Renewable Revolution in the Middle East Underpins Global Net Zero Efforts
Accelerating the buildout of renewable generation capacity is an essential enabler for greenhouse gas emission reductions and is key to reaching net zero by 2050.
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The Future of U.S.-Turkish Ties: A New Relationship, Not a Reset
Despite the welcome news on Sweden, the old Turkey is not coming back, but Erdogan’s apparent shift to legacy-building mode will give Washington opportunities to leverage his influence abroad.
Documenting Statelessness in Lebanon
A recent film explores the stark realities of life for the country’s disenfranchised
Muslim and Arab Voices Against Bigotry
Since October 7, many Jews have felt isolated and have reported feeling as if they have no allies in the Muslim and Arab worlds. This is understandable. As Jews we are haunted by traumas of the past, but it’s important to remember that today there is no such thing as a monolithic Muslim or Arab…
Accusing Israel of genocide is a perverse moral inversion
Of all the deplorable crimes ever conceived by the human mind, one stands alone in its utter depravity, as the very epitome of evil.
In Gaza, Israel Can Win the War But Not the Peace
Two major questions loom over the ongoing Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip: can the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) achieve their military goals there? And can postwar political arrangements that will make future Israeli military action in Gaza unnecessary be put in place? The answer to the first question is probably yes; the answer to the second is probably no.
What Is Happening to Our World?
I’ve been The Times’s foreign affairs columnist since 1995, and one of the most enduring lessons I’ve learned is that there are good seasons and bad seasons in this business, which are defined by the big choices made by the biggest players.
Iran Update, September 2023, Institute for the Study of War
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) with support from the Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute launched an interactive map of Iran and the Middle East.
Iran Is a Nuclear-Threshold State, and Israel’s Options Are Shrinking
While officials in Jerusalem have been tightlipped about what capabilities they have to destroy the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities, there is no doubt that doing so will be a more difficult task than destroying Iraq’s Osirak reactor in 1981 or the Syrian reactor in 2007.
The Druze in Israel: A Silent Minority Begins to Speak Out
Protests in Israel are nothing new, but those on the Golan Heights this June were different.
Hope Is Scarce in Syria’s ‘Postwar’ Reality
Inside the country today, people cannot fathom their present, let alone see any future
The path to transforming Iraqi Kurdistan’s economic diversity and potential
As part of its efforts to strengthen the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has endeavored to establish a diversified economy through Vision 2020 and Vision 2030.
Why Christians in Iraq are in profound danger?
What the Christian community in Iraq faces can only be defined as intense hatred and hostility. Since 2003, Christians in central and southern Iraq have been subjected to killing, abuse, kidnapping, discrimination, and forced displacement.
The Islamic Republic’s dilemma
Iran’s deal last spring with Saudi Arabia, brokered by China, highlighted the emergence of an unstable equilibrium in the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy.
Hezbollah’s catch-22 situation as UNIFIL mandate renewed
The renewal of the mandate for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon — a peacekeeping force deployed along the Israel-Lebanon border — was agreed last Thursday by the UN Security Council.
Iraq Goes Dry Despite Opposition
The country is moving forward with its ban on alcohol despite protests from its youth and religious minorities
Chaldean patriarch withdraws from Baghdad headquarters
CARDINAL Louis Sako, patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, has announced he is withdrawing from his headquarters in Baghdad after Iraqi President Abdul Rashid revoked a decree recognising him as head of the Christian Church in Iraq.
ECAJ statement on ALP conference resolution concerning Israel – Palestinian conflict.
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the peak national representative body of the Australian Jewish community is pleased that the Labor Party National Conference has concluded its debate on Middle East policy with no change to the Government’s position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and without further hostile policy pronouncements.
Lebanon’s Nightmare Could Become Israel’s Future
On Sept. 12, Israel’s Supreme Court will consider whether the judicial power grab by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is legal. Netanyahu has repeatedly refused to commit to abide by an adverse decision, so if the court rules against his coalition, Israel will be in full-blown judicial crisis.
Netanyahu Is Running Scared of Israeli Media
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scared. Not, ostensibly, of the masses of citizens on the streets protesting against his moves to undermine the country’s judiciary, nor of the deep economic and security damage this has already caused, nor of his strained ties with Washington.
Inside the Fight to Save Israeli Democracy
The constitutional earthquake that began shaking Israel in January is once again rocking the country.
The Grandchild Clause’s Seeds of Compromise
Identifying starkly contrasting visions for Israel with significant consequences for immigration policy, DeMogge concludes that the decades-old conflict between Jewish and Israeli identity is “unlikely to be resolved anytime soon,” and that the Grandchild Clause—a 1970 proviso to the Law of Return granting anybody with at least one Jewish grandparent the right to Israeli citizenship—“will be at its center.”
The Jews in Defiance of History
A peaceful scene greeted me in Russia in mid-February 2022, nine days before Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine.
(2023) Israel and Palestine Justice
Text of remarks at the national Australian Labor Party Conference in Brisbane on 18 August 2023
Turkey’s beleaguered Kurds weigh new strategies after Erdogan’s win
The key question following the vote is whether the alliance between the HDP and the main opposition Republican People’s Party and its Table of Six partners can endure.
Turkey’s Election and Its Malcontents
On the morning of May 15, political and social media commentators as well as journalists were coming to terms with the results of the Turkish presidential elections.
Five more years for Erdogan. What’s first on his agenda?
Turkey marks a hundred years as a republic this year. First as Turkey’s prime minister and then as its president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been at the political helm of the republic for a fifth of that century. His victory on Sunday in a runoff election now sets him up for five more years in power.
Erdoğan Wins Again in Turkey: What Does It Mean for the Middle East?
Sitting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan comfortably defeated opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu in this week’s runoff vote in the Turkish presidential election. The AKP leader, who has ruled Turkey since 2002, secured just over 52% of the vote, to his rival’s 47%.
Four Reflections on Turkey After the Elections
The JST asked four experts on Turkey from journalism, academia and government service for their thoughts on “whither Turkey” in the immediate aftermath of the May 28 elections.
What is Going on in Israel Today?
Israel is in the midst of unprecedented political turmoil. Three alarms are sounding.
Netanyahu open to compromise on overhaul, court must remain non-partisan
Top US lawyer, a confidant of the prime minister, also says justices must keep power to make final rulings on issues of core civil liberties
ECAJ, ZFA speak out on Israel’s judicial reforms
‘We recognise and respect that, being in the diaspora, we have different rights, but we are also deeply invested in Israel’s survival and the wellbeing of all Israelis and the Jewish people’
Israel’s Other Tyranny of the Minority
Israel’s parliamentary system produces weak governments that are increasingly liable to capture by minority parties, who have every incentive to indulge their most radical plans.
On the Brink of Nuclearization, the Brink of War, the Brink of the Abyss
The “judicial reform” legislation, expected to change the face of Israel, has progressed rapidly and aroused widespread protests, while Israel’s enemies, from Tehran to Beirut, rejoice from afar.
A last, desperate, long-shot plea: Prime Minister Netanyahu, stop this madness
Dear Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this is a plea — a last, long-shot, desperate appeal to your patriotism, to your Zionism, to your concern for your place in history, to your conscience: Stop this madness.
The Suckers’ Revolt
Israelis who work, fight in the army, and pay taxes are wary of the new government
Culture boom in Baghdad
Frustrated with their politicians, young Iraqis are turning their backs on politics and throwing themselves into cultural life. Birgit Svensson reports from Baghdad.
The Progressive Friend of Israel in the era of Ben Gvir: Prospects and Tasks
I recently attended the annual lunch of the UK Labour Friends of Israel, whose assembled throng was made up largely of those Jews indefatigable, courageous, or plain masochistic enough to have stuck with the party of the British left[1] through the Corbyn interregnum (or who have returned since the unquiet fall of the ancien régime) and those outlier non-Jews whose leftism incorporates Zionism – foundationally so, for some of us.
