Antiwar: Beyond Two State Solution – Why Recognizing State of Palestine Is Important

By Ramzy Baroud. In politics, context is crucial. To truly appreciate the recent decision by Ireland, Spain and Norway to recognize the state of Palestine, the subject has to be placed in proper context. On November 15, 1988, Yasser Arafat, then Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, declared Palestine as an independent state. The proclamation

Asharq Al-Awsat: Fatah, Hamas, and The Absurdity of Their Conflict

By Nabil Amr. Fatah, which established the Palestinian revolution, and then led it for decades, would not have maintained its leadership during the most critical phase in the history of the Palestinian people if it had not transformed the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Indeed, it was Fatah that turned what had been a largely bureaucratic

The Jordan Times: Iran’s high-stakes election

By Michael Jansen. Dozens of candidates have registered to run in Iran’s special election scheduled for June 28 to replace President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash last month. Iranian law dictates that candidates must be between 40 and 75 years old, possess at least master’s degree, and have four years of experience

History Today: Return of the Ayatollah: Iran’s Islamic Revolution

By Siavush Randjbar-Daemi – Published in History Today Volume 69 Issue 4 April 2019. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini became a lightning rod for the mass protests which overthrew the Shah of Iran in 1979, but the causes of the Iranian Revolution lay elsewhere. On the afternoon of 11 February 1979, the top brass of the Imperial

International Politics and Society: Political chess with human pawns

By Sabrina Kaschowitz. Von der Leyen’s €1 bn aid pledge to Lebanon: a genuine humanitarian effort or an attempt to gain political support ahead of the EU elections? The timing of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s recent pledge of €1 billion to Lebanon to manage its refugee crisis – just before the European

Overland: Europe, Gaza and the spectre of settler colonialism

By Suvendrini Perera & Joseph Pugliese. A spectre is haunting Europe — the spectre of settler colonialism. Across its nation states, the unacknowledged, undead pasts of settler colonialism trouble the present as the fact of genocide is brought once again into public view. In London and Paris, galleries cancel scheduled exhibitions. In Berlin and Vienna,

RIAC: China in the Gulf: Tried Its Best, You Know the Rest

By Artem Adrianov. The current escalation in the Middle East has been described by many as a test of influence for China. For example, the media repeatedly suggested that the United States asked China to put pressure on Iran during the latest rounds of escalation, especially after the Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in

Cyprus Mail: Divisions, elections and Assad lay bare Europe’s Syrian quagmire

By John Irish. The European Union will convene donors next week to keep Syria on the global agenda, but as the economic and social burden of refugees on neighbouring countries mounts the bloc is divided and unable to find solutions to tackle the issue, diplomats say. Syria has become a forgotten crisis that nobody wants

Asharq Al-Awsat: Arab-Chinese Relations and the Chinese-Arab States Cooperation Forum

By Ahmed Abul Gheit. Arab-Chinese ties are deeply rooted in history. The Arabs have always recognized China as a nation with a rich and ancient civilization. For their part, the ancient Chinese were familiar with Arab civilization, with the historic Silk Road playing an important role in this regard. The Silk Road was not merely

Russia Today: Can Netanyahu survive the storm gathering around him?

By Murad Sadygzade. The Israeli prime minister has so far proven resilient to all kinds of setbacks, but now faces huge challenges In recent weeks, many events have unfolded that could seriously disrupt the plans of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, his political career shows that he has repeatedly emerged from similar challenges, while