Israeli observers of the US presidential primaries and nomination processes can be roughly divided into two distinct groups. On one side, there are those who believe that every four years Americans are privileged to cast a vote on the omnipresent question of who will be the best president for Israel. This group actually believes that …

In the United States, there are assumptions that anything Arab and Islamic is intrinsically anti-American. Media is one channel through which such misperceptions are exacerbated. There are two issues that need to be addressed with regard to how the American media relates to Muslim-Western issues: a biased image of Arabs and Muslims and a simplified …

When disaster strikes, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are among the first on the scene. The United Nations estimates that there are now more than 37,000 international NGOs, with major donors relying on them more and more. Inevitably, there are problems. Both the Rwandan genocide of 1994 and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami saw chaotic competition among …

Hillary Clinton is in trouble. Nothing seems to work for her campaign. Obama’s positions are not much different than hers but he has a clear edge. What he has going for him is a movement rather than simply a successful campaign strategy. Obama as movement transcends Obama himself. If deep disappointments are to be avoided, …

Of the many tired shibboleths of Washington foreign policy, the tiredest is the assertion that back in the day – an entirely mythical day – partisanship stopped at the waters edge. If anyone still nurtured this saccharine illusion, the Iraq war and the subsequent battle to draw down troops effectively dispelled the notion. And certainly …

Once again, the Israelis are reducing the electricity supply to Gaza. The cutbacks are a response to increased Hamas attacks in Israel, and come despite their disproved effectiveness, and a strong warning from the Bush administration. Tom Casey, a State Department spokesman, said We understand Israel s right to defend itself, but we do not …

The Muslim Brotherhood group recently announced in a statement and on their official website, that it will field candidates in the April 8 municipal elections, stressing that their participation is a religious duty. It is every citizen’s right to participate in the political process; it’s a basic right guaranteed by all constitutions. The rule is …

Girls are dancing in skimpy bikinis and young people are drinking beers as techno blasts from a stereo system on two neighboring yachts. Sounds like the French Riviera or maybe even South Beach, Miami. And yet, I, as the only American on the boat feel incredibly uncomfortable. Because this is not the French Riviera, it …

I spent a two-week vacation in Cairo listening to the worries of Egyptians regarding the country s future. I met intellectuals, economists, university professors, writers, policy-makers and opposition activists from different groups, as well as friends and family, and all our discussions revolved around one issue: where is the country heading? Despite the different backgrounds …

Two small boys lay sedated in a hospital ward in this Tel Aviv suburb on Tuesday, unaware of each other or of the growing commotion around them. One was Osher Twito, 8, an Israeli boy from the town of Sderot, who was seriously wounded Saturday by shrapnel from a rocket fired by Palestinian militants from …

In early February, the United Sates National Academy of Engineering released a report on “Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st Century. The goal is to focus attention on the potential of technology to help the world address poverty and environmental threats. The list includes potential breakthroughs such as low-cost solar power, safe disposal of …

About ten years ago, a Swedish photographer held an exhibition entitled Ecce Homo , a collection of provocative photos portraying Jesus as a homosexual. The reaction from some conservative church clerics was swift and strong: This is barbarian, not biblical read one of the newspaper headlines, and a heated discussion followed. The photographer said the …

For the whole of Wednesday morning I was able to relegate the conflict to the back of my mind, despite being surrounded by Palestinian schoolchildren in the supposedly hostile city of Bethlehem. I had come to their school at the invitation of one of the teachers, ostensibly to watch the kids in action and write …

Washington, DC – Notably absent from the presidential primary campaign is serious discussion on how to implement an effective long-term strategy for protecting the United States from future terrorist acts. Many political leaders in the past have embraced winning the battle of ideas against Muslim extremists as the most important component of any strategy, yet …

Earlier this month, Israel removed 32 members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah s military wing, from its list of wanted men, and has extended a probation period for 220 additional men. This move was part of an agreement Israel and the Palestinian Authority entered into in July, which provides a mechanism – based on …

