The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Saudi Arabia’s New Approach to Israel and the Normalization Process
English Summary
Saudi Arabia has shifted from a path of gradual rapprochement to a policy of strategic distancing from Israel, making normalization unlikely in the near term. This shift is fueled by overwhelming domestic public opposition, increasingly harsh rhetoric from leadership regarding the conflict in Gaza, and a non-negotiable demand for a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders. Consequently, Riyadh now views normalization as a risk to its regional standing and domestic legitimacy rather than a strategic opportunity. Any return to the normalization trajectory will require significant developments in the Palestinian arena and a fundamental reassessment of Israel's regional role.
中文摘要
沙烏地阿拉伯已從漸進和解轉向與以色列保持戰略距離的政策，使短期內關係正常化的前景變得渺茫。此一轉變源於國內輿論的強烈反對、領導層針對加薩衝突的辭令日益嚴厲，以及堅持以1967年邊界建立巴勒斯坦國的強硬立場。因此，利雅德目前將關係正常化視為對其區域地位與國內政權合法性的威脅，而非戰略機遇。若要重啟正常化進程，必須仰賴巴勒斯坦議題取得實質進展，並對以色列的區域角色進行根本性的重新評估。
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