Middle East

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Journalist Syndicate (PCJ) released a statement on Saturday condemning the proposal of a new bill in the Israeli Knesset that would criminalize the photographing or recording of Israeli soldiers while on duty. The bill was proposed on Thursday with the support of right-wing Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and if […]

Iraq

With Some Sunnis Voting for Shiites, is Iraq After ISIL Becoming Less Sectarian?

Karl Kaltenthaler

Cleveland, Oh. (The Conversation) – The results of May 2018 the Iraqi parliament election shocked many. The surprising results could mean a different phase in Iraq’s political trajectory has begun. Most observers were expecting an easy win for Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi‘s slate of candidates from all 19 of the country’s provinces. As an analyst […]

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arrests: What is Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman up to?

Brian Whitaker

London (al-Bab.com ) – News from Saudi Arabia about the arrests of ten or more rights activists has been viewed with a mixture of shock and surprise in western media. Just a few years ago, though, no one would have been surprised: it was simply the way the Saudi regime behaved. But that was before […]

Israel/ Palestine

What Accounts for America’s Sadism toward Palestinians?

Razan Azzarkani

Washington, D.C. (Otherwords.org) – No words can describe the anger and anguish I feel as a Palestinian in America watching this unfold. On May 14, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin smiled for pictures in front of the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Big day for […]

Israel/ Palestine

Israeli Supreme Court Lets Army Shoot Unarmed Protesters in Violation of anti-Nazi Geneva Accords

AFP

Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel’s Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the military’s use of lethal force against Palestinians during protests and clashes on the Gaza border. In the 41-page ruling published by the justice ministry Thursday night the panel of three justices unanimously rejected a petition by Israeli and Palestinian rights groups to restrain the army’s […]

Antisemitism

On how there is no Tradition of anti-Semitism in Islam

Peter Wien

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 […]