On That Distant Day
This time it’s different.
I can recall how, in 1977, when Menachem Begin and the Likud came to power after three decades of Labor Party rule, there was alarm verging on panic in some circles.
In 46 Words, Biden Sends a Clear Message to Israel
I woke up on Saturday morning, read the news from Israel that at least 50,000 Israelis had just demonstrated once more against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to strip the Israeli Supreme Court of its independence and put it instead under Netanyahu’s thumb — at a time when Netanyahu himself is facing corruption charges — and I asked myself a simple question: “What does President Biden think of this?”
A New Page in the Russo-Iranian Partnership
In July 2022, against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin embarked on a notable foreign trip. Amid mounting international censure and growing hostility from the outside world, Putin traveled to Tehran to meet with Iranian officials and formally usher in a new phase in the long-running strategic partnership between the two countries.
Will Turkey – Syria earthquake redraw the fault lines of geopolitics?
As in previous decades and centuries, geologic rumblings could be followed by political upheavals in both countries.
Syria’s Silent Rubble Reproaches the UN’s Resounding Failure
Trapped under debris, persecuted by the Assad regime and forsaken by allies, the people of northwestern Syria pinned their hopes on the UN — and were betrayed
Iran: Supporting civil rights in the context of imperial history
The 43 year old Iranian regime’s lethal rampages round its neighbourhood have increased of late and reek of desperation. It has, for instance, again bombed exiled Iranian Kurdish camps in Iraqi Kurdistan. It destroyed the house – comically described as an Israeli drone base – of a Kurdish company chief, near the American consulate.
Lebanese religious leader slams MPs for failing nation’s people, world
BEIRUT: The head of the Maronite Church in Lebanon on Sunday launched a withering attack on the country’s political leaders accusing them of failing the Lebanese people and the world.
Iraqi Christians celebrate Christmas one year after Daesh defeat
BAGHDAD: Iraqi Christians quietly celebrated Christmas on Tuesday amid improved security, more than a year after the country declared victory over Daesh militants who threatened to end their 2,000-year history in Iraq.
Arab nations should press China on Uyghur Muslim abuses
Uyghur Muslims face mass atrocities, if not genocide, at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). With Chairman Xi Jinping visiting Saudi Arabia this week to meet with Arab leaders, these Muslim-majority countries have an opportunity to advocate for oppressed Muslims. Their fellow believers in China need their help.
Climate Change Will Destroy Arabs and Israelis Before They Destroy Each Other
JERICHO, West Bank — There are two dramas playing out today along the banks of the River Jordan, representing the two most powerful forces shaping politics in and around Israel. Tell me which one dominates, and I’ll tell you what relations between Jews and Arabs will look like.
Intelligence Briefing. The Gangs of Northern Syria: Life Under Turkey’s Proxies
As many as 1.4 million of
the 16.5 million Syrians who
continue to live in the country
after 10 years of conflict reside
in areas under the control of
the Syrian National Army (SNA),
a proxy force established by
Turkey.
The War for Water in the Middle East
Climate change is particularly harsh in how it affects the Middle East. In recent years, higher temperatures have meant less water availability for the region, making river control one of the most coveted targets for governments and terrorist groups, writes Elia Preto Martini.
A Party Transformed: How UK Labour is ripping Left Antisemitism out by its roots
In 2020, following Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, the UK Labour Party was found guilty by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission of three breaches of the Equality Act for its treatment of Jewish members. At its 2022 conference current leader Keir Starmer was able to boast that the party has ‘ripped antisemitism out by its roots’ (and to celebrate a barely believable poll lead of 33 per cent over the Conservatives).
Policy Forum: Kurds Against the Iranian Regime
Activists and experts discuss what Washington can do to curb Tehran’s violent campaigns against Kurdish populations at home and next door in Iraq.
Xi’s Saudi Visit Shows Riyadh’s Monogamous Marriage to Washington Is Over
In today’s Cold War 2.0, not only will Saudi Arabia refuse to choose sides, but it’s also likely to move closer to Beijing and Moscow.
“The Israel We Knew” is not gone
On Israel-interested social media, complaining about Tom Friedman’s columns in the New York Times has become something of a sport.
The Israel We Knew Is Gone
Imagine you woke up after the 2024 U.S. presidential election and found that Donald Trump had been re-elected and chose Rudy Giuliani for attorney general, Michael Flynn for defense secretary, Steve Bannon for commerce secretary, evangelical leader James Dobson for education secretary, Proud Boys former leader Enrique Tarrio for homeland security head and Marjorie Taylor Greene for the White House spokeswoman.
“Impossible,” you would say. Well, think again.
Israel’s electoral crisis ends but the struggle for its soul goes on
Israel’s fifth election in four years has finally broken the deadlock, producing a decisive victory for Netanyahu and his far right and ultra-Orthodox allies.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry statement on the results of the Israeli elections
With news that Prime Minister Yair Lapid has conceded defeat in the Israeli elections and the results clearly showing that Binyamin Netanyahu will lead the new coalition government, we congratulate Mr Netanyahu on his return to office.
Desertification in an Iraqi Bread Basket
Palm branches whip back as Hussein Ibrahim walks through his densely planted land in Al Fao, the very last village in Iraq’s south as it reaches the Persian Gulf. Affectionately known as Abu Yusuf in reference to his eldest son, Ibrahim explains that farming is his culture.
Lebanese turn to wood logging in preparation for winter
Lebanon’s woodlands are at risk as the poor are cutting down trees as an alternative for fuel to heat their homes in the coming winter, and with such desperate measures experts fear the loss of precious and old trees.
Steps to a Two State Solution: For Israel, for Palestine, for Peace
The two-state solution is the only means by which to guarantee Israel’s security and to preserve its identity as a Jewish and democratic state, as well as to satisfy the legitimate demand of the Palestinian people for self-determination and national sovereignty.
Anti-Israel motions off the agenda at Labour’s annual conference
Labour NEC member Luke Akehurst confirms ‘not a single CLP has submitted a motion’ on Israel and the Palestinians for debate at the Liverpool conference in contrast to the fanatical pro-Palestinian mood of the Jeremy Corbyn era.
Anticipating Iran’s Future
The Islamic Republic of Iran, now 43 years old, has proven itself to be remarkably resilient in weathering both geopolitical turbulence and domestic hardships. In doing so, it has defied the predictions of numerous scholars and pundits.
Wishful Republic
David Barak-Gorodetsky reviews the new book Haifa Republic: A Democratic Future by Omri Boehm.
Why Does America Support Israel? A conversation with historian Walter Russell Mead.
A conversation with historian Walter Russell Mead about misconceptions of Jewish power and the decidedly non-Jewish roots of support for the Jewish state
The Islamist Disruptor of Israel: MK Mansour Abbas Speaks
“In ten years I will not be in the Knesset.”
Mansour Abbas, leader of the Islamist Ra’am party, let that bombshell slip at the end of a lengthy conversation recently.
“My family needs me. I left them at a very delicate time.”
A Defining Moment for Yair Lapid
The latest round of fighting in Gaza came to an end Sunday evening with Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) agreeing to abide by an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire.
Israel and Gaza Keep Up Their Precarious Dance
One week before the latest round of fighting over the weekend between Israel and the Gaza-based militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a senior Israeli security official had some prescient words.
‘It’s 2022 and we live in caves’: herders besieged by settlers on West Bank but still clinging to hope
Images of pastoralist communities living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank and the impact of the attacks by settlers on the Palestinian shepherds’ lifestyle and livelihoods.
