All five Larijani brothers have made a mark in the Iranian politics. In Will Iran’s ‘Kennedys’ Challenge Ahmadinejad?, Robin Wright writes: Over the past 30 years, the five sons of a senior cleric have been a major force in Iran’s power structure, either serving in or running for positions including the presidency and various diplomatic […]
The latest news in Iraq so far this week: Iraqis will have the opportunity to voice their opinion on how well the U.S. has adhered to its compromise on troop withdrawal. Reuters reported yesterday that the Iraq Cabinet approved the vote and slated it for January 16, the same time as the Parliamentary vote. If […]
A new INSS report provides an initial examination of the recent Fatah convention and elections, which ousted numerous old guard party members from the organization’s leadership ranks. Primarily, the article focuses on the effects of the conference on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas who sought to legitimize his term in office through support at the conference. […]
In his op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Alexander Benard urges the United States to “propose a conversation with Iran about human rights” instead of negotiating with Iran on its nuclear program. His reasoning is simple: Focusing on Iranian nuclear program will ignite patriotism in Iranian people and they will “in large part rally […]
The verbal sparring between Hizballah and Israel has been intensifying as of late, and it seems that every week brings a new threatening exchange between the two regional rivals. According to Danny Ayalon, Israel’s deputy foreign minister: “If, God forbid, one hair falls off the head of any Israeli representative abroad, or of even an […]
Figures of the second quarter released by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics provide a promising indication that the economic conditions in the country are rebounding. The Gross Domestic Product in the second quarter rose 1-percent, after dropping 1.4-percent and 3.2-percent in the previous two quarters. Moreover, the Consumer Price Index rose 1.1-percent, primarily due […]
As discussed in my previous post, Iranian Women: Voices to be Heard, women have played a prominent role in the pre-election campaigning and the post-election protests. All four candidates made promises to women in the election campaign, including Ahmadinejad, who spoke of empowering women. It looks like this is one election promise that Ahmadinejad is […]
There is no denying that Iran has one of the best literary heritages. From Rumi to Hafez to Omer Khayyam to Saadi, Iran has had its share of great poets. Though the most influential poet remains Ferdowsi, known for writing the Persian epic, the Shahnameh (known in English as The Book of Kings). This article […]
The Israeli government began issuing two different tourist visas at the border, with one granting entrance to mainland Israel and the other to Palestinian Authority-controlled areas, according to a new post on the U.S. consulate website. Previously, upon entering Israel at a border crossing, a traveller would receive a general visa for Israel and could […]
Apparently never. The answer comes from applying the “rational actor” game theory to this question. Game theory is a branch of applied mathematics, often used in the social sciences, to study how people will behave in strategic situations– a situation in which an individual’s success in making decisions depends on the decisions of others (think […]
A bomb exploded yesterday in Tripoli, wounding three people. According to the AFP: Three people, including a child, were wounded on Thursday when a bomb exploded in northern Lebanon, a security official said. Zein al-Alouf, 10, was seriously wounded when the bomb exploded in the mainly Alawite Jabal Mohsen area of the northern port city […]
After a day of police mobilization and an urgent military head-count, the alleged abduction of an IDF soldier proved false. Even though an eye witness said she saw a soldier forcefully taken in an automobile from central Israel and a terror group claimed responsibility for the incident, the IDF found no soldier unaccounted for. Upon […]
A female soldier in the IDF reportedly witnessed the forced abduction of a male soldier into an automoble by two men, Israeli news is now reporting. The IDF is still investigating if any soldiers are unaccounted for and initiated the road blocks as a precaution. The “Al-Quds Army,” a perviously unknown group, claimed responsibility for the […]
The Facts: Police security checks in central Israel are leading to severe traffic jams. The intensive police pressence focusses on Petah Tikva, the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem road, and Ben Gurion Airport. The checks, occuring since the afternoon, involve police searching each car and asking who is inside. The Rumors: Some Israelis are saying that a terror […]
The H1N1 virus doesn’t seem to be going away in Israel or in Palestinian controlled areas. The rate of infection in Israel has risen 3.6 percent in two weeks, infecting a total of 2,148 people in the entire country thus far. In order to combat the spread of the illness, the rabbinate is taking measures […]