Middle East

College Park, Md. (Qantara.de) – Some are suggesting that Muslims are bringing anti-Semitism to Europe. However, it was in fact Europeans who took anti-Semitism to the Arab world in the first place. Diplomats in particular played an contemptible role. Holy books are what people make of them: after all, even the word of God needs […]

Israel/ Palestine

Why the Youth of Gaza Protest: It is their Squalid Open Air Prison, not Hamas

Reese Erlich

San Francisco (The Progressive) – On my most recent reporting trip to Gaza, I stayed with a family living just a short walk from the Israeli border. At dusk we watched a beautiful sunset over the Mediterranean and could forget the ongoing conflict for just a few minutes. Living conditions for the family have gotten […]

Syria

Syria’s New Map: War Has Created Ethnic Cantons, Massively Displaced Communities

Maya Gebeily

Co-author: Rouba El Husseini | – – Beirut (AFP) – Seven years of war and massive displacement have redrawn Syria’s demographic map, erecting borders between the country’s ethnic, religious, and political communities that will be hard to erase. Displaced Syrians, analysts, and rights defenders have described to AFP a divided country where regime opponents have […]

Featured

Khamenei, in reply to Trump, gives Europe 6-point Ultimatum on Nuclear Deal

Juan Cole

Iran’s clerical Leader, Ali Khamenei, weighed in on Trump’s violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or Iran nuclear accord of 2015, which the US signed off on along with the rest of the UN Security Council and Germany (informally representing the European Union). Speaking frankly to Iran’s European trading partners, the ayatollah […]

Israel/ Palestine

Wrong: Netanyahu thinks Massive Israeli PR can cover up Occupation & end of Peace Process

Paul Duffill

Sidney (The Conversation) – The opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem last week represented a major PR coup for Israel, a move the country had sought for decades. It also came hot on the heels of another celebrated Israeli PR victory – the win by Israeli singer Netta Barzilai in the hugely popular Eurovision […]

Saudi Arabia

Saudis to let women drive but Jail a dozen Women’s Rights Activists

AFP

Dubai (AFP) – Saudi authorities have widened a crackdown on women’s rights advocates, detaining at least three more activists a month before the kingdom lifts its decades-old ban on women drivers, campaigners said Tuesday. Saudi authorities on Saturday announced the arrest of seven people, mostly identified by rights groups as women who have long campaigned […]

Featured

Palestine takes Israel to Int’l Criminal Court at Hague over Gaza Massacre

Juan Cole

Palestine has submitted a formal referral to the International Criminal Court in the Hague over Israeli sniping with live fire at peaceful Gaza protesters this spring, which killed some 60 persons and literally wounded thousands. Palestine, which is a cautious and timid government, had earlier declined to go to the ICC, in hopes instead of […]

Iran

Why Pompeo’s Iran speech was So Outrageous

Farhang Jahanpour

Oxford (The Transnational) – Speaking at the Heritage Foundation…, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo practically declared war on Iran. His unprecedented threats against Iran went even beyond what President Trump had said in the past. Commenting on the speech (full transcript here), JStreet wrote: “With their decision to violate the historic JCPOA arms control […]

Israel/ Palestine

Five myths about Palestine’s youth activists – debunked

Julie M. Norman

Belfast (The Conversation) – – Wisal Sheikh Khalil was just 14 years old when she was shot dead by an Israeli sniper during the protests on May 14, 2018, in Gaza. Of the 60 Palestinians killed, eight were under 16 years, and most were under the age of 30. Earlier this month, 17-year-old Ahed Tamimi […]