Boycott campaigns over Israeli war on Gaza hit Western brands in some Arab countries

November 24th, 20230 CAIRO – On a recent evening in Cairo, a worker cleaned tables in an empty McDonald's restaurant. Branches of other Western fast-food chains in the Egyptian capital also appeared deserted. All have been hit by a largely spontaneous, grassroots boycott campaign over Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip since the surprise Hamas...

Hosting its first ever World Cup — MENA countries show up, in the stands, on the pitch

December 10th, 20220 By Marc Serber, football analyst The first-ever FIFA World Cup held in the MENA (Middle East/North African) region has brought a real opportunity to showcase football pedigree on the field and introduce the world to its fan culture in the stands and outside of Qatar’s eight stadiums. While the host nation bowed out in...

On “hate” and love at the World Cup: Palestine is more than an Arab cause

December 10th, 20220 We were mistaken to think that Palestine represents the central issue for all Arabs. Such language suggests that Palestine is an external subject, to be compared to other collective struggles that consume most Arabs, everywhere. The ongoing celebration of Palestine and the Palestinian flag at the Qatar World Cup 2022 by millions of...

Israel, France to handle NSO spyware case “discreetly”, Israeli official says

November 1st, 20210 Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett agreed with French President Emmanuel Macron that the alleged misuse of spyware developed by an Israeli company, including against Macron, would be handled "discreetly", an Israeli official said on Monday. Israel says it has been investigating whether cyber firm NSO Group's Pegasus software,...

Israeli spyware strikes again, causing panic among Apple users

September 17th, 20210 An alarming discovery that the Israeli spyware company NSO Group targeted an ordinary citizen’s iPhone yet again caused Apple to deliver an important security update to its users. Researchers at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab said a security issue in Apple’s software was exploited to plant spyware on a Saudi...

Our mutual fight: The case against Pakistani normalization with Israel

February 6th, 20210 The Pakistani government should never, under any circumstances and no matter the pressure, normalize with Israel. Doing so is not only dangerous — as it will embolden an already vile, racist, violent apartheid Israel — but it would also be considered a betrayal of a historic legacy of mutual solidarity, collective affinity and...

Morocco arrests activist leading northern protests

May 30th, 20170 RABAT — A leading Moroccan activist was arrested on Monday alongside other protesters caught up in a wave of rallies against official abuses and corruption in the north, state media said. Nasser Zefzafi, who has helped organize months of protests, would be investigated on charges of "threatening national security" and other crimes,...