While Israel is mired in the tragic kidnapping of three teenagers, developments in Iraq are sending shock waves throughout the Middle East. The stunning advance by the Al-Qaida-affiliated Islamic State in Iraq and Syria in northern and central Iraq has unnerved all Iraq’s neighbors, mainly Iran, Syria and Jordan.

In the United States, President Barack Obama has been criticized over his foreign policy in the Middle East, especially the breakdown of Iraq’s government. Obama is looking for a way to provide limited military support to the Iraqi government without being dragged again into the quagmire created by the Bush administration.

The Daily Beast has reported on increased security cooperation between the United States, Israel and Jordan designed to help the Jordanians prevent ISIS’ spread into their territory. Citing U.S. officials, The Daily Beast suggested that such a scenario could draw the United States and Israel into a regional war. Read more at Haaretz.