Away from politics: Arab women sing
On the 60th anniversary of al Nakba, it has become clear more than ever before that there are two worlds, two concepts and two future prospects for the Middle East, especially as far as the Arab-Israeli conflict is concerned. The international media was busy highlighting the 60th anniversary of the birth of Israel to the total...Won’t get fooled again (yes we will)
I don't get the love affair a lot of people seem to have with Senator Barack Obama. People attach an aura to him as if he's sent by God to right the wrongs of Satan's son, Dubya. To a certain extent, it's understandable; the sorry state of affairs that's been this decade's status quo makes the 1990s look like "Happy Days," with...Arabs are the enemies of one another
"We are the enemies of one another, I'm sad to say. We all hate one another, we deceive one another, we gloat at the misfortune of one another, and we conspire against one another. Our intelligence agencies conspire against one another, instead of defending us against the enemy. We are the enemies of one another, and an Arab's enemy...Six days of war, 41 years of hell
Regardless of which side one supports in the Arab-Israel conflict, the 41 years since the Six Day War has been a disastrous period of time that has gone well beyond a chalk mark in the win/loss column. Of course, there's still a propaganda war over it, although there is no reason for disagreement. Israeli Defense Minister Moshe...How the senator won the war of words in Iraq (again and again and again )
The Iraq war was a disaster for Iraq, a disaster for the United States, a disaster for the Middle East, a disaster for the world community, but most of all, it was a disaster for the experts. They were wrong about its difficulty. (It was to be either "a cakewalk" or "a walk in the park" take your pick). They were wrong about how...J Street: A much-needed pro-peace lobby is born
WASHINGTON Last month's launch of J Street marks the culmination of a two-decades old evolution within the pro-Israel community in the U.S. J Street, which defines itself as "the political arm of the pro-Israel and pro-peace movement," states that it was founded "to promote meaningful American leadership to end the Arab-Israeli and...When it comes to Israel, Europe is hypocritical, submissive and obsequious
RAMALLAH In comparison to the madman in the White House, Europe may look less bellicose, less confrontational and less unreasonable in its overall approach to contentious international issues. However, when the issue is the Palestinian plight, the U..S and Europe look very much like tweedledee and tweedledum. In...Coexistence, not apartheid
For the last 60 years, all those who have sought a genuinely peaceful and fair solution for Israel and Palestine have faced the same obstacle Israel's sense of invincibility and military arrogance, abetted by the U.S. and other Western governments' unwavering support. Despite recent setbacks on the military front, the Israeli...McCain’s “agents of inconvenience”
WASHINGTON (IPS) As John McCain launched his presidential bid in 2007, he faced a considerable challenge to mobilize support among social conservatives within the Republican Party. While the Arizona senator voted correctly on moral issues of concern to the Christian Right, such as abortion and gay marriage, perhaps McCain did...Obstacles to an Israeli-Syrian deal
One would need to be an incurable optimist to expect real progress from the indirect talks that Syria and Israel have begun in Ankara under Turkish mediation. The obstacles to peace between the two long-time adversaries are so formidable as to rule out any realistic possibility of a deal in the near or medium-term future....The fight for freedom at Fordson
When word got out last week that Fordson High School Principal Imad Fadlallah was accused of slapping a student, parents and students got angry. Fadlallah has raised the morale, the standards of behavior and the academic performance at Fordson over the past few years and no one believed he would have hit a student. Sure enough, it...Sixty years of denial
"Don't ask for what you never had," is the underlying message made by supporters of Israel when they claim Palestine was never a state to begin with. The contention is, of course, easily refutable. Following the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th Century, colonial powers plotted to divide the spoils. When...The U.S. war on journalists
Sami al-Haj is a free man today, after having been imprisoned by the U.S. military for more than six years. His crime: journalism. Targeting journalists, the Bush administration has engaged in direct assault, intimidation, imprisonment and information blackouts to limit the ability of journalists to do their jobs. The principal...Let’s hope Bush does no more damage
In the troubled, conflict-ridden Middle East, President George W Bush has done everything wrong. But his mandate still has half a year to run and, unless restrained, he can do a lot more damage to the region and to America before he retires to his ranch at Crawford, Texas, and to the obscurity he amply deserves. At the heart...Memorial Day a time to reflect on troops
It is time for our annual day of reflection, commemorating U.S. men and women who have died in military service to their country. This holiday began first to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War. After World War I, it was expanded to include those who died in any war or military action. Arab Americans have......
Gaza cannot be compared to Holocaust
The 60th anniversary of Israel's "independence" was met with all the usual fanfare celebrating the "achievements" of the "only democracy" in the Middle East and as a refuge for Jews Bush fed into that, saying Masada won't fall again. What was missing, of course, was the real meaning of that anniversary. It's imperative, then, to...Strategic move for a perpetual conflict
I sat down to watch the news on Tuesday and I was shocked beyond belief to see that the Lebanese leaders in Doha have reached an agreement. The government and opposition now appear to have agreed on the allocation of cabinet seats to form a new unity government that will give crucial veto power to the opposition, something that has......
Arabs not worried about Iranian nukes
To make its case against Iran's right as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to develop nuclear capabilities, the U.S. government has tried to claim that the people of the region, in U.S.-allied countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the Gulf states, are concerned about Iran's nuclear developments. Yet,...Arab opinion of the U.S. declined in 2008
In 2008, Arab attitudes toward the U.S. remain at alarmingly low levels. Concern with U.S. policy is the reason. And because the U.S. role in the region is so critical, interest in the American elections is high across the Arab world. These are some of the findings of polling that Zogby International conducted separately for the...Conquering the land: Why one Israeli writer isn’t celebrating
As I write this, I can only guess how all the various media outlets will mark Israel's birthday. As much as I love nostalgia, the compulsive reading of the weekend papers and obsessive watching of old people singing on television I have no intention of taking part in the celebrations this time. Because I know the naked truth about...Anniversary should be turning point
As Israelis finalize preparations for their momentous 60th anniversary a date marking 10 years of consistent economic growth and industrious expansion there remains the underlying question that will go unanswered yet another decade: What will be done with the West Bank and the Golan Heights? Despite all of its considerable......
When will Israel learn?
In present form, it looks as if Israel might need another six decades to grasp that Middle East security is indivisible in other words, that its own security cannot be won at the cost of the insecurity of its neighbors. For all its achievements over the past six decades, Israel has failed one crucial test:...Israel at 60: Why we’re not celebrating
Between December 1947 and December 1950, over 530 Palestinian villages and towns were destroyed. Half of the Palestinians were ethnically cleansed by underground Zionist forces even before Israel was unilaterally declared a state. Palestinians call these events of the late 1940s the Nakba (catastrophe). The......
Washington cedes its role
It is telling of the damage the United States has done to its influence in the Middle East that the potentially most important diplomatic development in the past generation a possible Israeli-Syrian treaty seems to be taking place without any significant American role. LOS ANGELES -- One of the important...Small victories to celebrate
Those advocating for issues of importance to Arab Americans rarely have anything to celebrate. In an era defined by the growth of anti-Arabism and Islamophobia in the West, activists' work is necessary, although uphill. Last week, activists fighting for related causes won rare, but small, victories. Groups......