonmonthly.com | Jonah Blank

We saw what we saw. Should the Democratic Party try to replace Joe Biden as its nominee—and if so, with whom? The stakes were sky-high last week, and this week, the Supreme Court made them virtually existential: It granted Donald Trump immunity for any official acts he might take if returned to the White House.

Mar 18, 2024 | rand.org | Jonah Blank

This commentary originally appeared on Foreign Affairs on March 14, 2024. Throughout most of U.S. President Joe Biden's political lifetime, conventional wisdom has held that there is no benefit—and enormous risk—to getting tough on Israel. But it is no longer that simple. After more than five months of devastating war in the Gaza Strip, there is also great risk in not getting tough.