Lebanon
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.
Cries of Defiance
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.
The Day After the War in Gaza
The Middle East faces a future of long-term political instability that will be grinding for everyone, particularly for Palestinians, Lebanese and Syrians. Israelis, despite their triumphalism, face a future of constant military conflict and international opprobrium. But certain trends speak to a reimagined, functioning future.
Returning to Devastation in South Lebanon
Residents of villages along Lebanon’s southern border have returned to find their homes destroyed and Israeli soldiers still present. Although Hezbollah fighters have been pushed north, support for the group appears strong among some residents, with others decrying the destruction caused by its war with Israel.
Fouad Elkoury’s Photography Finds Poetry Amid Destruction
Finding liminal spaces in war, capturing a ray of light or an unexpected moment suspended in time, Fouad Elkoury’s unique style makes his photography timeless. He has retraced a historical journey in Egypt, documented his own loneliness during a trip to Turkey and found poetry amid chaos and destruction.
A Hezbollah Assassin and the Meaning of Justice
Salim Ayyash’s name may not be as familiar as Hassan Nasrallah’s, but the Hezbollah assassin’s reported death is a sign of a world ruled by the strong.
Hezbollah’s Bureaucrat-in-Chief
Naim Qassem, the face Hezbollah chose to put on to address the world in the wake of the killing of its leader, is a frightened face. It sweats. It is uncharismatic and clumsy. It is boring to listen to and painful to watch.