Arab Spring: All Pain, No Gain, Just the Same?
RANIA AL MALKY: Is it logical that the ousted Mubarak, responsible for the disintegration of Egypt’s institutions is now living in a five-star hospital suite…
“Damascus With Love”: Homage at a Painful Time
NEWS FROM SYRIA: It’s been a depressing time in Syria recently, but a newly released movie set in Damascus certainly lifted my gloom, if only for a few hours.
The Impossible Job: Can Jordan’s New PM Awn Khasawneh Make a Difference?
NASEEM TARAWNAH: So, enter Khasawneh. Compared to Bakhit, he’s an out-of-the-box choice. What probably stands out most is his legal background.
Mosques and Graves Attacked By Israeli Settlers
JONATHAN COOK: Settlers have raised the stakes by attacking mosques within Arab communities that have been traditionally utterly loyal to Israel.
Arab Spring First Casualty in New Power Struggle
JAMES M. DORSEY: The people power movement has the most to lose and could find itself in the grinder as the United States, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Iran jockey for power.
Jordan’s Municipal Mess Leads to Protest
NASEEM TARAWNAH: The timing is wrong, the process is wrong and the failure of the authorities to acknowledge the tribal nature of all politics in Jordan has inevitably led to protest.
Israelis, Palestinians: Refusing to be Enemies
HAGGAI MATAR: Over the years I have learnt that refusal to serve in the army offers a very strong bridge between Israelis and Palestinians.
Unfazed: Israeli Boycott Little Noticed in Turkey
ROB L. WAGNER: Shopkeepers easily transition from Turkish to Russian, Polish and German. Yet Hebrew, once among the languages, is virtually non-existent.
Netanyahu: ‘Israel is Jewish. Agree Or Else’
JONATHAN COOK: The demand has risen to the top of the Israeli agenda and if accepted will condemn Palestinians as ‘historic interlopers and trespassers’.
Dual Citizenship in Jordan: Not Acceptable
NASEEM TARAWNAH: So now those of us with dual citizenship will be required to give up our non-Jordanian passports if we wish to serve in government. Not a good sign.
The American Threat to Syria’s Revolution
RAMZY BAROUD: The American ambassador to Syria has established an ‘up and at ’em’ reputation. But what is the bigger picture for the United States in Syria at the moment?
The Women Changing Lebanon Through Football
JUUL PETERSEN, CGNEWS: Young women throughout Lebanon are benefitting hugely from an initiative to set up sports clubs throughout the country
Is Israel’s Iron Grip on U.S Politics Slipping?
MAI ABDUL RAHMAN: There appears to be increasing public support for Palestinian statehood in the U.S. Does the ‘internationalising’ of the issue mean that US politicians will be free of the Israeli yoke?
Sectarianism: The ‘Elephant in the Room’ in Syria
NEWS FROM SYRIA: There have been a series of assassinations in Syria over the past week which have borne comparison with the sectarian vendettas that still beset neighbouring Iraq.
A Boy from Gaza is Blown to Pieces: Apart from his Family, Who Cares?
RAMZY BAROUD: An unmanned Israeli drone fired a missile at Ibrahim Zaza. For thirty days, against all odds, he survived.
Palestinian Hope – Voices for a Lost Cause?
STEVE ROYSTON: “This military occupation has lasted for over 64 years and is an affront to humanity and civilised values. It is high time that the international community took some responsibility.”
“Let’s Negotiate Division of Pizza While I Eat It”
PHILIP WEISS, MONDOWEISS: So the Israelis decide to build another 1,110 home on occupied land. How does the US State Department believe Palestinians should respond?
Obama Further Tarnished Over UN ‘Hypocrisy’
JUAN COLE: Obama has squandered the positives by pandering to the right wing forces in Manama and Tel Aviv. This is change the Arab youth won’t be able to believe in.
Netanyahu’s ‘Badge of Honor’ For Obama
PHILIP WEISS, MONDOWEISS: It’s come to this. No-one in mainstream American politics, it appears, is willing to say a word that will risk losing the Jewish voters and donors who back Israeli discrimination.
Why Britain Should Support Palestinian State
STEVE ROYSTON: Weighing up the diplomatic pros and cons on the Palestinian statehood vote David Cameron should take a bold step
