Middle East

( Middle East Monitor ) – Another baby in Gaza has died from the severe cold today, becoming the fourth infant fatality linked to freezing temperatures in just 72 hours, amid Israel’s ongoing military onslaught against the enclave. The baby succumbed to the harsh weather as a result of the dire living conditions in Gaza, […]

Featured

Israel Brings its Doctrine of Total War to Yemen

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Israeli Air Force on Thursday extended its total war on its neighbors to Yemen for a fourth time. The Air Force has gained the technical capability of refueling fighter jets in mid-air, for which the Israelis and other US allies in the region used to have to depend on […]

Israel/ Palestine

A Palestinian Year in Review: Genocide, Resistance and unanswered Questions

Ramzy Baroud

( Middle East Monitor ) – The story of the Israeli war on Gaza can be epitomized in the story of the Israeli war on Beit Lahia, a small Palestinian town in the northern part of the Strip. When Israel launched its ground operations in Gaza, Beit Lahia was already largely destroyed due to many […]

Syria

What next for Syria? The Danger of Violence in post-war Transitions

The Conversation

By Chelsea Johnson, University of Liverpool Images emerging from Syria over the past week have shown jubilation on the streets, as millions celebrate the end of 24 years of repression under Bashar al-Assad. It is rare for rebels to manage to tip the scales in their favour and win a war outright after such a […]

Iran

Turkey Replacing Iran As The Dominant Foreign Player In Syria

Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty

By Kian Sharifi ( RFE / RL ) – The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government at the hands of rebels, including Ankara-backed factions, has effectively made Turkey the dominant foreign actor in Syria at the expense of Iran and its ally Russia. Turkey and Iran have competed for years for influence in the South Caucasus, […]

China

The Year ahead in the Middle East: A weakened Iran has big Implications for China

The Conversation

By Daniel Lincoln, University of Alberta (The Conversation) – The wheels of history have been turning rapidly in the Middle East over the last year. For a significant period of time, Iran’s status as a rising power within the region has been regarded as a consistent reality in assessing Middle Eastern geopolitics. But events since […]

Israel/ Palestine

Palestinian Christians call on Western Churches to ‘Humanize’ the Children of Gaza

The Conversation

By Jane Barter, University of Winnipeg (The Conversation) – The human rights group, Amnesty International, recently issued a report concluding that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute a genocide. The war in Gaza has led to widespread calls for a ceasefire. This situation, and its ripple effects globally, have also raised questions and reckonings among varied […]

Israel

Israel invades and Occupies more of Syria, as World stands By

Nicolas J. S. Davies

( Code Pink ) – The United States, Turkey and Israel all responded to the fall of the Assad government in Damascus by launching bombing campaigns on Syria. Israel also attacked and destroyed most of the Syrian Navy in port at Latakia, and invaded Syria from the long-occupied Golan Heights, advancing to within 16 miles […]

Featured

Pope Francis: “I Think of Gaza, of so much Cruelty, of the Children Machine-Gunned”

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – On the Sunday before Christmas, Pope Francis said, “May the weapons be silenced and Christmas carols resound!” according to Kristina Molare at the Catholic News Agency. The Pope continued, in a clear condemnation of the Israeli government, “With sorrow I think of Gaza, of so much cruelty; of the children […]