Joe Biden says two-state solution is ‘best for future’
US-Israeli relations are “bone deep”, President Joe Biden said upon his arrival at Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday at the beginning of a high-profile trip to the Middle East.
Rising heat drives crippling sandstorms in the Middle East
Over the past two months, Iraqis have been living, working and breathing in thick clouds of dust, as at least nine sandstorms — lasting up to several days each — have hit the country, blanketing everything in grit.
In the Mideast, Feuds and Friendships Turn Orwellian
It is often difficult to keep track of one’s mortal enemies in the Middle East. One day you could be in the throes of a great cold or proxy war with rival regional powers, before the reality of inflation and currency crashes kicks in, or you want a larger pool of potential buyers for your homegrown drone industry, or you identify a new greater threat du jour, and you have to shift alliances.
One Small Handshake for the United States, One Giant Leap for US-Saudi Relations
President Biden has a powerful moral imperative for ending his feud with the crown prince: to ensure that the kingdom’s gradual pivot away from extremism doesn’t falter.
Lapid makes smooth landing in Israeli prime minister’s office
Having long prepared for the job, Yair Lapid quickly took on the role of Israel’s prime minister.
World looks away as oil disaster looms off Yemen’s coast
Time is running out to prevent what Yemen envoy Tim Lenderking warns will be a “massive oil spill the likes of which the world has not seen.”
Druze: the great survivors. How the world’s most secretive faith has endured for a thousand years
To many, the Druze are an enigma, Arabic-speaking followers of an esoteric Abrahamic faith rooted in Islam, but which branched out on a different spiritual path in the 11th century.
Australia’s stance at UN lauded
Australia has criticised the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for its one-sided obsession with Israel.
The Growing Political Role of the Kurdish Diaspora
Kurdish diaspora communities in Europe are estimated to be between two to three million people, more than half of whom are in Germany, according to Kurdish institutions.
US Relations with Arab Gulf States: A Passing Crisis?
After US–Saudi relations deteriorated when Biden entered the White House, relations between the two countries have recently improved, with reports of a possible visit by the US president to Riyadh. What are the reasons for the rapprochement trend, and how can it affect Israel?
A Danger to Millions: The Middle Eastern Threat No One’s Talking About
Ignored in comparison to other kinds of natural disasters, the Middle East’s dust storms and sandstorms are increasingly impacting people’s health and the economies of the region
Saving Israel for Democrats
Though the memory is a fading one, the Democratic Party was once Israel’s central pillar of political support in the United States, if not in the entire world.
Why reconciliation with Palestinians is the key to Israel’s future
I wrote messages on social media that promoted hatred, until a student called me out. ‘Do you believe what you preach?’ he asked. At that moment, I decided not to hate.
The Mediator: Why Putin and Zelensky Chose Naftali Bennett
Early on the morning of Saturday, March 5, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett travelled in a motorcade from his home in Ra’anana, a sleepy town north of Tel Aviv, to Ben Gurion airport.
Israel’s 74th Celebration of Independence Day, President Herzog statement that: “The dazzling Israeli mosaic is our special power”
Traditional Independence Day celebrations at the President’s Residence hosted for the first time by President Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog and feature Israeli artists, military ensembles and the IDF Orchestra
Background to and Criticism of the Recent Claims that ‘Al-Aqsa is in Danger’
Last week in Jerusalem, as Jews celebrated Passover and Muslims observed Ramadan, violent images were broadcast of Palestinian thugs vandalising the Al-Aqsa Mosque and hurling Molotov cocktails, stones, and fireworks on the Temple Mount itself and at Jews praying at the Western Wall.
Yemen’s Environmental Time Bomb
In the midst of the war in Yemen, there is an ecological time bomb ticking just off the coast: a derelict oil tanker that could cause a disastrous oil spill unless immediate action is taken to avert the catastrophe.
Jordan’s Restoration Efforts Push Back on Degrading Land
Efforts to restore damaged but once fertile land in Jordan’s desert is sprouting hope for one of the world’s most water-scarce nations, as a land assessment report Wednesday warned of the growing scale of global degradation.
Is the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a Terrorist Group?
U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett held their fourth phone conversation on Sunday afternoon.
Erdogan’s Secret Prisons in Syria
Nadia Hassan Suleiman remembers well the day she was arrested.
Iraq’s ‘Other’ Minorities Still Endangered
The Islamic State group’s caliphate was mostly defeated as a territorially consolidated entity in Iraq by late 2017. Yet some of the most vulnerable peoples it targeted, such as Yazidis and Christian Assyrians, remain under existential threat.
The Coptic miracle. How Egypt’s historic Christian church survived and thrived.
In Feb. 15 2015, the world reacted with revulsion to the release of a video showing the savage execution of 21 men on a Mediterranean beach, near Sirte in Libya.
Israel’s PM gave a Holocaust Remembrance speech without mentioning Iran. It signals a new approach.
In his speech on April 27, at the opening ceremony of Israel’s Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett departed from his predecessor’s approach in one very significant way: he made no mention of Iran.
The Spymaster of Baghdad: A True Story of Bravery, Family and Patriotism in the Battle Against ISIS by Margaret Coker
Few books on the recent history of Iraq focus on Iraqis themselves, at least those published in the West.
The Daughters of Kobani: A Story of Rebellion, Courage and Justice by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
There is a clip that occasionally resurfaces on social media of a young Kurdish sniper. The unidentified woman is looking through her rifle’s scope and takes a shot, only to have a round fired from the Islamic State impact inches from her head.
MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed bin Salman by Ben Hubbard
A 384-page book might seem a bit much for the political biography of a man who’s just turned 34 – particularly when you consider that the subject has only been close to the nerve centre of Saudi Arabian power for just half a decade.
Erdogan’s Empire: Turkey and the Politics of the Middle East by Soner Cagaptay
Soner Cagaptay, a leading researcher of contemporary Turkey at the Washington Institute for Near Eastern Policy, has written a book of wide scope about Turkish foreign policy over the past two decades.
The Three Best Books on Antisemitism, Fathom, June 2021
There are so many books about antisemitism that it seems foolhardy to try to summarise the full scope of literature on the subject, never mind choosing just three to recommend.
Putin’s War in Syria. Russian Foreign Policy and the Price of America’s Absence by Anna Borshchevskaya
After nearly a decade of conflict, it appears that efforts are underway, or at least beginning to get underway, to re-normalize relations with Bashar al-Assad, the president of Syria.
Under Jerusalem: The Buried History of the World’s Most Controversial City by Andrew Lawler
The rabbinic tradition speaks of a Jerusalem above and a Jerusalem below. It imagines the earthbound city as a reflection of a heavenly one—the latter perfect and the former aspiring to perfection.
Biden’s First Year in the Middle East: Laudable Aims and Many Contradictions
A year into Joe Biden’s administration, the United States has continued the past two administrations’ policy of downgrading U.S. military commitments in the Middle East.
Israel, Ukraine and the Right Side of History
Within the first week of Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine, Israel gave the clearest possible signal about its emerging policy of total ambiguity. First, Israel declined to support the US effort to condemn Russia at the United Nations Security Council.
Accommodating Iran Will Be No More Successful Than Accommodating Russia
Vladimir Putin has opened the gates of hell by invading Ukraine at the end of his 23-year journey to destroy Europe’s post-Cold War security architecture and reestablish Russia’s lost imperial glory.
Turkey’s pro-Western policy reversal reveals Erdogan’s dilemma
Turkey is no longer the isolated country it was 21 days ago. The ruthless Russian invasion in Ukraine that began Feb. 24 has changed everything. The post-post-Cold War era in world history has been inaugurated.
Egypt and Israel: Renewable Energies for Peace
Egypt’s intense preparations for the international climate conference that it will host in Sharm el-Sheikh were evident at the World Youth Forum that met there this past January.
