Middle East

Aden (AFP) – A Yemen government offensive backed by ground troops and warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition has displaced tens of thousands of people along the country’s western coast, Amnesty International said Thursday. The rights group warned “the worst could be yet to come” after surveying civilians who made the perilous escape from front line […]

Iraq

Why Muqtada al-Sadr’s Shocking Victory in Iraq Elections isn’t that Shocking

Mustafa Habib

Baghdad (Niqash.org) The results of the Iraqi elections were surprising. But in fact, the way Iraqis were feeling about local politics beforehand indicates that nobody should actually have been all that surprised. The morning after the preliminary announcements about who had won and who had lost in the Iraqi elections, it was clear that Iraqis […]

Iran

How Trump’s Violation of nuclear deal will hurt Iran’s dissenters and activists

Omid Shams

(The Conversation) Now the Trump administration has withdrawn from the Iranian nuclear deal, the world is yet again bracing for an all-out confrontation between Washington and Tehran. But while Donald Trump’s decision inevitably has serious implications for the security balance of the Middle East, it will also hit Iranian society hard – and in particular, […]

Israel/ Palestine

Canada’s Trudeau calls for inquiry into Israeli Killings in Gaza

AFP

Ottawa (AFP) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday called for an “independent investigation” after the death of 60 Palestinians killed by the Israeli army during protests on Monday. “Reported use of excessive force and live ammunition is inexcusable,” he said. “It is imperative we establish the facts of what is happening in Gaza.” […]

Israel/ Palestine

Turkey recalls Ambassador from “Apartheid State” Israel, Israelis expel Turkish Consul

Stuart Williams

With Raziye Akkoc in Ankara | – – Istanbul (AFP) – Turkey and Israel on Tuesday ordered envoys to leave in tit-for-tat moves and exchanged bitter accusations as a row over the Israeli army’s killing of dozens of Palestinians threatened a 2016 reconciliation deal. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hit back at Prime Minister Benjamin […]

Featured

Top Three Ways Nikki Haley is like a Palestinian

Juan Cole

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nimrata “Nikki” Singh Randhawa Haley on Tuesday walked out of the chamber when the Palestinian ambassador began to speak. Palestine, like the Vatican, has non-member observer state status at the UN. You’re not a very good diplomat if you won’t even listen to what one of the parties to […]

Israel/ Palestine

Everything you Always wanted to Know about Palestine and were afraid to Ask (Noura Erekat CBS Video Interview)

Noura Erekat

New York (CBS News) Noura Erakat, a human rights attorney and assistant professor at George Mason University, discusses the Palestinian reaction to the U.S. embassy opening in Jerusalem and examines the influence of Hamas on Palestinians in Gaza. CBS News: “How are Palestinians reacting to the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem and violence in Gaza?”

Israel/ Palestine

Stop telling Palestinians to be ‘resilient’ – the rest of the world has failed them

Brendan Ciaran Browne

(The Conversation) Viewed from Palestine, it’s hard to disagree that we’ve perhaps seen one of the most inflammatory weeks in recent memory. In just a few days, several extremely sensitive events have coincided to devastating effect: the culmination of weekly protests in the Gaza Strip, the relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to […]

Featured

Can Palestinians be Killed? Can Israelis Kill them? Or do they only “Die”?

Juan Cole

Social media is being scathing about the diction chosen by the New York Times, CNN and even the Guardian to speak of the some 55 peacefully protesting Palestinians whom Israeli snipers cold-bloodedly shot dead on Monday and the some 2700 whom they wounded, half of those with live fire. The headlines or lead paragraphs spoke […]