Israel
Israel’s Settler Media Coup
The settlement movement in Israel has patiently executed a strategy to take control of the country’s media landscape and reshape it in its own image. This campaign has now borne fruit, and the radicalization of Israel’s media has been evident throughout the war in Gaza.
A Cartographic Conflict
For centuries, Ghajar was a poor, remote village in the Ottoman Empire. But after World War I, French colonial cartographers drew a line on a map that had long-term implications for the villagers. Today, they live in political limbo, their village claimed by Syria and divided between Lebanon and Israel.
Sami Michael Broke New Ground by Centering Arabs in His Hebrew Novels
The novelist Sami Michael died last year aged 97. Born and raised in Baghdad, he introduced characters previously marginalized or omitted in Hebrew literature: immigrants, Mizrahim, women and especially Arabs. His portrayals are sympathetic but unsparing, and his writing tackled issues central to Israeli society that were previously cloaked in silence.
The Disintegration of Assad’s Army
The collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s army was the result of multiple political, military and social factors. This insider account details its final days and the broader implications for Syria and the region.
Mourning Hassan Nasrallah
A Lebanese writer reflects on attending the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, exploring themes of grief, defiance and identity in the context of Lebanon's complex political landscape.
Israel’s Syria Gambit
Israeli forces have pushed farther into the Golan Heights, displacing residents and raising fears over the region’s future. Although Syrians in the area, echoing their leaders, insist that they want to avoid conflict, many say they have no choice but to resist Israel’s moves — even if the costs are steep.
Israeli Politicians Normalize Population Transfer
At a Feb. 4 White House press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump proposed the relocation of Gaza’s Palestinian population. He thus transformed population transfer from a near-taboo subject in Israel to a viable policy option, with dangerous implications for Palestinians, Israel and regional stability.