The Music Plays Again in Mosul
The light of song and celebration shines again after a ban plunged the onetime city of art and culture into the darkness of silence
On Amnesty’s car-crash interview in Israel
When the two most senior Amnesty officials presented their new report in Israel they struggled to answer the most basic questions. Their responses, writes Shany Mor, were ‘a mix of exasperation, ignorance, self-contradiction, and conspiratorial magical thinking’.
Hassan Nasrallah, Master of Lebanon
In 2022, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah will celebrate 30 years as the undisputed leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon—upholding a pattern of Arab leaders who mature, age, and often die while in power.
Saudi Arabia Is Changing Fast. Can the U.S. Keep Up?
Saudis are joining the labor force, women are driving, and the taboo on Israel has practically vanished. America can support this shift—so why isn’t it?
An Arab Leader in Israel: A Conversation with Mansour Abbas
The head of the first Arab party to join an Israeli governing coalition answers questions about the country’s domestic and foreign policies, including its approach to Palestinian issues and diplomacy with Arab states.
A guide to final stretch of Iran nuclear negotiations – analysis
In the coming days or weeks, the US and Iran may return to a nuclear deal.
‘Now There Is No One’: The Lament of One of the Last Christians in a Syrian City
Michel Butros al-Jisri is among the few Christians left from a once-vibrant community in Idlib on the brink of disappearing.
Report: 93% of Polled Arab Residents of Jerusalem Prefer Israeli Rule to Palestinian Authority
A new poll of Arab residents of Jerusalem by a Palestinian media outlet found that 93% of them prefer to remain under Israeli rule and would not give up their Israeli identity card.
Albert Memmi: Zionism as National Liberation
A Jew. An Arab. An African. A nationalist. An internationalist. A secularist. A socialist. An anti-colonialist. A Zionist. Few people combine the identities, both inherited and chosen, of Albert Memmi.
The Arab citizens of Israel | An interview with Dr Arik Rudnitzky
In this BICOM Podcast, Richard Pater speaks to Dr Arik Rudnitzky, a researcher in the ‘Arab Society in Israel Programme’ at the Israel Democracy Institute.
Nasrallah: If Israel could beat Hezbollah, it would’ve attacked already
Nasrallah stated in an interview that Israel would need to conduct a full war if it wanted to eliminate Hezbollah’s missile program.
The Islamic State Has Become a Resilient Insurgency
The group may no longer have its caliphate, but it’s far from defeated.
Inside the U.S.-Russia Deal that Eases Pressure on Assad
The United States has quietly cut a deal with Russia that eases the political pressure on Syria at the United Nations.
Israel’s Mossad suspected of high-level Iran penetration
In November 2020, a convoy carrying Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran’s most prominent nuclear scientist, came under fire.
Yemen’s Tragedy: War, Stalemate, and Suffering
Yemen’s internal divisions and a Saudi-led military intervention have spawned an intractable political, military, and humanitarian crisis.
Fatah Central Committee Decisions Accelerate the Decline of PA Legitimacy
Ahead of the battle over who will succeed him, Abu Mazen is using a series of decisions on appointments and candidacies taken recently at the Fatah Central Committee to appoint loyalists and allies to senior positions; these appointments are expected to be approved by the PLO’s Central Council
Sting in the BDS tail: it has made exclusion among Australians respectable
Irving Wallach is a Sydney barrister. Over the years he has been an honorary officer and executive member of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, and a board member of Mount Sinai College and Moriah College. Irving was president and a founding board member of the New Israel Fund Australia. IRVING WALLACH: By fixing a…
Holy Land Christian leaders want guarantees on protection of people, sites
JERUSALEM — Christian leaders in the Holy Land have asked for “an urgent dialogue” with Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian leaders “to ensure that no citizen or institution has to live under threat of violence or intimidation.”
Erdogan’s Turkey and Hamas: A natural partnership
At a conference in Istanbul last week, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh expressed his gratitude for the role that Turkey is playing in the advancement of the Palestinian cause.
For Syria’s Alawites, the Dissenters and the Regime Are Never Remote
How we navigated oppression, dissent and the threat of torture in Assad’s Syria
Enemies of the Good
France’s intervention in Lebanon has not been without error, but its rejection of maximalism is a blessing.
The Forgotten History of the Term “Palestine”
The land to the east of the Mediterranean has gone by many names, all of them designed to make a political point.
Assad’s Family Reunion Could Be a Final Victory
By reconciling with an estranged uncle, Syria’s dictator may have definitively reestablished his power.
The Iran Debate Heats Up Has Iran Finally Chosen to Break Out and What to Do About it?
Biden Must Stand with the Repressed People of Iran
Christianity Is Vanishing From the Middle East. This Reporter Documents Its Decline
Visiting the beleaguered Christian communities of Iraq, Syria, the Gaza Strip and Egypt, Janine di Giovanni discovers a people facing an existential threat but determined to persevere
‘They are not human’: ISIS, the Yazidis and Germany
When a five-year-old child was chained and left outside in a courtyard to die by her ISIS captor, her enslaved mother never thought she would see justice done.
Loss and trauma: Churches help Iraqi Christians displaced by Islamic State
Walking through this mainly Christian town outside of Irbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, it’s easy to see many changes since the victims of Islamic State militants fled here for safety seven years ago.
It’s too soon to write the obituary of the anti-Iran alliance in the Middle East
The claim that the pro-Western alliance in the region has collapsed in the wake of a US withdrawal is an exaggeration, says Jonathan Spyer.
On the Kurdish Front Lines, It’s an Endless Struggle
The fight against the Islamic State may be ‘low-level,’ but it’s also constant
Why the Israeli Declaration of Independence Is So Popular
I am grateful for the excellent comments by Eugene Kontorovich and Yonatan Green to the final installment of my seven-part series on Israel’s declaration of independence.
(2021) Israel and the Apartheid Slur
The relentless demonising and delegitimising of Israel continues apace.
Iraqi Christian leaders hope to continue building on pope’s March visit
ANKAWA, Iraq — Nahla and Valentina like to stop and pray at Mar Elia Chaldean Catholic Church in the center of this small majority Christian community.
The ‘Echo Chamber’ of Syrian Chemical Weapons Conspiracy Theorists
A mother and father weep over their child’s body who was killed in a suspected chemical weapons attack on the Damascus suburb of Ghouta, in August 21, 2013 / NurPhoto / Corbis via Getty Images
The real meaning of Lebanon’s independence
Lebanon’s independence can only be accomplished by freeing the Lebanese people from a dependent and corrupt political class.
Keir Starmer: ‘Anti-Zionist antisemitism is antithesis of Labour tradition’
At Labour Friends of Israel lunch, the party leader condemns those who ‘focus obsessively on the world’s sole Jewish state and hold it to standards no other country is subjected.’
The jibe ‘Progressive except for Palestine (PEP)’ is a cynical political strategy to exclude moderate progressives from debates on resolving the Israeli-Palestine conflict
In this essay, Philip Mendes argues that the new buzzword for Palestinian nationalists, ‘Progressive except for Palestine,’ aimed at progressives who do not support fundamentalist calls for the abolition of the State of Israel, is ‘not a perspective which seeks to advance principled reasonable criticism of Israel.
Is There Any Solution to Turkey’s Kurdish Problem?
While a solution to the Kurdish problem will likely continue to remain out of reach, Turkey has no alternative but to muddle through, alternating between cautious reform and clampdown.
