Fighting the Wrong Enemy: Why Americans Hate Muslims

Two officers sought me from within a crowd at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. They seemed to know who I was. They asked me to follow them, and I obliged. Being of Arab background, often renders one’s citizenship almost irrelevant. In a back room, where other foreigners, mainly Muslims, were holed for "added security", I was … Continue reading “Fighting the Wrong Enemy: Why Americans Hate Muslims”

Pushing Gaza to Suicide: The Politics of Humiliation

Mohammed Abed is a 28-year-old taxi driver from the village of Qarara, near the town of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. He has no teeth. Lack of medical care and proper dentistry work cost him all of his teeth, which rotted and decayed at a very young age. Yet, his dire financial needs prevented … Continue reading “Pushing Gaza to Suicide: The Politics of Humiliation”

Israel vs. the United Nations: The Nikki Haley Doctrine

The United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, seems to be championing a single cause: Israel. When Haley speaks about Israel, her language is not merely emotive nor tailored to fit the need of a specific occasion. Rather, her words are resolute, consistent and are matched by a clear plan of action. Along … Continue reading “Israel vs. the United Nations: The Nikki Haley Doctrine”

Journalism, History, and War: Sit, Type and Bleed

The typical newsroom setup, where journalists chase after news headlines dictated by some centralized news gathering agency – often based in some western capital – does not suffice any more. In the case of the Middle East, the news narrative has been defined by others and dictated on Arab journalists and audiences for far too … Continue reading “Journalism, History, and War: Sit, Type and Bleed”

The Unwanted ‘Bride’: Can the 1967 War Offer Opportunity for Peace?

There is a saying that goes: “Be careful what you wish for, for you may get it.” This has been Israel’s dilemma from the very beginning. The Zionist movement, which held its first conference in Basel, Switzerland 120 years ago, wanted Palestine but not the Palestinians. They achieved this objective 50 years later, in what … Continue reading “The Unwanted ‘Bride’: Can the 1967 War Offer Opportunity for Peace?”

Trump’s Visit to Israel: How Palestine Disappeared From US Media Coverage

As if he has, overnight, been transformed into a master politician, Donald Trump’s 27-hour trip to Israel has left many analysts mystified. Quoting former Israeli political adviser, Mitchell Barack, the New York Times referred to Trump as the “Liberace of world leaders”, in reference to flamboyant, piano player, Wladziu Valantino Liberace. The latter, known as … Continue reading “Trump’s Visit to Israel: How Palestine Disappeared From US Media Coverage”

Fear as an Obstacle to Peace: Why Are Israelis Afraid?

Bat-Hen Epstein Elias’s long article on Iranian Jews is interesting. Parts of it, in fact, are heartwarming. Yet, despite the lack of any serious evidence, the story is entirely framed in the language of fear. Entitled, “All the Jews there live in fear that their telephones are tapped,” the story in Israel Hayom peddles the … Continue reading “Fear as an Obstacle to Peace: Why Are Israelis Afraid?”

Jewish Nation-State Bill: Israel’s Precarious Identity Is Palestine’s Nightmare

The Israeli Knesset (parliament) has hurriedly passed a new bill that defines Israel as the “national home of the Jewish people.” Although the association between Jewishness and Israel goes back to the foundation of the state, the new law also carries clear discriminatory elements that target the country’s Arab communities, numbering nearly two million people. … Continue reading “Jewish Nation-State Bill: Israel’s Precarious Identity Is Palestine’s Nightmare”

Should Hamas Rewrite the Past?

Now that the Palestinian Islamic Movement, Hamas, has officially changed its Charter, one should not immediately assume that the decision is, in itself, an act of political maturity. Undoubtedly, Hamas’ first Charter, which was released to the public in August 1988, reflected a degree of great intellectual dearth and political naïveté. “Allah is great, Allah … Continue reading “Should Hamas Rewrite the Past?”

The Prisoners’ Revolt: The Real Reasons behind the Palestinian Hunger Strike

Gaza is the world’s largest open air prison. The West Bank is a prison, too, segmented into various wards, known as areas A, B and C. In fact, all Palestinians are subjected to varied degrees of military restrictions. At some level, they are all prisoners. East Jerusalem is cut off from the West Bank, and … Continue reading “The Prisoners’ Revolt: The Real Reasons behind the Palestinian Hunger Strike”