How Europe can catch up in the global AI race
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How Europe can catch up in the global AI race

This article was written by Lynn Dascha Engelhardt, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared in Reaction.

“Leading in AI today means securing a strategic edge across nearly every sector, from defence and healthcare to finance and energy. Most of the global conversation focuses on the rivalry between the US and China, with names like ChatGPT and DeepSeek dominating the headlines.

Yet Europe is not absent from this race... Could these European players grow into something bigger or has Europe become irrelevant in the global AI race?”

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Trump's Science Slash-and-Burn Is Damaging the U.S. on the World Stage
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Trump's Science Slash-and-Burn Is Damaging the U.S. on the World Stage

This article was written by Sophia Lieuw-Kie-Song, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared in RealClear Science.

“Scientific research has long been an integral part of United States leadership on the global stage… President Trump’s crusade against these organisations has put the resilience of American research at risk. “

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More Than Meets the Eye: The Past, Present, and Future of Spanish-Israel Relations
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More Than Meets the Eye: The Past, Present, and Future of Spanish-Israel Relations

This article was written by Jacob Gibson, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared in Modern Diplomacy.

“Relations between Spain and Israel seemed to have hit rock bottom. In May 2024, Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz ended a speech with ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.’ This was merely the latest outbreak in the cycle of deteriorating relations since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War. Such hostility has deep roots in Spain.”

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University free speech bill is much improved but problems remain
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University free speech bill is much improved but problems remain

This article was written by Gavriel Sacks, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared in Modern Diplomacy.

“British universities were once known as hubs of debate and discussion. Now, students have become increasingly afraid of speaking freely in these academic environments. The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 was an attempt to revive the spark of lively discourse.

Yet, despite its laudable intentions, the Act’s fundamental limitations and subsequent revisions raise profound questions about its effectiveness.”

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Israel’s Public Diplomacy Strategy: ‘This is a Message to the People’
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Israel’s Public Diplomacy Strategy: ‘This is a Message to the People’

This article was written by Mariam Habib Matta, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared in Modern Diplomacy.

“It’s normal and expected for a political leader to address the people of their own nation, but what happens when a leader decides to bypass diplomatic channels and speak directly to the people of another country—especially to those of an adversary?”

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American Democracy will prevail
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American Democracy will prevail

This article was written by Noah Arazi, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared in the Jewish Stand.

“Whilst President Trump may give off the appearance of omnipotence, this will soon wear off. It will not be long before the new presidential administration hits political reality in Washington.”

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The US-China AI race isn’t just about tech dominance, but control over information
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The US-China AI race isn’t just about tech dominance, but control over information

This article was written by Lynn Dascha Engelhardt, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared in Reaction.

“The US has long dominated Big Tech, reinforcing the expectation that AI supremacy would soon follow, driven by industry giants like NVIDIA and OpenAI. But with China’s DeepSeek entering the scene in January, that assumption has been challenged. The race for AI supremacy is now wide open. DeepSeek has exposed how fragile the US lead really is and how much is at stake: this is not just about tech dominance, but control over information itself.”

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DOGE Is Sabotaging Trump’s China Goals
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DOGE Is Sabotaging Trump’s China Goals

This article was written by James Abrahams, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared in Modern Diplomacy.

“If the administration continues to be blind to the soft power implications of DOGE and the risks it poses to national security, American power will continue to diminish, and the US will be more vulnerable than ever in the face of a growing Chinese threat. The rhetoric of the administration’s China hawks will, therefore, ring increasingly hollow.”

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The law as a convenient fiction: How legal arguments have facilitated British and American foreign policy failures
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The law as a convenient fiction: How legal arguments have facilitated British and American foreign policy failures

This article was written by Sophie Seitler, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared in Europinion.

“The law has long served as both a shield and a smoke screen, selectively wielded to justify both strategic retreats and upholding obligations. Rarely an impartial force, the legal dimension of UK and US foreign policy has been increasingly shaped by political will. The recurring iteration of the UK’s EU policy pandemonium parallels that of America’s isolationist legalism pre-WWII and President Trump’s NATO scepticism. They all similarly deploy legal justification to obscure deep policy failures.”

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Myths of the Middle East
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Myths of the Middle East

This article was written by Jacob Gibson, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared in Modern Diplomacy.

“Somebody wrote that a myth is like an air mattress: there’s nothing in it, but it’s wonderfully comfortable, and deflation causes an uncomfortable jolt. My purpose today is to give you that jolt.

Milton Friedman spoke these words regarding economics and politics. Yet they ring just as true in the Middle East where myths abound with real costs. Israeli politician Avigdor Lieberman outlined in 2006 three common false assumptions: that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the main cause of instability in the Middle East; that the conflict is territorial and not ideological; and that the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders will end the conflict. These views are not only misguided but damaging. They prevent a realistic understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Middle East and obscure the solutions needed to bring about real improvements in the region.”

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From the Margins to the Spotlight: The Forgotten Role of Women in Middle Eastern Diplomacy
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From the Margins to the Spotlight: The Forgotten Role of Women in Middle Eastern Diplomacy

This article was written by Sophie Seitler, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared in Modern Diplomacy.

“Female leaders in MENA have historically approached power through negotiation and coalition-building. These qualities enabled women like Shajar al-Durr and Meir to thrive in male-dominated political arenas. Dispensing with combative tactics serves as a powerful reminder of the impact that female diplomacy can have on conflict resolution and peacebuilding.”