Turkey Economy, Politics and GDP Growth Summary
A snapshot of the economy, Economist Intelligence Briefing
PA Min. of Educ. to kids: There is no Israel, “the entire land is ours, from the Sea to the River”
PA Min. of Educ. to kids: There is no Israel, “the entire land is ours, from the Sea to the River”, Palestinian Media Watch
Lebanon Loses a Pillar of Independent Journalism
The Daily Star’s demise is the story of Lebanon, reduced from promising country to failed state.
Israel—a Cyber Nation? A Critical Review of Israeli Cyberspace
Israel is perceived as a powerful cyber nation worldwide. Technology companies like Check Point, Argus, Verint, and NSO, to name just a few, promote Israeli technologies as well the narrative of a nation able to translate its prowess at the military field into marketable assets.
The Imperative of Reading Ruth
More than anything else, Ruth Wisse’s memoir, Free as a Jew, is a necessary book. In her person, Wisse holds two realities that some Jews have difficulty reconciling – pre and post-Holocaust reality.
Why Iraqi Kurds are fleeing their peaceful homeland
For many Americans and Europeans, news that thousands of Iraqi Kurds are among the refugees stranded on the border between Belarus and Poland might have come as a surprise.
How Israel Should Navigate the New American Landscape
The political landscape in Washington has changed. Israel’s outreach to the Democrats is vital— including to some progressives.
Pope Francis sends video to city of Mosul, praying for ‘friendship among the people’
ROME – Eight months after visiting Iraq’s war-torn city Mosul, Pope Francis sent a message to the citizens, saying that he remembers the destruction he witnessed.
The Arab-Israeli Power Broker in the Knesset
Is Mansour Abbas changing the system or selling out the Palestinian cause?
Labour must craft a new approach to promoting peace in the Middle East
In the months since President Biden’s inauguration, we’ve already begun to see the difference in his administration’s approach to international affairs. “America First” is out, multilateral engagement is in.
Lebanon sentenced me to 10 years in prison for helping sick Palestinian children – I consider my work a badge of honour
As a doctor, I believe turning away from desperately ill kids – be they in Palestine or elsewhere – is a far greater crime
New PA embassy in Tunisia displays huge map of “Palestine” erasing Israel
According to “direct orders and instructions” from PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, the PA has established over 100 Palestinian embassies around the world.
After national vote nixed, PA seeks legitimacy in local elections
Under fire over the death of a prominent critic, facing dwindling popularity and smarting from the latest cancellation of long-overdue national elections, Palestinian Authority leaders are touting an upcoming local vote as an expression of democratic vigor in the hope it will soothe bubbling frustrations.
As Israel bakes, climate study warns of floods
Israel will have much less rain, the study predicts, but when it comes it will wreak destruction.
COP26: Middle East faces huge challenge as region seeks to ween itself off oil and gas
Middle East Eye looks at how the climate crisis is impacting the region, and what is being put forward at the climate summit
Quad 2.0: Why the US, UAE, India and Israel have joined forces
Containing China will be a key component of the new strategic partnership among the four states
Hating Jews—the Enduring Curse
Rabbi Michael Lerner, Hating Jews—the Enduring Curse, Tikkun
Half of Britons do not know 6m Jews were murdered in Holocaust
Survey also finds majority of UK respondents believe fewer people care about Holocaust today than used to
The Last Word: A Definition and its Discontents
Earlier this year, an “open letter” appeared in print and online, which opened, “We the undersigned regret any attempt to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s IHRA definition of antisemitism [sic].”
A Report by Kurdistan Human Rights Network on Secret Detention Centres of Iranian Security Institutions in Kermanshah, Sanandaj, Orumiyeh
The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has prepared this report to draw the attention of international human rights organisations to the situation of secret detention centres of two security agencies, the Ministry of Intelligence and the Intelligence Organisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in Iranian Kurdistan.
‘The Traitor’ Samir Geagea
“Spy.” “Foreign agent.” “Traitor.” “Conspirator.” “Criminal.” “Fifth column…” These are some of the bricks of the building that is constructed, time after time, by closed regimes and parties. One of these epithets applies to anyone who does not think like them or share their opinion, and usually, all of them do.
What does the diplomatic crisis with Saudi Arabia mean for Lebanon?
The kingdom was a major investor in Lebanon but ties between them have strained over the past decade
Turkey’s Opposition Can End the Country’s Economic Crisis
A broad, ideologically diverse coalition has the plans and people to turn things around.
Muqtada al-Sadr Is the United States’ Best Hope
In their national election earlier this month, Iraqis took the unprecedented step of rejecting an Iran-backed coalition of armed Shiite militias while showing a clear preference for Muqtada al-Sadr, a Shiite cleric who promotes a nationalist agenda
Coalition increasingly split on left-right lines as budget deadline looms
Meretz decries ‘unilateral steps’ in West Bank, says they undermine government; Labor says it was left out of key decisions
Between the Tigris and Euphrates the impact of Climate Change, from Cradle to Grave
Where civilization emerged between the Tigris and Euphrates,
climate change is poisoning the land and emptying the villages
It’d hurt us to boycott Israel
Targeting Israel by boycotting products and people with Israeli connections is not only misguided but counterproductive to trade, international relations and peace between Israel, the Palestinians and Arab nations.
Palestine Isn’t Ferguson
In the imagination of the Christian West, Jews have been forced to fill every role.
Enemies in the Gates
If Hezbollah believes that an essential dimension of its resistance against Israel is a Lebanese environment friendly to the party and its aims, then nothing in the past two years has shown that it is implementing this idea.
An Investigation in Lebanon Has Led to Armed Clashes Reminiscent of the Civil War
On October 14, fighting broke out in Beirut between armed members of Hezbollah and the allied Amal Movement in Beirut on the one side and as yet unidentified gunmen on the other, as unarmed protestors were heading toward the Palace of Justice to oppose the ongoing investigation into the Beirut port blast of August 4, 2020.
Christians in Iraq and the Middle East must keep faith
Despite dwindling community numbers, as churches and villages are being rebuilt, there is hope
Bennett declares tackling climate a new Israeli national security interest
“The climate crisis is one of the major issues on the world agenda. It concerns the lives of all of us,” says the Israeli prime minister
Saudi Arabia’s path to net-zero is a game changer
The kingdom’s plans to cut carbon emissions by 2060 can revolutionise climate dialogue
Archaeology Turns Political to Benefit a Trio of Middle East Strongmen
When it comes to the Middle East and its cultural heritage, the media is rife with reports of looting, illegal trafficking of artifacts, and on a more positive note, restitution, such as the return from the U.S. to Iraq in September 2021 of the 3,500-year-old Gilgamesh Tablet, with inscriptions in Sumerian.
Does Big Tech Have an Anti-Semitism Problem?
Employees at Google and Amazon launched a petition drive this week to persuade both companies to end their contracts with the world’s only Jewish state.
Lebanon Maronite Patriarch Says No Party Should Resort to Violence
Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, the top Christian cleric, said on Sunday the country’s judiciary should be free of political interference and sectarian “activism” amid rising tensions over a probe into last year’s blast at Beirut port.
In Defense of Christians Expresses Concern Over Hezbollah’s Escalations of Tensions in Lebanon
In Defense of Christians (IDC), the nation’s leading advocacy organization for Christians and religious minorities in the Middle East and Africa, calls for a de-escalation of tensions in light of the escalating violence in Beirut, Lebanon.
How viable is the Kurds’ autonomous rule in northeastern Syria?
MISSOURI, USA: Ilham Ahmed, head of the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has been lobbying Moscow and Washington to support Kurdish representation in the long-stalled, UN-backed Syrian peace process.
Moqtada al-Sadr: mercurial militia leader turned kingmaker
The scion of a revered cleric positioned himself as an outsider but has been drawn into Iraq’s corrupt politics
The Arrangements Law and the Palestinian Economies
The reforms in the import of manufactured goods and agricultural produce included in the proposed Arrangements Law in Israel are expected to benefit Palestinian consumers.
