middle east

Debates and articles from across the openDemocracy website that discuss or are relevant to the Middle East
Thursday 18th March

America and Israel: a historic choice

Paul Rogers, 18 March 2010
The serious row between Washington and Tel Aviv is about far more than the construction of homes in east Jerusalem; it goes to the heart of the close military alliance between the two states.
Tuesday 9th March

Hizbollah vs Israel: the coming clash

Robert G Rabil, 9 March 2010
A shifting balance of calculation in the middle east makes Lebanon’s Hizbollah movement more confident in its strategy of “deterrence-by-terror” vis-à-vis Israel, says Robert G Rabil
Thursday 25th February

Netanyahu and the sanctioning of Iran

Thomas S Evans, 25 February 2010
Israel’s attempt to rally support for energy sanctions against Iran look like failing, for good reason. They would be likely to work to the detriment of the West’s and Israel’s goals.
Monday 22nd February

Iraq: fears following ban of Ba'athist-linked politicians

Anthony Skinner, 22 February 2010
With parliamentary elections upcoming in Iraq, the banning of individuals with suspected links to the Ba’ath Party has raised fears among some members of the Sunni community that Shi’ite figures in the establishment are out to purge Sunnis from politics
Thursday 18th February

Beirut and contradiction: reading the World Press Photo award

Mai Ghoussoub, 18 February 2010
The writer and Saqi publisher died on 17 February 2007. Her last article - on Beirut - is here. Plus: memory trio, and life journey
Monday 28th December

Leaving Gaza

Sameh Habeeb, 28 December 2009
A young citizen journalist has a rare chance to leave his homeland, reduced to rubble by the Israeli army’s most recent incursion. How does he feel about this new-found freedom?
Thursday 10th December

Turkey and Israel: ends and beginnings

Kerem Oktem, 10 December 2009
The new chill between once close middle-eastern neighbours reflects both Ankara’s desire to chart a new course and structural changes in the region’s geopolitics. The outcome of both shifts remains open, says Kerem Oktem.
Tuesday 6th October

Turkey's political-emotional transition

Carsten Wieland, 6 October 2009
Ankara is renegotiating its pro-west commitments and its Islamic family-ties
Tuesday 22nd September

Psychoactive and Operation Cast Lead

Lirona Rosenthal, Maya Mukamel, Tova Buksbaum, and Uri Hadar, 22 September 2009
During the attack on Gaza, Israeli mental health professionals could be trapped between Israeli identification with government policy, and Palestinian citizens of Israel, then considered ‘the enemy’
Monday 21st September

Cash flow in the Gaza Strip

Sami Abu Shamalla, 21 September 2009
The military offensive against Gaza was the latest stage in a calculated assault on the feasibility of a Palestinian state, and in particular a viable Palestinian economy
Wednesday 9th September

Libya’s regime at 40: a state of kleptocracy

Fred Halliday, 9 September 2009
Colonel Gaddafi's domain, now opening to the world, is more protection-racket than modern state
Monday 7th September

A response to Badawi

Oliver Ramsbotham, 7 September 2009
To get beyond slogans, each side in the Israel/Palestine debate must have a strong sense of their own collective preferences

and

The state(s) and the right of return

Gershon Baskin
Is a “Jewish State” a “State of the Jewish people”?

Both these pieces are responses to Ahmed Badawi’s “Palestine: seize the initiative”
Thursday 3rd September

Iraq: new alliances, old repression

Zaid Al-Ali, 3 September 2009
The pre-election games avoid Iraqis' real needs - but light in Kurdistan shows the way

On the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state: can the Palestinians seize the initiative?

Ahmed Badawi, 3 September 2009
Time to offer recognition of a Jewish state, but with conditions
Wednesday 2nd September

Iran: Players or Pawns?

2 September 2009

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a man of many labels; Iran's ‘everyman' crusading for the nation's downtrodden, champion of the Muslim world, self-fashioned historian with an amnesic grasp of 20th century events and, most recently, vote rigger of questionable skill. To date however, Ahmadinejad's reputation has not been readily associated with women's rights. His recent decision to nominate three female cabinet ministers has consequently aroused surprise and suspicion in many camps.

Wednesday 26th August

Israeli settlements and “ethnic cleansing”

Martin Shaw, 26 August 2009
A case against the dismantling of Israel's West Bank communities has surprising consequences  
Wednesday 19th August

Living after tragedy: the UN Baghdad bomb, one year on

Gil Loescher, 19 August 2009
openDemocracy's columnist, hit hard by 2003's blast, recalls. Plus: Caspar Henderson & David Hayes on Arthur C Helton, Guy Goodwin-Gill's tribute
Tuesday 18th August

The Arab future: conspiracy vs reality

Hazem Saghieh, 18 August 2009
An embarrassing soap-opera of two presidential daughters sums up the Arab predicament

Israel-Palestine: solving the refugee question

David Gardner, 18 August 2009
A durable peace needs to solve the Palestinian refugee problem. It can be done. Here's how 
Saturday 15th August

Arthur C Helton: a tribute

David Hayes and Caspar Henderson, 15 August 2009
A voice for human rights, and our friend, died in Baghdad. An openDemocracy salute 
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