Middle East

Geneva (Human Rights Watch) – A joint statement by 36 countries on March 7, 2019 calling on Saudi Arabia to improve its human rights record was a landmark step toward justice and accountability, Human Rights Watch said today. The statement, delivered by Iceland at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, condemns the murder […]

Israel/ Palestine

Criticizing Israel Isn’t Anti-Semitic. Here’s What Is

Sarah Gertler

( Otherwords) – Weeks ago, when the first accusations of anti-semitism were being leveled against Representative Ilhan Omar, I was deeply agitated. Not long ago I saw her address these accusations at a local town hall. She reminded the world that, as a Black Muslim woman in America, she knows what hate looks like — […]

Iran

Judge who Presided over Mass Execution made Iran’s Chief Justice

AFP

Tehran (AFP) – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday appointed ultra-conservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi, a one-time presidential hopeful, as head of the judiciary, the leader’s website said. Former judge Raisi, who currently heads the holy shrine of Imam Reza, was the leading rival to President Hassan Rouhani at Iran’s 2017 election and has […]

Featured

Irony: as Pelosi backs down on ‘anti-Hate’ Resolution, Israel’s Politics Goes Peak Racist

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – A revolt of the Democratic Party grassroots has forestalled Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s plan to hold a vote on a resolution implicitly slamming Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) for her Tweets complaining about being pressured to pledge allegiance to Israel or else be considered unpatriotic. Although Rep. Omar has been unfairly […]

Israel/ Palestine

Trump Humiliates Palestinians by Closing Consulate, Dealing with them Via US Embassy to Israel

Middle East Monitor

The US State Department announced on Tuesday that it is going to merge the American consulate general in East Jerusalem with the American embassy in West Jerusalem. A statement published on the embassy website in Israel said that, “We will continue to conduct all of the diplomatic and consular functions previously performed by the US […]

Israel/ Palestine

Corbyn Calls for Britain to Freeze Arms Sales to Israel after UN charges War Crimes

Juan Cole

LONDON (Ma’an) — Jeremy Corbyn, head of the British Labor Party, over the weekend, called for the British government to freeze arms sales to Israel and to condemn it for the killing of Palestinians. Corbyn’s remarks came after a United Nations report, which found that Israeli security forces may have committed war crimes killing scores […]

Feminism

Turkish Pop Star’s Case Highlights Violence against Women

Raziye Akkoc

By Raziye Akkoc | – Ankara (AFP) – When Turkish pop star Sila reported her partner’s physical violence to police, it was a rare moment in Turkish history: a celebrity speaking out against her abuse. Ahmet Kural, a famous actor, is accused of beating the singer, whose full name is Sila Gencoglu, in October. Kural’s […]

Israel/ Palestine

Want Hate Speech? Look at the Israeli Government, not US Congresswomen

Ramzy Baroud

(Ma’an News Agency) – Immediately after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu forged an alliance with the fringe political group, Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power), a widespread outrage ensued. The anger did not emanate only from the Center, Left and Arab parties, but from some in the Right as well. Even the pro-Israel lobby in the US, […]

Israel/ Palestine

Far-Right Netanyahu’s Blocking of a Palestinian State and anti-Iran Coalition are his Legacy

The Conversation

By David Mednicoff | – The upcoming indictment of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could end the long-serving conservative politician’s career. But even an abrupt exit would leave his hawkish policies in the Middle East intact. The most serious allegation the prime minister faces is that he arranged for a telecommunications company to get a […]