The Incoming Government in Lebanon: Little New under the Sun
After more than a year of a political freeze, and with the most severe crisis ever to plague the Land of the Cedars in the background, billionaire Najib Mikati succeeded in forming a government
Lebanon MPs hide in fear of Hezbollah assassins
Crisis surrounds probe being conducted by Judge Tarek Bitar, who wants to question former and serving ministers linked to Hezbollah and the allied Amal Party about their responsibility for the deadly port blast
Warnings in Iran of an “Emigration Tsunami”
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians emigrated over the past decade, and in recent months, these numbers have grown, with more and more people in Iran desperate over the difficult economic situation, rising unemployment, and the little hope for change given the strengthened power of the conservatives and the election of President Raisi.
‘The water used to be up to your armpits’: birds starve as Turkey’s lakes dry up
Drought, rising temperatures and poor farming practices are taking a devastating toll on the country’s wildlife
Scientists urge speedy switch to renewables in Middle East
A climate change conference will underscore to policymakers in the Middle East and the east Mediterranean that the switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is needed urgently because greenhouse gas emissions are helping to drive up regional temperatures faster than in many other inhabited parts of the world.
‘Our whole life depends on water’: Climate change, pollution and dams threaten Iraq’s Marsh Arabs
This summer has been tough for Baher, a father of two. Iraq’s 2020-2021 rainfall season was the second driest in 40 years, according to the United Nations, causing the salinity of the wetlands to rise to dangerous levels.
Sally Rooney and the bigotry of the BDS movement
If it’s true Ms Rooney is refusing a Hebrew translation of her new novel, then that’s appalling.
Fathom Long Read | Accommodating the New Antisemitism: a Critique of ‘The Jerusalem Declaration’
In this comprehensive critique Cary Nelson argues that the recent ‘Jerusalem Declaration’ on Antisemitism should be rejected because it accommodates, rather than challenges, what has been called ‘the new antisemitism’.
Israel’s boycotters are only prolonging conflict in the Middle East
It is surely ridiculous to believe that a book could be translated into Hebrew, but only if it is done in a way which complies with a boycott of Israel. Why would a publisher pay for the translation but not then sell it in the only country where the language is widely read? But that is exactly what the author, Sally Rooney – a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel, who has refused to allow an Israeli company to publish her new book in Hebrew – appears to think.
Lebanon’s descent into humanitarian crisis
In the schools of central Beirut, children cowered under their desks in the same way their parents had 30 years before: trapped in the middle of factional violence.
Fathom Long Read | Accommodating the New Antisemitism: a Critique of ‘The Jerusalem Declaration’
In this comprehensive critique Cary Nelson argues that the recent ‘Jerusalem Declaration’ on Antisemitism should be rejected because it accommodates, rather than challenges, what has been called ‘the new antisemitism’.
Keir Starmer is winning the battle for Labour’s soul
Yesterday, as Keir Starmer wrapped up his first full conference at the helm, he welcomed an emotional Louise Ellman back to the party she was forced out of two years earlier over the previous leadership’s wilful failure to tackle racism.
Louise Ellman: ‘So happy to be home in the Labour Party – I’m pretty emotional’
JEWISH NEWS INTERVIEW: “I felt things were changing. I always wanted to come back, I was waiting for the party to change,” reflects veteran politician at party conference.
Starmer puts weight behind Abraham Accords and ‘looks forward’ to Israel visit
Labour leader addressed LFI with video message saying the route to peace was to ‘bring people together through initiatives – not drive them apart through boycotts’
NSW Labor votes against BDS and supports the IHRA definition of “antisemitism.
The NSW ALP State Conference has rejected the party’s BDS campaign and has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism.
Foreign policy win for Albo at NSW conference
Labor Leader Anthony Albanese has secured a foreign policy victory at NSW Labor’s conference, with anti-Israel proposals being rejected by the ALP’s largest branch
Positives for Albanese in neutralising gnawing negatives
The NSW Labor conference has endorsed Anthony Albanese’s rejection of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign and his commitment to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism
Labour Party Conference 2021: ‘Significant progress has been made on tackling antisemitism, but there is still a mountain to climb’
I’ve spent most of the last week at the Labour Party’s Annual Conference, in my capacity as an elected member of Labour’s National Executive Committee.
‘Labour’s stance on Israel-Palestine is shifting back to the balanced, mature and constructive approach of the Blair-Brown years’: Michael Rubin reflects on Labour Conference
Six years ago, at his first conference as Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn attended the Labour Friends of Israel reception and managed the remarkable feat of addressing attendees without uttering the name of the Jewish state.
Opinion | Labour Party Conference 2021: ‘Significant progress has been made on tackling antisemitism, but there is still a mountain to climb’
I’ve spent most of the last week at the Labour Party’s Annual Conference, in my capacity as an elected member of Labour’s National Executive Committee.
The Assad Regime’s Business Model for Supporting the Islamic State
The rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) had many sources, ranging from the Iraqi government’s increased discrimination against Sunnis to the collapse of Syria into civil war
Mikati’s uphill task of saving Lebanon from Hezbollah
The new Lebanese government headed by Najib Mikati was finally approved by parliament last week.
The Country Where the Banks Ran Out of Money
After 13 months of foundering under caretaker prime ministers, Lebanon finally has a government.
The Labour Party and Israel
Ronie Gazit speaks to Luke Akehurst, the Director of We Believe in Israel, and an elected member of Labour’s National Executive Committee, about the 2021 Labour Party Conference.
Qatar holds elections in bid to burnish image before World Cup
Qatar Holds Elections in Bid to Burnish Image Before World Cup, Financial Times, 3 October 2021
Moqtada al-Sadr seizes the moment ahead of Iraq elections
Moqtada al-Sadr Seizes the Moment Ahead of Iraq Elections, 22 September 2021, Financial Times
Cancer of corruption is destroying Lebanon’s soul
After the Beirut port blast last year, the prospect of a failed investigation — let alone two —into responsibility for that monstrous explosion would have provoked global incredulity. More than 200 people died when hundreds of tons of unsafely stored ammonium nitrate fertilizer caught fire in a port warehouse, and exploded.
The erasure from historical memory of Israeli statehood offers and Palestinian rejections is badly distorting today’s debate about Middle East peace
The erasure from our historical memory of Israeli attempts to achieve peace by agreeing to Palestinian statehood, and of the serial Palestinian rejections, is now standard practice.
First Among the Nations? A Cautionary against Triumphalism in Israeli Foreign Policy
Anchored in traditional texts, Judaism offers its own timeless political counsel against what ancient Greek tragedians referred to as hubris—excessive pride or arrogance that leads to nemesis, a reversal of fortunes and an eventual downfall.
Saudi-Iran talks still ‘exploratory,’ says FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan
RIYADH: Talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran are at an early stage but are a basis for addressing major issues between the two countries, the Kingdom’s foreign minister said on Sunday.
Sunnis and Shia: Islam’s ancient schism
The divide between Sunnis and Shia is the largest and oldest in the history of Islam.
Autocracy has filled the ideological vacuum in the Middle East
Autocracy has Filled the Ideological Vacuum in the Middle East, Financial Times, 29 September 2021
Turkey’s top Islamic cleric moves center stage, irking secularists
ISTANBUL: When President Tayyip Erdogan opened a new court complex this month, Turkey’s senior cleric sealed the ceremony with a Muslim prayer, triggering protests from critics who said his actions contravened the secular constitution.
As the Climate Bakes, Turkey Faces a Future Without Water
No nation in the Mediterranean region has been hit harder by climate change than Turkey. But as heat and drought increase, Turkey is doubling down on water-intensive agriculture and development and spurring a water-supply crisis that is expected to get much worse.
