Surveys, Trees, and the U.N.
A lot is going on, folks. First, the New York Times ran something of an irresponsible piece by (the somewhat irresponsible) Efraim Karsh, whose pro-Israeli literature is only matched by his anti-Palestinian literature. Given his background, it’s not surprising that Karsh, on the basis of an unofficial, let’s-get-some-reader-interaction survey run by Al Arabiya, has decided … Read more
The Cost of the Alliance
After quoting a Pew study measuring the precipitous drop in confidence in US President Obama by folks in the Middle East, Andrew Sullivan has some theories: The Arab world, for reasons both ugly and realistic, was waiting to see if Obama could actually wrest free of the pro-Israel lobby and put real pressure in Israel. And … Read more
The Problem of US Diplomacy in Lebanon
Joyce Karam – the Washington correspondent for the Beiruti daily The Daily Star – wrote a piece today for Foreign Policy‘s The Middle East Channel that supposes the decline of US diplomatic activity in Lebanon is responsible for the dramatic resurgence of Hezbollah since the 2006 war with Israel. There is no one simple solution … Read more
Salam Fayyad: The Palestinian George Washington or the Palestinian Philippe Petain?
Salam Fayyad has been getting a lot of press lately, perhaps as a consequence of the perceived failure (or inevitable failure) of the Abbas peace talks with Israel. The Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority – importantly, not affiliated with Hamas or Fatah – seems to have two very different public images. The Fayyad that … Read more
The End of the Two State Solution?
There was great hope after the election of Barak Obama to the US Presidency that he would be able to use his considerable influence to find peace in the murky waters of Israel/Palestine. Yet 15 months after Obama’s inauguration and 16 months since the breakdown of peace talks, there seems to be no progress towards … Read more
Would Egypt Fight Israel?
In 1979, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat signed a peace treaty with Israeli PM Menachem Begin. The important treaty made Egypt the first Arab country to recognize Israel (to be followed by Jordan in 1994) and put an end to the state of war that had lasted between the two countries since 1948. The treaty was … Read more
Back Into the Fold
I made it back from Jordan alive late last night. Barely, though, as every joint in my body was tight from the 35 hour bus ride (8 hours at the Saudi border, plus a breakdown in the desert – good stuff). So while I continue to hobble like a 80-year-old and mine through my Google … Read more
Women’s Freedom in the Middle East
Freedom House just released the 2010 survey of women’s rights in the Middle East and the findings were very predictable. Women’s rights were higher in countries like Lebanon and Morocco, but seriously lagging in others, like Saudi Arabia and Libya. Interestingly Dalia Mogahed compared the result of the Freedom House poll with a Gallup poll of … Read more
Fayyad Looking For Some Street Cred?
Over in Bil’in, those pesky Palestinians are unhappy again. In what has become a ritual, protests over the illegal Israel occupation of Palestinian land have shown the passion of those looking for freedom. Check out the video: Interestingly, Palestinian President Salam Fayyad made an appearance and spoke to the crowd, thanking them for their support … Read more
Pew Polls in the Middle East: Hezbollah and Hamas
Don’t forget to check out the look at the Pew Poll concerning Palestine and Israel. The Pew Global Attitude Project just released a new report of the attitudes towards Middle East. The poll covered various leaders and groups. As I mentioned in the earlier Pew Polls post, there were expected and unexpected results. The attitudes towards … Read more
