400 Items

Protesters supporting Palestine gather in the Harvard Kennedy School Courtyard

Julian J. Giordano/Courtesy of Harvard Crimson

Analysis & Opinions - Foreign Policy

Universities Shouldn't Ever Take Sides in a War

| Oct. 31, 2023

Stephen Walt argues that academic institutions should always avoid taking sides. He writes that faculty and students may say or write whatever they wish, with the understanding that the institution will defend their right to do so even in the face of fierce criticism. At the same time, the university will do nothing to insulate their ideas from legitimate criticism—including from other members of the university itself.

A woman looks at a wall with photos of Israelis held captive

AP/Petros Giannakouris

Analysis & Opinions - Harvard Crimson

Five Harvard Experts Weigh in on War in Israel and Gaza

| Oct. 13, 2023

As the war in Israel and Gaza continues, Professor Stephen Waltf and Ambassador Edward Djerejian were two of the five Harvard faculty and affiliates with expertise in the region who spoke with The Crimson about their views on the future of the conflict.

The Eiffel Tower is illuminated with the colors of Israel

AP/Michel Euler

Analysis & Opinions - Foreign Policy

Israel Could Win This Gaza Battle and Lose the War

| Oct. 09, 2023

Stephen Walt writes that this event—and the many clashes that preceded it—may also reveal the limits of power. War is the continuation of politics by other means, and powerful states sometimes win on the battlefield and still lose politically. Hamas will never be able to defeat Israel in a direct test of strength, but its attack is a tragic reminder that Israel is not invulnerable and the Palestinian desire for self-determination cannot be ignored. It also shows that the Abraham Accords and the recent efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia are no guarantee of peace; indeed, they may have made this latest conflict more likely.

Manila Conference: SEATO nations leaders group portrait

Public Domain/Frank Wolfe, White House Photographer

Analysis & Opinions - Foreign Policy

The Biden Administration Is Addicted to Partnerships

| Oct. 03, 2023

Stephen Walt analyzes the costs and benefits of forming alliances. When powerful and stable states face the same threats that the United States does, forming an alliance with them makes good sense. Adding weak and vulnerable members to an alliance may not strengthen it, and long-standing partnerships become less effective if some members let their own military capabilities languish. Another problem with the overzealous pursuit of new partners is the possibility that their agendas will be incompatible with those of the United States. 

Houses are seen underwater and polluted by oil in a flooded neighborhood in Kherson, Ukraine

AP/Evgeniy Maloletka

Analysis & Opinions - Foreign Policy

The Morality of Ukraine's War Is Very Murky

| Sep. 22, 2023

Stephen Walt's analysis of the morality of the war in Ukraine includes the following reasoning: But I wish hardliners would acknowledge that their uncompromising approach to the war could do more harm to Ukraine in the long run. Not because that is what hardliners want, but because that is what their policy recommendations may produce.