The brutality of the Islamic State may have opened a window for regime change in Damascus.

In the topsy-turvy universe of Middle East politics, nothing succeeds like failure on the battlefield and nothing fails like military success. So who won the Gaza war?

Though there are some important differences this time around, the solution to this recurring nightmare remains the same—and remains unlikely.

A strong U.S.-Egyptian relationship is necessary for the United States to achieve its many objectives in the Middle East. And permanent estrangement, which looks increasingly likely, is not a foregone conclusion.