Οil and gas are ‘now a thing of the past’
Pavlos Papadopoulos interview with Dan Rabinowitz on his new book The Power of Deserts: Climate Change, the Middle East and the Promise of a Post-Oil Era
A Muslim Fighting Antisemitism at the UN
A Muslim Fighting Antisemitism at the UN, Moment Magazine, September 2021
The Return of History – New Populism, Old Hatreds
Deborah E. Lipstadt’s take on White Insurrections: Antisemitism in America, Jewish Quarterly, 2021
APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO IRAQ
Address of His Holiness Pope Francis at the interreligious meeting, Plain of Ur, Iraq
Turkish Imperialism: When Will Turkey Annex Northern Syria?
In its quest to fulfill its expansionist ambitions, Turkey is pursuing a systematic Turkification policy in areas under its control in northern Syria.
Mapping The Rise of Turkey’s Hard Power
Until recently, Turkey has relied on trade and diplomacy, as well as its key geographic location between Europe and the Middle East, to project power
The Houthis and the Jews
Hateful antisemitic ideology, stemming from Iran, is meant to create enemies for the Yemeni people where there are none, and to divide people by religion – Muslim against Jew, Christian, Baha’i and all others
Assyrian Church of the East elects new patriarch
The Assyrian Church of the East has elected a new Patriarch. His Grace Mar Awa Royel is the 122nd Patriarch of the ancient church. He is the first American born leader of the church, reflecting the mass emigration of Assyrian Christians from Iraq to the West in recent decades:
Al Jazeera, Qatar and the Taliban
Far from being independent of government as it claims, Al Jazeera is an important tool of Qatari strategic policy. And Doha’s policies are dangerous and destructive, providing support to numerous terrorist and extremist groups, even as Qatar tries to present itself as a mediator and “honest broker “.
Al Jazeera, Qatar and the Taliban, by Judy Maynard, 31 August 2021
Turkish Imperialism: Whither the Syrian Kurds?
In line with a longstanding betrayal of the Kurds to their local oppressors, the US used the Syrian Kurds for fighting ISIS (and the Assad regime) only to betray them once their usefulness had been exhausted. Whither the Syrian Kurds?, by Spyridon Plakoudas and Wojciech Michnik, Middle East Quarterly, Fall 2021
Lebanon’s public prosecutor demands answers over Hezbollah blast probe threats
Judge leading the investigation issued new dates for the questioning of ministers
How the Jews who fled Arab countries in 1948 built new lives in Israel
As the new Jewish state was taking root in 1948, an estimated 850,000 Jews living in Arab countries were being expelled or fled their homes in those countries
Meet Iran’s New Foreign Minister: Qassem Suleimani’s ‘Soldier’
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is a staunch backer of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance.”
Ankara’s Inflation Jitters
Ankara struggles to control inflation narrative as Turks’ mistrust mounts
The Middle East Is Becoming Literally Uninhabitable
One of the regions hardest hit by climate change is also one least equipped to deal with it.
Eco-Peace in the Middle East
EcoPeace Middle East is a project-oriented organization, hence, our work is organized according to projects.
Middle East Minorities and the Case of Lebanon
In this episode of Roamings and Reflections, Director of Newlines Institute’s Human Security Unit Faysal Itani interviews Flavius Mihaies about his travels through Lebanon.
Saudi Security: Increasing Challenges alongside Strategic Limitations
The kingdom is encircled: threats to Saudi Arabia are growing, emerging on all fronts – land, sea, air, and the cyber realm. Overall, there is one single source for these threats: Iran and its proxies in the region. How can the leading Gulf state confront the numerous challenges before it, and can – and should – Israel assist it?
Egypt announces plan to address climate change following heat wave
Egypt is devising a strategic national plan to address climate change amid a heat wave that swept through the country recently.
An Arab Party in Israel’s Government: A Test for Jews and Arabs Alike
As an ongoing political crisis in Israel precluded formation of a coalition and a government, the Arab vote became increasingly legitimate in the eyes of most Jewish parties, from both the right and the center-left.
Israeli Cabinet Endorses ultra-Orthodox Conscription Legislation in ‘Historic Step’
Bennett says move will encourage ultra-Orthodox employment as government agrees on proposal after years of political clashes over the issue
9/11, 20 Years On: A Catastrophic Impact on the Palestinian Cause
Following the attacks, Ariel Sharon framed his government’s fight against the Palestinians as part of the global ‘war on terror.’ It worked brilliantly. This article is part of a special Haaretz project marking 20 years to 9/11
Israel Maintains Its Edge, but Will Be Challenged by Iran, Hezbollah in Coming Year
On Jewish New Year’s Eve, a critical component in IDF prowess is that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East American concern over Israel-China ties is one of the many challenges Jerusalem is facing
Russia in Syria: A Long Road to Victory
Russia in Syria: A Long Road to Victory, in Strategic Assessment – A Multidisciplinary Journal on National Security, July 2021
LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO THE CATHOLIC PATRIARCHS OF THE MIDDLE EAST
Letter of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Catholic Patriarchs of the Middle East
The Gifts of Jewish Arabists — and Arab Jews
The Gifts of Jewish Arabists – and Arab Jews, Newlines Magazine
PM Kadhimi calls on Christians to return to Iraq
Prime Minister Kadhimi calls on Christians to return to Iraq, 14 August 2021
After seven years of genocide, we Yazidis struggle to see a future in Iraq
After seven years of genocide, we Yazidis struggle to see a future in Iraq, writes Salih Hamo in the Rudaw Media Network
Walking in Mosul
An Ode to Mosul as It Rebuilds, by Ali Al-Baroodi, Newlines Magazine, 6 August 2021
Seven years after ISIS invasion, Iraqis still face uncertain future
Seven years after ISIS invasion, Iraqis still face uncertain future, by Elise Ann Allen, Crux, 8 August 2021
It is time for Australia to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism
It is time for Australia to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism. Labor Leader Anthony Albanese has already announced his support for the definition and his intention to endorse it should Labor win government, writes Naomi Levin, Australia / Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, 20 August 2021
Kurdish statehood is good for the Kurds. It’s also good for the West, writes Jonathan Spyer (2013 article)
The civil war in Syria and the increasing fragility of Iraq have thrown the long-term future of these states into question.
The Ravaging of Afrin, by Jonathan Spyer, April 2021
State Department, UN and NGO Reports cite pattern of grave human rights violations, assaults and targeting of women by Turkish-controlled Islamist militias
What the world would miss if BDS were applied
What the world would miss if BDS were applied
Unrest Grows in Iran, but Is the Regime in Danger?
Unrest Grows in Iran, but Is the Regime in Danger?, asks Jonathan Spyer, Middle East Forum, 30 July 2021
Jordan’s Domestic Challenges
Jordan’s Domestic Challenges, Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy, 19 July 2021
Eid in Idlib
Eid in Idlib, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, Newlines Magazine, 23 July 2021
For Most of Turkey’s History, Liberalism Has Been More Illusory Than Real
On the ongoing tension between liberalism and nationalism in Turkey, Newlines Magazine, 29 July 2021
The West Goes Home
The West Goes Home, by Bernard-Henri Levy, Tablet Magazine, 3 August 2021
‘Choosing comrades’: Solidarity in the Middle East and Labour’s foreign policy
Solidarity in the Middle East and Labour’s Foreign Policy , Fathom Journal, July 2021
Qatar’s State-of-the-Art Foreign Lobbying Campaign
Qatar’s state of the art foreign lobbying campaign, in Tablet magazine, March 2020
The UAE-Israel Deal: Like a Bridge Over Troubled Sands
The UAE-Israel Deal: Like a Bridge Over Troubled Sands, by Koby Huberman, Fathom Journal
Is the Saudi Gender Gap Narrowing?
