A Decade Later, Progress in the Case of the Buenos Aires Bombing

Jan. 21 2025

In 2004, an Argentine prosecutor named Alberto Nisman began an investigation into Hizballah’s 1994 bombing of the Buenos Aires AMIA Jewish center, which killed 84 people. His much obstructed, yearslong investigation uncovered direct Iranian involvement as well as an effort at the highest levels of the Argentinian government to cover up this involvement. In 2015, Nisman died under highly suspicious circumstances and his death was ruled a suicide. But unlike its predecessors, the current government of Javier Milei is not invested in suppressing Nisman’s findings, and there has at last been a breakthrough. Ben Cohen and Toby Dershowitz write:

On January 10, 2025, an Argentinian federal court’s investigation affirmed that Nisman’s death, which some had sought to depict as a suicide, was in fact a murder. The report concluded that Nisman was murdered because of his work investigating the role of Iran in the bombing and that of the Argentinian president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner in a cover-up during her time in office.

Judge Eduardo Taiano, leading the investigation into Nisman’s death, revealed a litany of suspicious activities. The day before he was found dead, thousands of electronic files related to the AMIA bombing were destroyed in a fire in the presidential offices. Nisman’s guards abandoned their posts for twelve hours prior to his body being found. Nisman’s computer consultant with suspicious connections, Diego Lagomarsino, owned the pistol used to kill Nisman. . . . Taiano also confirmed that Nisman’s assailants, whose identity Taiano committed to pursuing, shot him in the bathroom of his apartment using Lagomarsino’s gun and then placed his body in a position to “simulate a suicide.”

Ten years after Nisman’s murder, and 31 years after the AMIA bombing, no one has been convicted of either crime. Nisman’s investigation and Taiano’s report point to the roles of senior Iranian and Argentinian officials. As the truth emerges, so must the wheels of justice now turn.

Read more at Jerusalem Strategic Tribune

More about: Alberto Nisman, AMIA bombing, Argentina, Iran

Kuwait Should Be the Next Country to Make Peace with Israel

Feb. 13 2025

Like his predecessor, Donald Trump seeks to expand the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia. But there are other Arab nations that might consider taking such a step. Ahmad Charai points to Kuwait—home to the Middle East’s largest U.S. army base and desperately in need of economic reform—as a good candidate. Kuwaitis haven’t forgiven Palestinians for supporting Saddam Hussein during his 1990 invasion, but their country has been more rhetorically hostile to Israel than its Gulf neighbors:

The Abraham Accords have reshaped Middle Eastern diplomacy. . . . Kuwait, however, remains hesitant due to internal political resistance. While full normalization may not be immediately feasible, the United States should encourage Kuwait to take gradual steps toward engagement, emphasizing how participation in regional cooperation does not equate to abandoning its historical positions.

Kuwait could use its influence to push for peace in the Middle East through diplomatic channels opened by engagement rather than isolation. The economic benefits of joining the broader framework of the Abraham Accords are overwhelming. Israel’s leadership in technology, agriculture, and water management presents valuable opportunities for Kuwait to enhance its infrastructure. Trade and investment flows would diversify the economy, providing new markets and business partnerships.

Kuwaiti youth, who are increasingly looking for opportunities beyond the public sector, could benefit from collaboration with advanced industries, fostering job creation and entrepreneurial growth. The UAE and Bahrain have already demonstrated how normalization with Israel can drive economic expansion while maintaining their respective geopolitical identities.

Read more at Jerusalem Strategic Tribune

More about: Abraham Accords, Kuwait