It was announced yesterday that Bitterlemons, an online newsletter which has run for eleven years and has provided unique commentary from Palestinians and Israelis, will cease to operate. Continue reading “A Significant Defeat for Moderation and Tolerance”
Tag: Middle East
The Syrian Morality Test
Published in the Huffington Post on Aug. 16, 2012.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which comprises 57 nations and represents Muslims worldwide, has agreed to suspend Syria’s membership for the extreme brutality of Bashar Assad’s regime. Iran, Syria’s sole Middle Eastern ally, rejects the decision. Continue reading “The Syrian Morality Test”
Morsy Consolidates Power
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy – who was sworn into office only six weeks ago – has successfully forced Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Defence Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the Chief of Staff, Sami Anan, into retirement. Continue reading “Morsy Consolidates Power”
Weekend Thinking: Israel-Iran
Reuters reports that both the Israeli prime minister and defense minister want to eliminate Iranian nuclear sites before U.S. elections in November. These threats seek to achieve two aims: to scare Iran into abandoning its nuclear program (a prospect which seems unlikely) and to explore the possibility of attacking Iran while Americans are preoccupied with choosing their next president. Continue reading “Weekend Thinking: Israel-Iran”
Assad’s Fate
Nick Ottens, a Dutch journalist and analyst at the geopolitical consulting firm Wikistrat, has a new piece in the Atlantic Sentinel in which he examines prospects for Assad’s survival and if he will seek refuge in an Alawite enclave in northwest Syria.
Apart from his own analysis, Ottens includes insights from other Middle East specialists including yours truly.
The Rebels in Post-Assad Syria
Published in Wikistrat on Aug. 3, 2012.
Syrian dictator Bashar Assad has been away from the public eye since a spectacular suicide bombing attack rocked Damascus, killing the defense minister and other key officials. Unconfirmed reports stated Assad has fled the capital; either to his Alawite stronghold in Latakia or to his erstwhile ally Russia. His whereabouts have become the case of further speculation after he praised his troops not in a public address or even a pre-audio recording, but in the magazine of the armed forces. Continue reading “The Rebels in Post-Assad Syria”
Weekend Thinking: Israel, China and Russia
In case you missed this week’s important stories from the Middle East and beyond.
Israel
Jonathan Tepperman’s bold essay in The Atlantic argues that while Israel is in a position of strength, it should control its own destiny with the Palestinians. Although bilateral negotiations have failed to achieve a political settlement, Israeli unilateral actions in the West Bank may be the only pragmatic solution, as a continuation of the status quo in the unpredictable climate of the Middle East coupled with demographic trends could have grave consequences for the sustainability of Israel’s national identity. Continue reading “Weekend Thinking: Israel, China and Russia”
The End of Pan-Arabism Redux
Published in the Huffington Post on Feb. 22, 2012.
In his 1999 book, The Dream Palace of the Arabs, Middle East scholar Fouad Ajami examines how Arab nationalism — a secular concept which advocates Arab unity via language and culture — not religion — went into decline following the 1967 War, the 1973 War and the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. In the 1950s and ’60s, the popular, charismatic and gifted orator Gamal Abdel Nasser, guided Arab nationalism. He served as the undisputed leader of the Arab world and inspired a generation of Arabs to believe that unity could be an attainable vision.
After Nasser’s death in 1970, Arabism suffered a major setback, and went into decline. Several self-proclaimed Arab nationalists surfaced including Hafez al-Assad of Syria, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya and Saddam Hussein of Iraq. All vied to be Nasser’s successor as spokesperson for the Arab people, but failed miserably by relying primarily on brute force and oppression. Continue reading “The End of Pan-Arabism Redux”
Michael Sharnoff, PhD 