Is the Saudi Gender Gap Narrowing? Yes, but there is a long way to go, contends Ahmed H. Alrefai in Middle East Quarterly
Too Early to Eulogize the Muslim Brotherhood
A thoughtful review of a new book on the failure of the Muslim Brotherhood to gain control of Egypt and other Arab nations appears in Strategic Assessment – A Multidisciplinary Journal on National Security, July 2021
Australian Sanctions
Syria sanctions regime | Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Syria’s civil war is 10 years old—but still Bashar al-Assad survives
Syria’s Civil War is 10 years old—but Still Bashar al-Assad Survives, article from Prospect (UK) April 2021
Why Was Syria Just Elected to the WHO’s Executive Board?
Why was Syria elected to the governing body of the WHO? See article published in Foreign Policy, July 2021
UN partition plan for Palestine and establishing the State of Israel
UN partition plan for Palestine and establishing the State of Israel – BBC Teach
Palestine Liberation Organization: The Original Palestine National Charter
The original PLO Charter (1964) called for the destruction of Israel | Jewish Virtual Library
Background to the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO)
Background to the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) | History.com
What the postponed Palestinian elections mean for the conflict with Israel
Postponed elections: What the Postponed Palestinian Elections Mean for the Conflict with Israel, New Statesman, UK progressive magazine, May 2021
Australian Sanctions
Lebanon sanctions regime | Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Beirut explosion deepens the tragedy of Lebanon
Financial Times editorial on the tragedy of Lebanon, 6 August 2020
After the blast: how Beirut’s clean-up operation is exposing Lebanon’s wider state dysfunction
After the Blast: How Beirut’s Clean-up Operation is Exposing Lebanon’s Wider State Dysfunction, article from Prospect (UK), August 2020
Oppressed Kurds express culture in Australia
Oppressed Kurds express culture in Australia, Australian Geographic, 2 March 2010
Erdoğan’s fight against the Kurds: the war no one can win
Erdoğan’s Fight Against the Kurds: The War No One Can Win, Prospect (UK)
Still Standing, but Shaky: Jordan at 100
Still Standing, but Shaky: Jordan at 100, Fathom, 10 May 2021
Australian Sanctions
Iran sanctions regime | Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (dfat.gov.au)
Project MUSE – Iranians Turn Away from the Islamic Republic
Iranians and the Islamic Republic, article from The Journal of Democracy, January 2020
Project MUSE – Authoritarian Survival: Iran’s Republic of Repression
Authoritarian Survival: Iran’s Republic of Repression, article from The Journal of Democracy, October 2020
How the Arab world turned against Hezbollah
How the Arab World Turned Against Hezbollah, Prospect (UK), October 2020
What Makes Hamas Different Than the PLO?
What Makes Hamas Different Than the PLO?, The Atlantic magazine (US)
Ten Things You Should Know About Hamas
Ten Things You Should Know About Hamas, Prospect magazine (UK), August 2014
Hamas Covenant [Full Text]
Text of The Hamas Charter (which calls for the destruction of Israel)
Background: What is Hamas? Who Supports Hamas? What You Need to Know
What is Hamas? Who supports Hamas? What you need to know | Middle East| News and analysis of events in the Arab world | DW | 15.05.2021
Hamas Challenge to the PLO
Mohammad Yaghi, Hamas’s Challenge to the PLO, 9 February 2021, Hamas Challenge to the PLO: Opportunities and Prospects | The Washington Institute
Palestinian Activist: It’s Time Ilhan Omar and ‘The Squad’ Learned the Truth About Israel and Hamas
Palestinian Activist: It’s Time Ilhan Omar and ‘The Squad’ Learned the Truth About Israel and Hamas, The Algemeiner, 1 July 2021,
The Persecution Of Christians In The Middle East
Background Article on The Persecution Of Christians In The Middle East | HuffPost | 15th December 2015
Project MUSE – Fear and Learning in the Arab Uprisings
Fear and Learning in the Arab Uprisings, Journal of Democracy, January 2020
Project MUSE – The Arab Spring at 10: Kings or People?
The Arab Spring at 10: Kings or People?, Journal of Democracy, January 2021
Israel and the Distorted Apartheid Analogy
Robbie Sabel, The Campaign to Delegitimize Israel with the False Charge of Apartheid, 27 August 2009
Auschwitz & Israel
Yair Lapid’s (now Israeli Foreign Minister) speech in Germany from the train station where the first Jews were sent to Auschwitz, 26 August 2014
UN Resolutions & Israel
How one-sided can you get? It is interesting that since 2015, at the UN General Assembly, there have been 112 resolutions against Israel, 4 on Iran, North Korea 6, Syria 8, zero on China, Venezuela, Libya, etc
MK Merav Michaeli – Maiden Speech
Israel Labour Leader Merav Michaeli, now the Minister of Transport and Road Safety; her moving, first speech in the Israeli parliament, The Knesset, in March 2013
In Depth: Arafat Rejected Peace in 2000
The Barak Peace Plan Article about the lost opportunity for peace in 2000, told from the perspective of the last Israeli Labor Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Barak
Essay: The Placard Strategy
See also Dr Einat Wilf’s perceptive article, The Placard Strategy, 1 July 2021
Why UNRWA is an obstacle to two states for two peoples: an interview with Einat Wilf
See her critique of the UNRWA: Why UNRWA is an obstacle to two states for two peoples: interview with Dr Einat Wilf | Fathom | October 2018
Dr. Einat Wilf
Dr. Einat Wilf, the webpage of the former Israeli Labour MK, an acute observer of local and regional politics
Analysis: A New Government For Israel
Analysis of Israeli government sworn in June 2021: From Labour Friends of Israel, A New Government for Israel, 15 June 2021
Israel’s New Post-Netanyahu Government, Explained
Yair, Rosenberg, Israel’s New Government Explained, 4 June 2021
Isaac Herzog: Israel’s new president is softly spoken veteran of centre-left
Profile of the former Israeli Labor Leader, now President of Israel, The Guardian, 2 June 2021
Muslims Should Disarm Islamophobia With Kindness
Mustafa Akyol, Muslims Should Disarm Islamophobia with Kindness, The New York Times, 27 February 2020
Sunni/Shi Political Divide
Sunni v Shia: why the conflict is more political than religious, The Guardian, 6 April 2015.
Key Differences Between Shia and Sunni Muslims
Sunni and Shia Muslims share the most fundamental Islamic beliefs and articles of faith and are the two main sub-groups in Islam. Learn Religions, 23 April, 2019.
The Sykes-Picot Agreement and the Making of the Modern Middle East
Borders in the Middle East and Strokes of a Colonialists’ Pens, article by Aaron W. Hughes, The Sykes-Picot Agreement and the Making of the Modern Middle East, Quillette, 14 May 2016
What BDS really wants: A one-state solution, minus the Jewish state – Opinion – Haaretz.com
What BDS Really Wants: A One-state Solution, Minus the Jewish State, article by Philip Mendes and Nick Dyrenfurth, What BDS Really Wants: A One-state Solution, Minus the Jewish State, Haaretz (Israeli newspaper)
Why There is no Credible Alternative to the IHRA Definition of Anti-Semitism
Peter Wertheim, Why There is no Credible Alternative to the IHRA Definition of Anti-Semitism
Fathom eBook | In Defence of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism
In Defence of the IHRA Working Definition of Anti-Semitism, Fathom, February 2021
International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and the definition of anti-Semitism
How Corbyn Breathed Anti-Semitism Into The Labour Party
Background to the Corbyn Problem in British Labour: David Sachs, How Corbyn Breathed Anti-Semitism into the Labour Party, 16 November 2020, The Jewish Journal