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Trump’s Two Terms with China: Isolation, Tensions, and the Cost of Going It Alone
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Trump’s Two Terms with China: Isolation, Tensions, and the Cost of Going It Alone

This article was written by Sophia Lieuw-Kie-Song, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared in Modern Diplomacy.

“Trump’s America First attitude won the votes of millions of Americans, but it will do him no favours when dealing with Beijing. Instead, President Trump should revisit the tactics he used in his previous career as a real-estate developer and businessman. A deal-making attitude would promote a united Western front to combat China’s growing influence around the world and prevent the opportunity for the nation to take the US’ place in international organisations and initiatives.”

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Fuelling growth: what Britain can learn from the UAE on energy and equities
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Fuelling growth: what Britain can learn from the UAE on energy and equities

This article was written by Charles Aldous, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared in Reaction.

“The UAE’s success shows that Britain needs to adopt a less complicated and punishing tax structure in order to secure international investment in businesses and equity markets. In an interconnected financial world, the British government’s talk of taking tough decisions and raising inheritance tax on businesses is not conducive to securing international capital.”

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Why Greenland’s Autonomy Must Be Respected
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Why Greenland’s Autonomy Must Be Respected

This article was written by Ava Grainger-Williams, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared in Modern Diplomacy.

“As global competition in the Arctic heats up, Greenland’s future is more important than ever. However, it should be decided by its people, not foreign powers.

While American acquisition may seem strategically appealing, it fundamentally undermines Greenland’s right to self-determination. Under its 2009 Self-Government Act with Denmark, Greenland has the right to declare independence following a successful referendum — a goal recently reaffirmed by Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede in his New Year’s address.”

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The Dangers of Holocaust Inversion
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The Dangers of Holocaust Inversion

This article was written by Gavriel Sacks, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared in the Times of Israel.

“Holocaust inversion – the practice of comparing Israeli policies to that of Nazi Germany – is one of the most harmful forms of contemporary antisemitism. Whilst Holocaust comparisons appear in many public discourses, their employment against the Jewish state is particularly dangerous. The deliberate misappropriation of an unparalleled historical trauma distorts our understanding of past and present, serves to delegitimize Israel, and trivializes the Holocaust. Amidst a dangerous rise in global antisemitism, these comparisons have become much more widespread, reflecting both traditional antisemitic tropes and newer forms of anti-Jewish hatred masked as ‘political criticism.’ “

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Voters still don’t care about Jill Stein: Why Gaza didn’t help the Greens in the US election
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Voters still don’t care about Jill Stein: Why Gaza didn’t help the Greens in the US election

This article was written by Eliana Wolfson, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared in Modern Diplomacy.

“After sitting out the 2020 election, Jill Stein emerged from hibernation this year to run once again as the presidential candidate for the American Green Party.

The real lesson of Jill Stein’s embarrassingly low support on an anti-Israel ticket is that Israel is not as salient an issue as media tend to suggest. Polling in the lead-up to the election suggested a majority of voters felt the US should be demanding a ceasefire, yet this sentiment does not seem to be reflected in their voting behaviour.”

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A Second Trump Administration has a Chance to Fix Previous Iran Mistakes
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A Second Trump Administration has a Chance to Fix Previous Iran Mistakes

This article was written by Ava Grainger-Williams, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared in Modern Diplomacy.

“In the intricate web of Middle Eastern politics, few rivalries are as fraught or consequential as the long-standing, ideologically charged standoff between the United States and Iran. The two nations hold conflicting strategic intentions, driven by distinct interests and ideologies, which continue to shape regional dynamics and conflicts. U.S. foreign policy toward Iran has shifted significantly over the years with each change in administration.”

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Germany’s divided stance on Israel
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Germany’s divided stance on Israel

This article was written by Lynn Dascha Engelhardt, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared , both online and in print, in the Jerusalem Post.

“In Germany, history, demographics, and the left-right political divide are colliding in unexpected ways as the conflict in the Middle East intensifies.

Growing Arab and Muslim communities and a more vocal segment of the political Left sympathetic to the Palestinian cause now share space with Germany’s deep-rooted responsibility to Israel. This shift has led to increasing tension, as the German government continues its staunch support for Israel, while public sentiment has become far more divided.”

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The UK’s Online Safety Act is an Empty Promise to Address Antisemitism
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The UK’s Online Safety Act is an Empty Promise to Address Antisemitism

This article was written by Sophia Lieuw-Kie-Song, Policy Fellow 24-25, and originally appeared in Europinion.

“The UK’s response to these unpredictable practices is the Online Safety Act (OSA). Passed in 2023, it broadens the scope for what is deemed inappropriate online content, lowering the threshold for removal to ‘harmful, but legal’ content.

The goal was to streamline platforms’ efforts to mitigate hate speech, but the new standard has already proven difficult to realise. The same exasperating difficulties in moderating online speech recur, and the OSA continues to give platforms too much freedom in regulating users’ speech, ultimately failing to protect them and effectively combat antisemitism.“

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We must take a stand for free speech on campus
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We must take a stand for free speech on campus

This article was written by Szymon Sawicki and Ewan Woods, part of our 2023 Cambridge University delegation to Israel, and originally appeared in The Jewish Chronicle.


“The need for well-informed, respectful voices on campus has never been greater. To win the generational battle of ideas, pro-Israel advocates must rise above provocations, holding themselves to the highest standards of patience, respect, and intellectual depth. Resorting to inflammatory tactics only mirrors the conduct of their opponents and undermines their cause.”

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