nationalism

AJ+ You can’t find it on a map. But millions call it home. Where is Palestine? It’s complicated. But give us a little over 90 seconds, and we’ll give you the gist. AJ+ Labs: Where Is Palestine?

Iraq

Kurdish Diva Backs Independence Defies “Islamic State” Fundamentalists

contributors

Via RFE/RL Kurdish pop singer Helly Luv has racked up more than 2.5 million hits since she released her "Risk It All" video in February urging independence for Iraqi Kurds. The video, one of the few ever to appear in English on the subject, makes no bones about its message. "Let me out, let me […]

Apartheid

Gaza: Families destroyed by Israel’s bombs

contributors

By: Orouba Othman His whole life passed before his eyes like a film uncut by memory. He dived into the rubble of his home, hoping to find something to defeat the idea of his family’s death. But death is always stronger and here, the smell of blood fills the air. Gaza – He calls them […]

History

Palestine 1896

Juan Cole

First film footage taken of Ottoman Palestine (Lumiere Bros.), in 1896. Palestine 1896 h/t William Dalrymple Kemal Karpat wrote that according to the Ottoman Census of 1893, the population of most of what is now Palestine (excluding northern areas then attached to Beirut) was as follows: 371,959 Muslims 42,689 Christians 9,000 Jews This does not […]

Israel Lobby

Gaza’s Children Trapped by Israeli Airstrikes, Naval Bombardment, over 20 Dead

contributors

By Sarah Lazare As the human rights crisis grows more acute in this besieged strip, the number of dead and injured children continues to rise As Israeli fighter jets, attack helicopters, and armed drones continue to pummel Gaza for a fourth day, children—who comprise half of the population of this besieged strip—face mounting wounds and […]

Israel/ Palestine

Israeli Army: We have been instructed to Hit Hamas Hard

contributors

By Robert Naiman The government of Benjamin Netanyahu has launched a new war on Palestinians in Gaza, a war whose purported justifications make George W. Bush's excuses for his illegal invasion of Iraq smell nice by comparison. So far, the United States, Netanyahu's chief enabler, has been unwilling to stop the carnage, as it could […]

Egypt

Egypt’s Generation Gap over Gen. al-Sisi: Arguing with your Mom

contributors

By Amr Kotb This conversation about the political situation in Egypt provides a good example of the generational gap numerous young Egyptians are struggeling with. My mother and I have been arguing over the past ten months. Since August of last summer, she – an ardent supporter of the January 25 revolution – has been […]

Apartheid

Israel Threatens Witnesses to its Killings of Palestinians, and it Must Stop

contributors

Via Human Rights Watch Israeli Army targets Man Whose Cameras Recorded Deaths Israel should be investigating these deaths, but instead its forces seem intent on intimidating witnesses and ensuring future abuses won’t be caught on camera. The Israeli response to the killing of two boys looks more like an attempt to cover up than a […]

Bush

Dear America: You’re in the Army Now

contributors

By William J. Astore I spent four college years in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and then served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force. In the military, especially in basic training, you have no privacy. The government owns you. You’re “government issue,” just another G.I., a number on a dogtag that has your […]