Following months of mutual cooperation on anti-terrorism initiatives and attempts to secure the release of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, Israeli-Egyptian relations seem to be taking a hit this week as multiple events accentuated the perpetual tension between the two nations. The countries concluded their decades-long war under the guidance of U.S. President Jimmy Carter […]
U.S. officials attempted to spin the tripartite meeting yesterday between President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as a success that managed to re-infuse urgency into a stalled peace process. Moreover, direct negotiations with no preconditions between Israeli and Palestinian officials may formally resume within the next couple of months. […]
The newest INSS report examines the complex relationship between Israel and Russia alongside recent efforts for increased cooperation between the two countries. Russia, and previously the U.S.S.R., always sought a prominent role in the Middle East, at times forging alliances with Arab countries to counteract the U.S.-Israel relationship. Further, as Russia attempts to regain its […]
Since Iran is such a vibrant country and is constantly in the news, there are plenty of news and analyses that I read while researching my blog but am unable to write about. So here is my first installment of stories about Iran that “slip through the cracks” (yes- I am quoting Lewis Black from […]
A recent op-ed in Al-Ahram is not notable for any intellect in the writing, unmatched analysis, or strong arguments proving any one particular point. Instead, the shear, unbridled hatred is the only noteworthy aspect of the article, which concludes that Israel perpetrated an unprecedented hoax during 9/11 to blame Islamic fundamentalists for the terror attacks and embed the United […]
Even though Palestinian and Israeli officials announced their refusal to meet at this week’s United Nations General Assembly, the obstinate statesmen reluctantly agreed to tripartite talks between President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Special Envoy George Mitchell spent all of last week in negotiations in the Middle […]
Here is President Obama’s message to Muslims celebrating Eid all around the world: STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT ON THE OCCASION OF EID-UL-FITR As Muslims in the United States and around the world complete the month of Ramadan and celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, Michelle and I would like to extend our personal greetings on this joyous occasion. Eid […]
This video is pretty telling of Israeli humor. It’s more a combination of confusing and awkward as opposed to roll-on-the-floor laughing. The video mocks the recent diplomatic rifts between Israel and some northern European countries. Norway recently cut ties with an Israeli firm after objections to the border barrier (wall and fence) between mainland Israel […]
After briefly stepping down last week, Saad Hariri has been reassigned the task of forming a new cabinet. Hariri had been trying since he was appointed prime minister back in June to come up with a cabinet line-up that would suit the very fickle political tastes of Lebanon. Hariri submitted a list to the president […]
Happy new year and hopes for a great holiday to everyone. Hopefully, this year will focus on peace and reconciliation, with prosperity and hope flourishing in both Palestinian and Israeli societies. Be-ezrat Hashem and Inshah Allah. Shanah tova and Ramadan kareem. Image taken from here.
Young Israelis often perform a mass exodus from the country upon completing compulsory military service in their early twenties. The Israel Defense Forces provide departing soldiers with a small stipend to supplement the meager pay they received while serving. Instead of saving the cash, many Israelis take a trip to South America, Thailand, or India […]
We’ve heard mainly groans from Israeli politicians on the recently released Goldstone report on alleged Israeli human rights violations in the Gaza Strip. However, U.S. officials began chiming in with criticisms of the document. Notably, U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary P.J. Crowley attempted to deflect discussion of the report at today’s press conference onto the […]
The Newsweek has published an article revealing that Iran has not restarted its nuclear-weapons development program. According to the article: U.S. intelligence agencies have informed policymakers at the White House and other agencies that the status of Iranian work on development and production of a nuclear bomb has not changed since the formal National Intelligence […]
Both taekwondo and volleyball associations have announced that they will allow women wearing hijab to compete. There is a definite tendency in the West to vilify hijab. And while I am against women being forced to wear hijab, I am also against women being denied equal rights due to the fact that their head is […]
While troubling in some of its findings, the recently released United Nations Goldstone Report on Israel’s recent strike in the Gaza Strip represents flawed methodology and one-sided bias against Israel. The President of the U.N. Human Rights Council provided a commission headed by Justice Richard Goldstone with a mandate to “to investigate all violations of […]