Middle East
Middle East
Fair Observer provides inclusive, insightful and contextual analysis of the Middle East with its manifold cultures and civilizations.
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360° Analysis / Arab World / Israel / Palestine / Politics / United States / Middle East / AfricaBy Katie Gonzalez Scholars and experts say his foreign policy would be a "catastrophe" for the Middle East, but also hint that Romney the candidate and Romney the president may not be one and the same. As the United States presidential election nears, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has made headlines seeking to differentiate his political platform from that of President Barack Obama. Romney cited cultural differences as a reason for the economic disparity between Israelis and Palestinians, and more recently, in the unearthed Mother Jones viral video, admitted a futility in Middle East peace efforts, which has led Middle East academics and policy experts to question the...
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360° Analysis / Football / Israel / Palestine / Politics / Soccer / Europe / Arts & Culture / Middle EastHamas’ call to boycott the Barcelona soccer match, offers Palestinians an opportunity to vote with their feet against continued feuding Palestinian groups that have proven unable to further national aspirations or improve economic conditions. When Spanish giants Real Madrid and FC Barcelona clashed this weekend, two matches separated by thousands of kilometers were played; one on and one off the pitch. The Spanish clash ended in a draw in Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium; a rare show of public defiance to Gaza’s Hamas rulers ended with a victory for what amounted to Palestinians rejecting the Islamists’ call for a boycott of the popular Catalan champion. The Spanish...
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360° Analysis / Egypt / Gaza / Israel / Politics / Sinai / Middle East / Africa / Global SecurityOn the Egyptian-Israeli border, an increase in jihadist activity is causing both sides to question longstanding certainties of their respective national security paradigms. The recent escalation of jihadi activity in the Sinai Peninsula has added a new dimension to the geostrategic uncertainties of the post-Mubarak era. Like the fallen regime, the Sinai served as a buffer in the cold peace between the Egyptian and Israeli populations. With the Egyptian military in the Sinai recently suffering its greatest personnel losses since the 1970s, public anger has been channeled into loud calls to renegotiate the 1978 Camp David Accords to restore full Egyptian sovereignty over the peninsula....
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The public discourse over Israel and Palestine tends to focus on the peace process and terrorism. However, Palestinian Israelis are generally overlooked. On Monday, thousands of Palestinian Israelis marched across the country to commemorate the tragic events of October 2000. At the onset of the Second Intifada, as initially peaceful demonstrations swept Arab cities and villages across Israel, police shot and killed 13 unarmed young men. Until this day, no one has been found guilty let alone tried in a court of law, as Israel has long since refused to charge any of the officers. Even among many “pro-Palestinian” figures, particularly proponents of the moribund two-state...
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By Naava Mashiah Israel should follow Prince Bin Talal's advice and start considering itself as part of the Middle East and its future, argues Naava Mashiah. There was a brave lone voice at the Herzliya Conference this year in Israel. It was the voice of Prince Bin Talal of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He mentioned that the title of the conference this year, "In the Eye of the Storm", was quite appropriate, although the second part of the title was antiquated. The tail end of the title was called "...Israel and the Middle East". The Prince complained that it is high time we consider Israel part of the Middle East and if Israelis do not see themselves as part of...
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Morocco / Politics / 360° Context / Middle East / AfricaAlthough Morocco's king enacted modest constitutional reforms to appease protestor demands, the Islamist-led government is struggling to deliver tangible results on social justice issues. Background Morocco has a history distinct from that of its North African neighbors. It never became a part of the Ottoman Empire which ruled vast parts of the Arab world for centuries. Morocco thus has a long tradition of independence. The current ruling Alaouite dynasty claims to trace its ancestry back to the Prophet Mohammed and has ruled the country since the 17th century. After 44 years as a French Protectorate, Morocco re-gained independence in 1956. In 1961, Hassan II became king. His 38-year-...
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360° Analysis / Bahrain / Egypt / Iran / Iraq / Israel / Libya / Palestine / Politics / Tunisia / United States / Yemen / Middle East / AfricaBy Uri MarantzIn summer 2009, Obama gave a rousing speech in Cairo addressed to the Muslim world, entitled “A New Beginning”. Far from signalling a radical shift in US foreign policy, it was the first step down the by-now familiar path of Obama’s continued circumspection. Pundits on both sides of the ideological spectrum, in America and abroad, are quick to label President Barack Obama’s policies as complete “successes” or “failures” based on their own political leanings, without much regard to substantive discussions of policy. This is easy because the situation is so complex, rendering prediction and comprehension rare commodities in a market of...
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Politics / United States / Europe / Focus Article / Arts & Culture / Middle East / Americas / Africa / Asia / OceaniaFair Observer's five best articles for September. For those of us in the northern hemisphere this is the time of autumn. On the east coast of North America, it is a time of russet, yellow and gold. In Europe, it is a time of “mists and mellow fruitlessness” as described by Keats in Ode to Autumn. In India, it is a time when the monsoons have ended and festivals such as Durga Puja and Dussehra are around the corner. At Fair Observer, we think this is an apt moment for us to introduce to you what we believe to be the five best articles of the month. We chose the articles after much editorial debate. Needless to say, it is an imperfect list and many of you will disagree with...
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360° Analysis / Israel / Palestine / Politics / United States / Middle EastBy Noura ErakatIt is now the responsibility of the Palestinian people themselves, to deny the leadership legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority as well as to seek alternative paths forward to end the Israeli occupation, argues Noura Erakat. In early August 2012, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas vowed to renew the United Nations statehood bid in September: "Even if this step conflicts with other parties' interests... [W]e will not step back... Israel neither halted settlement activities, nor recognized the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967 as occupied territory. Thus, the only choice we have is to go to the UN equipped with a united Arab mandate." Yet, only a few weeks...