The incessant mantra in the Middle East is often that Israel (often called the “Zionist entity” or an “apartheid state”) is an unwelcome gnat hovering around Arab states’ peaceful picnic. In a defiant move, Egypt singed a peace accord with Israel, which was followed approximately a decade and a half later by Jordan. Israel remains, though, unacknowledged and […]
After decades of mistrust, the relationship between NATO and Russia is finally improving. A genuine partnership must develop in the long term, however at the summit in Lisbon on November 19 and 20, NATO intended to adopt a new strategy and also improve its relations with Russia. This is not the first time since the […]
Yair Lapid, an Israeli pundit and son of a the late left-wing politician Tommy Lapid, appears to have solved the peace process dilemma facing Israel and the Palestinians. I have advocated this solution for years, although never as eloquently and directly as Lapid, who hits the nail on the head. The premise: the peace process […]
Israel will pull out of Ghajar, a small town on the Lebanese border that Israel acquired when it took over the Golan Heights, with residents in the early 1980s accepting Israeli citizenship. Ghajar residents are predominantly Muslim, with the town divided in half on each side of the border. Israel has been pressured to leave […]
The tension between Turks and Greeks have always been remarkable due to long history of wars. The elderly population from both sides continues to pass on their judgments to next generations. Even though there is hope for talks between Turkish and Greek youth for the sake of economical relations, it seems like the hatred still […]
Pressure continues to build in Lebanon in anticipation of indictments in the Hariri tribunal. Members of Hizballah are widely expected to be named in the case, which could ignite mounting tensions between the pro-West March 14 government and the Party of God. The rhetoric coming out of south Beirut has been increasingly threatening. Last week, […]
The peace process is stalled yet again even though U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in marathon talks with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. But all the players in the peace process game are sitting atop different standards, values and goals, and the Palestinian Authority gave us a helpful reminder of that this week. […]
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu just got a new car. The new sports car is equipped with all kinds of perks, such as bullet proof tires and an automated fire extinguishing system. Bibi’s car makes President Obama’s ride look like something built for the grandparents. What’s interesting (aside from the $1 million price tag) is that […]
In recent days there’s been a lot of chatter in the Arab world and around the Middle East about Iran as an agressor and general havoc-wreaker in the region. Yesterday, Mahmoud Abbas accused Iran of stalling the peace process and using local Islamic Elements, i.e. Hamas, Islamic Jihad of accomplishing its goals. Today, Saudi Prince Turki […]
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu ranked 24th on Forbes most powerful person list released yesterday. The magazine wrote: “Second-term hawk insists he’s committed to permanent Palestinian peace treaty, but prospects for peace diminishing. Between a rock and a hard place: Losing political capital abroad after snubbing Obama’s recent call to freeze Jewish settlements. Facing rebellion […]
In June 2010, the Economist Intelligence Unit surveyed 367 senior executives, all of who had direct input into their company’s decision-making regarding business in the Middle East, about their perceptions of investment in Iraq. All major industries are represented, with energy, manufacturing and financial services having the strongest representation. The ensuing report, titled Iraq Through Investors’ Eyes, details the refined perspective of investors who are already operating in Iraq and the perceptions of others that are either weighing their options or have decided not to invest for the time being.
The post-election turmoil in Iran and the enormity of the threat it posed to the regime’s stability forced the Iranian government–under a new and still emerging makeup—to put great emphasis on social stability and, as a result, to divert its resources toward the containment of the Green Movement and the ensuing unrest that gripped the […]
The Islamic State of Iraq, an branch of Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), took credit for last night’s massacre at a Baghdad church that killed 52 Iraqi, claiming the attack was designed to avenge the treatment of Muslim women in Egypt.
Most of us writing and following the Middle East can easily describe the region and its politics as dynamic. Priorities can change anytime and without anticipation. This can be attributed to the vast pool of players in the region and their ideologies and interests. A decade ago, after Israel’s withdrawal from south Lebanon, Hezbollah announced […]
Readers of the FPA blog network have assuredly noticed an exchange of opinions between fellow blogger Rob Grace and I. In a very well thought-out critique of my previous post that the United Nations is anti-Israel, Rob contends that I “misread” the true nature of that global body, which he says is actually pro-Israel. His […]