The strange story of one of the few Jewish members of parliament in the Arab world.
The Amilcar Notes (Part 7): Tunisia’s Jews Then and Now (1 of 2)
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Middle East & North Africa
The Gulf Cooperative Council and the Arab Spring
The Saudis in particular, and the other Gulf States in general, are fearful of two main threats, real or perceived. The first threat is Iran, which challenges their long-held religious and ethnic tenets. The second threat is the Arab Awakening, which challenges them ideologically and politically. The two threats seem to be connected now, and they will only be more so in the future. The Gulf State strategy seems to be based on the assumption that the stability of all Gulf regimes can only be disturbed by outside forces.
The Burr in Iran’s Saddle: Selective Enforcement of the NPT
People who live in glass disarmament houses shouldn’t throw nonproliferation stones.
Few Virtues to “Virtual Embassy in Iran”
Tying the “virtual embassy” in Iran with sanctions won’t help #virtualembassy trend on Iranian Twitter accounts.
The Amilcar Notes (Part 6): Tunisia — U.S. Recognizes Need to Change Its Mid-East Policy
Its policy toward Tunisia shows that the United States has finally realized — perhaps too late – how much damage it’s done in the Middle East.
Succession Questions Persist in Wake of Kim Jong-il’s Death
Kim Jong-il reportedly kept his son Kim Jong-un on the sidelines for fear of a challenge to his authority.
Israel’s Tax-Deductible Occupation
The new Likud-Yisrael Beitenu NGO funding legislation will limit and tax contributions to organizations opposed to the occupation. Meanwhile, pro-settlement charities rake in large sums from foreign donors.
The Amilcar Notes (Part 5):Election Exhilaration in Tunisia
Those who took to the streets in Tunisia and faced down fear are not those elected to the Constituent Assembly.
What If an Iranian Spy Plane Had Violated U.S. Airspace?
The United States asking for its drone back is like a burglar breaking into someone’s house, stealing a few items, and then returning the next day to ask for his tools back.
Arab Islamists Are Here to Stay
The hysteria of the West about the Arab awakening turning into an Arab Islamist nightmare is reaching full-blown proportions. The United States and Israel, self-appointed referees of democracy in the region despite their long-running support for the Middle East’s most corrupt and authoritarian regimes, are crying foul.
The incitement? A series of victories by Islamist parties in Tunisia, Morocco, and Egypt. Yet, given the history of Western support for governments that simultaneously quashed secular opposition movements and persecuted Islamists, the popularity of moderate Islamist parties should come as little surprise—nor should it be cause for concern.