Middle East
The 'Awakening' That Wasn't?
Experts cling to the idea of a 19th-century Arab renaissance or “nahda,” but they define it so differently that it becomes impossible to reconcile. Thinkers like Elie Kedourie and Albert Hourani knew this and suspected it was a deliberate attempt to distract from the real agenda, which was nationalistic.
‘Passing’ in Israel and the West Bank
The Palestinian Authority currently sets the dates for Daylight Saving Time (DST), which are not the same as those observed by Israel. So for chunks of the year, the two operate on different clocks, temporarily out of sync. This is a deliberate act of political resistance, with roots in the First Intifada.
What Theodor Herzl’s Zionist-Utopian Novel Says About Israel Today
Herzl is still considered one of Israel’s founding fathers. But his novel “Altneuland” — unlike his 1896 manifesto — is seldom remembered. There might be a reason for that. Read the utopian novel and you’ll see how far Herzl’s vividly imagined, Jewish-led cooperative in Palestine diverges from the Israel of today.
Cautious Optimism After Israel-Lebanon Maritime Deal
Analysts remain unconvinced that this is the end of the maritime deal saga. The impending agreement is escalating into the most divisive political issue inside Israel mere weeks before the Nov. 1 election. It could yet prove to be the trigger for military conflict after Israelis go to the polls.
In Rejecting Iran Nuclear Deal, Israeli Rivals Are of One Mind
This highly public battle between Israel’s two leading politicians serves to obfuscate one core truth: They’re both opposed to renewing the nuclear accord with Iran and are employing many of the same means (albeit with clear differences in style and tone) towards this end. This is exactly what Lapid has tried to highlight, not least to the Israeli public.
‘Three Thousand Years’ and the History of Middle East Tales
During a conference in Istanbul, professor Alithea Binnie meets a trapped djinn who offers three wishes in exchange for his freedom. Thus begins a series of adventures that don’t go farther than Alithea’s hotel room and yet will change her life forever.
What If Netanyahu Wins?
The 80,000 Likud members who voted in the primary election returned a hardline and slavishly pro-Netanyahu slate. The two main goals professed by nearly all of them? To not only restore “King Bibi” to his rightful place atop the country, but to begin a wholesale revolution in Israel’s democratic system.