Sunni vs. Shiite in Saudi Arabia
Wahhabism, the leading stream of Islam in Sunni Saudi Arabia, is extremely anti-Shiite. With Shiite Iran on the cusp of nuclear arms, and with demonstrated victories by Iran’s proxies in Iraq, Lebanon, and Gaza, the Saudi rulers cannot afford to be seen coddling local Shiites. Saudi Sunnis expect their leaders to defend the honor and position of the Sunni majority, lest Shiite victories reverse the age-old dominance of the Sunni sect of Islam.
Countdown to a New Lebanon Crisis: Iran Sends a Signal to Obama through Beirut
There is a tendency in the West to underestimate the Iranian role in Hizbullah decision-making.
Iran is signaling to the Obama administration that the main political developments in Lebanon are being decided today in Tehran and not in Washington. Iran is testing U.S. power and determination, and the states of the Middle East are closely following what will be the outcome.
Iran Steps Up Arming Hizbullah Against Israel
Hizbullah has 50,000 rockets and missiles, including 40-50 Fatah 110 missiles and 10 SCUD-C ground-to-ground missiles. Furthermore, some 10,000 Hizbullah fighters have been provided with a broad range of modern weapons, while the Iranian Revolutionary Guards have trained Hizbullah teams to operate these weapons.
The Slow Disappearance of Turkey’s Jewish Community
Turkey’s Jewish community is one of the few remaining Diaspora communities in a country with a Muslim majority. Despite its apparent dynamism, its long-term viability is doubtful. The community does not have any influence or play any role worth mentioning in Turkey’s cultural, political, or intellectual life. Furthermore, in recent years the entire community has become the target of much resentment and hostile rhetoric from the country’s Islamist and ultranationalist sectors.
The Settlements Issue: Distorting the Geneva Convention and the Oslo Accords
The Fourth Geneva Convention was never intended to refer to situations like Israel’s settlements.
Talking to Hamas? – Increasing Expressions of Genocidal Intent by Hamas Leaders Against the Jews
Over the last few years there has been a steady drumbeat of calls from leading figures in the international community for Israel to open a dialogue with Hamas. Unfortunately, there is no evidence of a new pragmatism among the Hamas leadership, but only greater indications of a much harder line, which is expressed by its adoption of expressions of genocidal intent in its war against Israel and the Jewish people.
The British Trade Union Movement, Israel, and Boycotts
Over the past thirty years the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and member unions have regularly adopted resolutions containing anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian rhetoric. A whole generation of British left-wing trade union activists has been raised on a diet of conference motions whose only mention of Israel is in connection with its brutality and oppression of the Palestinian people.
Israel’s Rights Regarding Territories and the Settlements in the Eyes of the International Community
The issues of the legality of Israel’s settlements and the rationale of Israel’s settlement policy have for years dominated the attention of the international community.
Self-Determination and Israel’s Declaration of Independence
The history of the Zionist movement is fraught with paradoxes and ambiguities regarding its ultimate political aim.
“An Overwhelmingly Jewish State” – From the Balfour Declaration to the Palestine Mandate
Lloyd George and Balfour had both agreed ‘that by the Declaration they had always meant an eventual Jewish State.
The National Rights of Jews
Are Jews a nation? Do they have and should they have national rights?
U.S.-Israel Relations after the American Midterm Elections
After the end of the Cold War, Tom Friedman wrote that this meant the end of the U.S.-Israel strategic relationship since the Soviet Union is no longer there. In fact, the dangers from Muslim fundamentalism and terrorism may be greater than those of the Soviet Union.
[new paragraph] Israel does not want to see a weakened American presidency, which means a weakened America, especially in the Middle East where the only possible alternative to a weakened America is a strengthened Iran.
The Fallacy of the “1967 Borders” – No Such Borders Ever Existed
The “1967 borders” do not exist and have no basis in history, law, or fact.
Who Will Win the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Arab Street: Turkey or Iran?
Shiite Iran is appealing to the Arab Sunni street by trying to co-opt the agenda of the Sunni masses – the existence of Israel and the sanctity of Jerusalem – neither of which are traditional Shiite issues. In doing so, Iran seeks to undermine the existing Arab Sunni regimes by going over the heads of their leaders. That is why almost all of the regimes in the region hate the Iranian regime more than they hate Israel.
Prospects for Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks
The Israeli demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state is justified. The issue of the Jewish homeland is derived from the 29 November 1947 UN resolution which decided on the establishment of a Jewish homeland and a Palestinian homeland.
