Saudi Arabia

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Calling people animals is a way to dehumanize them, and probably helps convince individuals that the other people around them approve of treating the animals badly. In ways that aren’t entirely clear, this way of speaking is certainly wrought up with violence and even genocide. Israel’s Defense Minister called the […]

Middle East

Ukraine as a Global Economic War, and the Role of the Middle East

Marc Martorell Junyent

Review of Maximilian Hess, “Economic War: Ukraine and the Global Conflict between Russia and the West” (London: Hurst & Co., 2023). Barcelona (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – The war in Ukraine is being fought at two different levels. The first one is the military confrontation, where developments are measured in numbers of casualties, kill […]

Christianity

Juan Cole: Infidel or Pagan? Understanding Kufr (كفر) in the Qur’an | Muhammad the Prophet of Peace

Juan Cole

Gabriel Said Reynolds of Notre Dame writes: “In this video I interview Professor Juan Cole, the Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan. We discuss the historicity of Muhammad’s raids as well as the picture of the messenger that is obtained when one focuses on the Qur’an alone. The bulk […]

Bahrain

What does the Gaza Conflict Mean for the UAE, the Abraham Accords and Saudi Normalization?

Hamdullah Baycar

Exeter, UK (Special to Informed Comment; Featured) – When the United Arab Emirates (UAE), along with several Arab states such as Bahrain and Morocco, normalized their relationship with Israel, this was believed to create leverage against Israel. Moreover, the UAE claimed this was their attempt to salvage a two-state solution. Indeed, when the UAE signed […]

Houthi

Yemen’s Houthis enter the Israel-Gaza Conflict: What Impact on US and Saudi Arabia?

The Conversation

By Mahad Darar, Colorado State University | – Yemen’s Houthi movement launched missiles and drones at Israel on Oct. 31, 2023 – provoking fears of a dangerous escalation of the Middle East conflict. With the militia – which controls part of the Arabian Peninsula state – vowing further attacks, Israel countered by sending missile boats […]

Israel/ Palestine

Saudi moves to reduce Mideast Tensions Thwarted by Gaza Violence – Can it buy Time by Pausing Normalization with Israel?

The Conversation

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 […]

Featured

Saudi Arabia Needs to Show Leadership to avert a Continuing Massacre in Gaza

Ali Abootalebi

Eau Claire, Wisconsin (Special to Informed Comment) – The Hamas brazen, surprised incursion into Israel on Saturday, the 7th of October 2023, has already been condemned and praised by competing protagonists as one of the deadliest, most brutal, and surprising attacks in Israeli history. There is no doubt that Hamas tactics in indiscriminately targeting, killing, […]

Climate Crisis

Arizona Dems Finally end GOP Sweetheart Deal for Saudis to exploit Arizona Water to Feed the Kingdom’s Cattle

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Arizona state government of Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs and Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes are terminating the license of a Saudi company, Fondomonte, owned by Almirai, which had essentially given the company carte blanche to pump scarce Arizona water to grow alfalfa, which it then exported to Saudi Arabia […]

Authoritarianism

Saudi Crown Prince Confirms Death Sentence for Tweets, Blames “Bad Laws”

Human Rights Watch

Joey Shea Researcher, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates @joey_shea Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, has confirmed that retired teacher Muhammed al Ghamdi was indeed sentenced to death for his social media posts. In an interview with Fox News on September 20, MBS admitted about the death sentence: “Shamefully, it’s true,” […]