By Peter Mansoor, The Ohio State University | – In the wake of the shocking invasion of southern Israel by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to destroy Hamas. “We are fighting a cruel enemy, worse than ISIS,” Netanyahu proclaimed four days after the invasion, comparing Hamas with the […]
Saudi moves to reduce Mideast Tensions Thwarted by Gaza Violence – Can it buy Time by Pausing Normalization with Israel?
By Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Rice University | – (The Conversation) – Saudi Arabia and Israel had seemingly been edging closer to a landmark deal to normalize their diplomatic relations – and then the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, happened. Since then, thousands have died in Gaza and in Israel. And fears of the conflict […]
No essential Food, Medicine or Basic Services from UN are reaching Gaza under complete Israeli Blockade
By Topher L. McDougal, University of San Diego | – International aid groups are warning that they cannot deliver food and other basic services to people in the Gaza Strip and that a “dire” humanitarian crisis is set to worsen. International aid groups provide food and other means of support to about 63% of people […]
Israel-Gaza Conflict: An Opportunity for Putin in Ukraine while the World is Distracted
By Robert M. Dover, University of Hull | – Time is an ally of Russia in the Ukrainian conflict. Russia needs to reduce its rate of battlefield deaths and remain militarily active in Ukraine for as long as possible. A great aid to Vladimir Putin would be a disruption in the supply of weapons to […]
The Gaza Strip: Why the History of this Densely Populated Enclave is Key to understanding the Current Conflict
By Maha Nassar, University of Arizona | – (The Conversation) – The focus on conflict in the Middle East has again returned to the Gaza Strip, with Israel’s defense minister ordering a “complete siege” of the Palestinian enclave. The military operation, which involves extensive bombing of residences, follows a surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023, […]
Why the Al-Aqsa Mosque Complex is Important to the Current Palestinian-Israeli Clashes
By Ken Chitwood, University of Southern California | – As a scholar of global Islam, I teach an introduction to Islam course and include a discussion about Al-Aqsa as part of the syllabus. That’s because Al-Aqsa has deep religious significance for Muslims around the world. But it is also important to highlight its remarkable political […]
Climate Crisis: Recent Evidence suggests Economists have severely underestimated the Financial Hit
By Timothy Neal, UNSW Sydney | – Scientists say severe climate change is now the greatest threat to humanity. Extreme weather is expected to upend lives and livelihoods, intensifying wildfires and pushing ecosystems towards collapse as ocean heatwaves savage coral reefs. The threats are far-reaching and widespread. So what effect would you expect this to […]
Top 6 Reasons why Global Temperatures are Breaking all the Records
By Andrew King, The University of Melbourne | – The world is very warm right now. We’re not only seeing record temperatures, but the records are being broken by record-wide margins. Take the preliminary September global-average temperature anomaly of 1.7°C above pre-industrial levels, for example. It’s an incredible 0.5°C above the previous record. So why […]
Made in America: How Biden’s Climate Package is Fuelling the Global Drive to Net Zero
By Alan Finkel, The University of Queensland | – (The Conversation) – Just over a year since US President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law, it’s becoming clear this strangely named piece of legislation could have a powerful impact in spurring the global transition to net zero emissions by 2050. But […]