By Thembisa Fakude | @fakudet| – “Sudanese are proud Arabs, they master the Arabic language and their firm Islamic adherence further emphasise their position as Arabs.” Most Sudanese are sceptical, for various reasons, of being referred to as Africans. Their political trajectory, therefore, over the years, has tended to mimic those of the Arab world. […]
The UAE Remains the Main Player in Yemen, and could Split the Country Up
By Stasa Salacanin | – At the beginning of July, the UAE started to reduce its troop numbers in Yemen, signalling a shift in its military engagement. The move has been interpreted as a sign of the Emirates trying to distance itself from its main coalition partner, Saudi Arabia. Despite the troop drawdown, though, the […]
Israel won’t silence Tlaib, Omar by banning them from entry
By Kamel Hawwash |@kamelhawwash | – US Representatives, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, a thorn in the side of the American establishment and the pro-Israel lobby have been banned from entering Israel and Palestine. There is no precedent for American congressmen or women being denied entry or as in this case, boarding a flight to […]
If the US Recognizes Israel’s Usurpation of Palestinian West Bank, what will Int’l Community Do?
By Ramona Wadi | The UN has advanced no further than acknowledging that Israel is seeking to “advance a claim of sovereignty” over settlements in the occupied West Bank. As the Israeli elections approach, the main contenders – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli army Chief of Staff Benny Gantz from the Blue […]
Bernie Sanders: Criticizing the Israeli Gov’t is not anti-Semitic & Palestinians Deserve Rights
US Democratic candidate and presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders has said that criticising Israeli government policy is not anti-Semitic. Speaking at a town hall meeting in the state of New Hampshire, on the US’ east coast, Sanders told the crowd that “as somebody who is proudly Jewish”, to be critical of a right-wing government led by […]
Is Israel trying to Solve its Gaza Problem with Egyptian Territory?
By Adnan Abu Amer | @adnanabuamer1 | – There has been an increase recently in Israeli projects seeking solutions to what it calls the “Gaza problem”. They have been focusing on Egypt’s Sinai, and appear to be foreshadowing a potential population transfer of Palestinians to the Sinai peninsula. Such a move would relieve Israel from […]
Are changes to Saudi Arabia’s Guardianship Laws really about Women?
By Zarqa Parvez | – Saudi women are amongst the strongest, most intelligent and inspirational women in the Middle East. Female Saudi academics and activists have lobbied for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia for decades, but unfortunately have faced slow progress and a strong backlash from society and government. The recent changes in Saudi guardianship […]
The Biggest Losers in Trump-Iran Crisis? Gulf States. Biggest Winner? Vladimir Putin
By Marwan Kabalan | – It is in the nature of crises, both long term and temporary, for losers and winners to emerge. It is also natural for the human actors therein to be rational and base their calculations and considerations on reducing losses and maximising gains. However, these calculations are not always accurate or […]
From Boris Johnson to Trump, will Western Conservatives go on Supporting Israeli Colonialism in Palestine to the Hilt?
By Muhammad Hussein | – When Boris Johnson was voted in as leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom by default last month, there was a lot of speculation about his premiership: Brexit, policing and youth services, global trade deals, and even the question of what do about Iran. There […]