Essays
Saudi Arabia’s Regional Recalculations
After decades of shifting alliances that failed to deliver stability, Saudi Arabia now has a “zero-conflict” policy toward its neighbors. It is this, rather than a turn to Islamism, that is paradoxically creating tension with the United Arab Emirates and Israel.
Church Bells and Whistles
In Minneapolis, whistles warn of ICE agents’ approach. How far do they echo the church bells that guided resistance in occupied France? History does not repeat, but in the details from the ground in Minnesota and the work of historians of wartime Europe, parallels emerge that may be instructive.
Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt That Decided History
The Great Arab Revolt of 1936 is one of the most important and least remembered events in the history of Arab-Zionist relations in Palestine. A newly released film and a recently published book provide thought-provoking insights and a new understanding of how events that occurred 90 years ago shaped the present.
How the Tiger Became an Indian National Symbol
In India, while tigers symbolized courage for Rajput kingdoms, Mughal emperors like Akbar and Jahangir saw a slain tiger as proof of dominance over nature. The British emulated Mughal tiger hunts to assert imperial control — a symbolism now reversed by the country’s conservationists.
Christmas Celebrations Are Returning to Bethlehem
Festivities have returned to the place of Jesus’ birth after a two-year pause, but the shadow of Gaza, occupation and genocide was never far from the muted celebrations.
Couscous in Marsala: The Long History of Sicilians and Tunisians
Long before today’s migration debates, tens of thousands of Sicilians built new lives in Tunisia, shaping a shared Mediterranean culture now largely forgotten.
‘The Course of Empire’ Reimagined in Middle Eastern Graffiti
Through graffiti, political expression has slipped out of gilded frames and onto concrete and stone. Modern murals in Cairo, Bethlehem and Amman show how the measure of a civilization lies not in its monuments, but in people insisting on being seen, claiming space and painting themselves back into the landscape.