Up until the recent past, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) dominated the discourse in Washington as the voice of pro-Israel advocates and (unofficially) Jews in America. Because of AIPAC’s arguable reputation as a “right-wing” organization that places Israel’s interests above all else, a new group sprouted to woo moderate and left wing Jews […]
The juxtaposition of the two images of former Vice-President Mohammad Ali Abtahi – one before his arrest and the other at his hearing- show the absurdity of the trials taking place in Iran. Abtahi, best known as the “blogging mullah,” is the ebullient cleric interviewed in the Daily Show. In the interview, as Jason Jones […]
The climate of cooperation that followed the June parliamentary elections has evaporated and efforts to form a new government have come to a standstill. After the results of the elections were announced, the March 8 coalition graciously accepted its “defeat”, while Saad Hariri’s March 14 alliance promised to work closely with the new opposition. Now, […]
Iranian political system is characterized by its duality of power: In the executive branch we have the dual offices of the President and the Supreme Leader, in the legislative branch we have the Parliament and the Council of Guardians, and in the military we have the regular forces and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). […]
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu touted economic development in the West Bank as the strategy to obtain a political resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. By increasing the standard of living in the territories and focusing on economic stimulus, the peace process could progress even if political disputes, such as the status of Jerusalem, remain as significant hurdles. […]
Today’s State Department press briefing included a light quip at the expense of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict following questions regarding the recent political instability in Honduras. After a few minutes of back-and-forth, State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly and reporters had the following exchange: QUESTION: Well, but by declaring it a military coup and, you know, taking […]
The latest issue of the City Journal includes an article on the unmatched economic and scientific accomplishments achieved by Israel in its short history. The high-tech industry dominates the Israeli economy and the author includes some interesting statistics regarding the country’s global standing in the technology sector. As of 2007, Israel houses more foreign NASDAQ-traded […]
Looks like the United States will not be alone in pushing for tough sanctions on Iran. Both French and German leaders have warned Iran that it could face new sanctions if it does not show a willingness to negotiate on its nuclear program. Speaking after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Berlin, the […]
There are plenty of legitimate arguments as to why more sanctions on Iran should not be pushed- they will not work, they hurt ordinary people while strengthening the leaders etc.- but the argument that sanctions should not be pushed because Iran can retaliate by closing the Strait of Hormuz is not one of them. The […]
Clinton tried it, but failed miserably. Similarly Bush gave it a shot and was unable to get any results. Now it is Obama’s turn. But this time the U.S. administration is taking a different approach on the Israel- Palestine conflict. The Guardian reported that the Obama administration’s strategy is to use Iran as a bargaining […]
The new issue of Bitterlemons International includes two great articles on the relationship between Israel and Egypt. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak touts his role in the peace process, negotiations for the return of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, and Palestinian reconcilliation. Moreover, as Mubarak faces growing opposition from the Muslim brotherhood, the Egyptian leader has […]
Last week, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak masqueraded around Washington puffing up his chest as a major broker in the Middle East peace process. In interviews, he accentuated his role in attempting to forge an agreement to renew Israel-Palestinian peace talks, to secure the release of abducted IDF soldier GiladShalit, and broker reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas. Mubarak intends on fixing the […]
As an avid Italian football team fan, it is very hard for me to praise the Brazilian team. But I will acknowledge this: No other team has the same global fan appeal as Brazil. Brazilian football players are revered all around the world and Iran is no exception. Brazilian football star Ronaldo, best known for […]
… not really a new thing, but I guess when you work for a newspaper calling something “new” is the only way to justify publishing it. In Bahrain, women are employing the Quran to combat patriarchal rule. This sort of Islamic feminism, so called, could be accurately described as a call to uphold the spirit […]
Yahoo purchased Maktoob.com today. Yahoo expects Maktoob, which began as the first Arabic-language email provider, to permit it access to the Arab market. It hasn’t had terribly good luck expanding into that sector thus far, and acquiring a locally developed business may be a more effective way to do so. Very exciting for Maktoob … […]