The Archbishop of Canterbury is an immensely intelligent and thoughtful figure. His comments on Feb. 7 were his contribution to the difficult issues surrounding community cohesion and how to quell the feeling of alienation among some quarters of British Muslim communities so they feel more a part of this country. While the tabloids have gone …

What a bright idea to include in the ID card of Muslim converts to Christianity that they are “former Muslims . It’s exactly the same with street signs. Some signs would say Sisostris Street (formerly Al Nahawad), for instance. So what is the difference between citizens of a great country like ours, and street signs? …

Now I can reveal this: Several months ago, I participated in a series of meetings in Europe that involved a small group of Israeli and Palestinian public figures and academicians, including senior Hamas supporters. During our talks, they made it clear to us that as far as they could see, in exchange for Israeli willingness …

If a European Union bureaucrat could travel to fin de siècle Vienna, he would be surprised by how closely the Hapsburg Empire resembled today’s EU. Like the EU, Austria-Hungary was an experiment in supranational engineering, comprising 51 million inhabitants, 11 nationalities, and 14 languages. Presiding over this microcosm of Europe was a double-throned Emperor-King and …

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that there would be a redux of the cartoon crisis that caused furor in the Muslim world two years ago. If anything, the recent copycat republication of the most offensive of them in Denmark and other countries in Europe as a response to an alleged death threat …

When Israel and the Palestinian Authority – with the midwifery of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice – forged the Agreement of Movement and Access (AMA) in November 2005 enabling the operation of the Rafah border crossing, the central partner of the agreement was kept almost secret. All through the paragraphs of the agreement a …

With the release of America’s National Intelligence Estimate, according to which Iran has suspended its nuclear weapons program, the prospect of military confrontation with the Bush administration dimmed. But months later, it is clear that the danger is not past, because Iran has not renounced the production of nuclear weapons, which its enriched uranium could …

To mark the 20th anniversary of his death this year, no more than a handful of Afghan intellectuals held a memorial service at the grave of Abdul Ghaffar Khan. But cultural associations in the region and in Europe are planning numerous ceremonies in the memory of the non-violent Pashtun leader. Professor of Indian literature Eknath …

God provides livelihood for all his servants in just measure. Everyman receives his full 24 carats of land or luck, not a single unit more or less. Even the cold weather matches the size of your bedcover; the bigger the cover, the colder it gets and when the cover becomes tattered and worn out, the …

The most acute problem facing Israeli officials today is how to end the daily Kassam rocket attacks intended to demoralize Israelis and to undermine the peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Israel insists – rightfully – that Hamas, as the self-proclaimed authority in Gaza, is to blame and must suffer the consequences. …

Local council elections will be held on April 8, where candidates will contest approximately 3,300 seats in various local posts. These elections are particularly important this time for several reasons. For one, they will be the first local council elections to be held since the 2007 constitutional amendments, especially since the change made to Article …

The consensus reached by the Arab Ministers of Information on a document regulating the New Arab Satellite content is considered one step towards enabling Arab media build independent and accountable broadcasting systems. The time has certainly come for this move, which, though late, is better late than never. Many commentators/ presenters of satellite television programs …

Ever since key public figures signed a manifesto in a French magazine denouncing the dangers of a monarchical drift – without ever mentioning the president’s name – the political atmosphere in France has been electric. Nicolas Sarkozy’s rapid fall from grace is unprecedented in the history of the Fifth Republic. His popularity ratings are plummeting, …

The recent breach of Egypt s border with Gaza accentuated the risks implied in the current situation in the Strip. Losing control over that border for ten consecutive days proved to be embarrassing for Cairo. Bending to the plot implemented by Hamas operatives embarrassed Egypt even further. Far more serious than just the embarrassment, the …

Kosovo’s declaration of independence has put stability in the Western Balkans back on Europe’s agenda. Unless the European Union acts quickly, the whole region could slide backwards, with dire social, economic, and security consequences. The EU needs a comprehensive regional approach, focusing on the remaining steps that would lead each country towards membership. The Western …