Trabzon, Turkey (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – The U.S. presidential elections are among the most consequential for the Middle East, second only to elections within the region itself. Donald Trump secured a substantial victory against the current U.S. Vice President, Kamala Harris. While U.S. elections have always held significance for the Middle East, heightened […]
Archives for November 2024
Saudi Arabia Pursues ‘Cautious Detente’ With Longtime Rival Iran despite Looming Trump 2.0
By Kian Sharifi ( RFE/ RL ) – Iran and Saudi Arabia have been bitter rivals for decades, vying to lead competing branches of Islam and standing on opposing sides of conflicts in Syria and Yemen. But Tehran and Riyadh have taken major steps to de-escalate tensions and boost cooperation, a move that appeared unthinkable […]
Meltwater from Greenland and the Arctic is weakening Ocean Circulation, speeding up Warming down South
By Laurie Menviel, UNSW Sydney and Gabriel Pontes, UNSW Sydney (The Conversation) – A vast network of ocean currents nicknamed the “great global ocean conveyor belt” is slowing down. That’s a problem because this vital system redistributes heat around the world, influencing both temperatures and rainfall. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation funnels heat northwards through […]
“Gaza Yet Stands:” Legendary Journalist Bob Scheer interviews Juan Cole on his new Book
Legendary journalist Bob Scheer interviewed me about my new book, “Gaza Yet Stands,” for his Scheerpost radio program, which is also available at YouTube . USC explains, “Robert Scheer has built a reputation for strong social and political writing,” in a career that stretches back to the 1960s, “as a journalist. His columns appear in […]
Crackpot U.S. Senator Threatens to Invade Netherlands over ICC Warrants against Israel’s Netanyahu
( Middle East Monitor ) – US Senator, Tom Cotton, has threatened military action against the International Criminal Court (ICC) after it issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and former Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, invoking a controversial US law known as “The Hague Invasion Act”. In an inflammatory statement on social media, […]
Will Washington pressure Ankara to reverse its anti-Israel actions? Turkey Turns Screws on Israel
By Philip Balboni ( Foreign Policy in Focus ) – Since October 7, 2023, Turkey has occupied an awkward and uncertain role amid the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza and the cycles of escalatory violence that it has precipitated. A NATO member with long-standing military, economic, and diplomatic ties with the West, Turkey has been […]
What could go Wrong? Some wealthy Jewish Americans risk alliance with Trump’s White Christian Nationalism
Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – A small coterie of wealthy Jewish Americans are perversely giddy and glowing over convicted criminal Donald Trump’s election. In contrast, American Jews in less wealthy income groups overwhelmingly voted against the orange authoritarian. Still, he garnered about a fifth of the Jewish vote. How did he con […]
The Int’l Criminal Court issues Arrest Warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, charging War Crimes
By Catherine Gegout, University of Nottingham | – (The Conversation) – The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader, Mohammed Deif. The court claims both sides have committed crimes against humanity and war crimes from the day Hamas attacked […]
A Final Speech from the Great Disruptor (If only in my Dreams)
( Tomdispatch.com ) – My inbox is full of lament (and encouragement). My Instagram feed is full of anger and “the arc of the moral universe bends slow but…” My Facebook brims with exhortations to focus on the positive, on what we can control, on the next fight. I live in a poor Democratic stronghold […]