Egypt’s Shiite Minority: Between the Egyptian Hammer and the Iranian Anvil
Egyptian President Morsi is reported to have said the Shia are more dangerous to Islam than the Jews.
Morsi’s Victory and Egypt’s Second Republic
Hamas in Gaza – an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood – has high hopes, but it will soon be disappointed.
The Role of Iranian Security Forces in Syria
Amid the intensifying crisis in Syria, which in recent weeks has seen massacres of the civilian population in various parts of the country, Iranian military, propaganda, and economic assistance keeps flowing in, and its aim is help President Bashar al-Assad survive.
The Global March to Jerusalem: Part of the International Campaign to Delegitimize Israel
In January 2012, the European Preparatory Committee for the Global March to Jerusalem announced marches to Jerusalem “or the nearest point to it” on March 30, to coincide with the annual Palestinian “Land Day.” Marches are planned in Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria.
Will Palestinian Reconciliation Lead to a Hamas Takeover of the PLO?
Hamas’ joining of the PLO does not herald a strategic shift in the movement’s policy or recognition of the agreements the PLO has signed with Israel.
Majority and Minorities in the Arab World: The Lack of a Unifying Narrative
Egypt’s Islamic movements seek a way to cast off the Camp David agreement in a manner that will incur minimal diplomatic and economic damage while restoring Egypt to its leading role in the circle of states confronting Israel. This means re-examining the Camp David agreement and submitting it to the decision of the new parliament that will be controlled by the Islamic parties or to a referendum – thereby alleviating the responsibility of any future Egyptian government for cancelling the peace treaty.
The Mughrabi Gate to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem: The Urgent Need for a Permanent Access Bridge
In 2004, ascent to the Mughrabi Gate of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem collapsed and was replaced by a temporary wooden bridge.
Latin America: Iran’s Springboard to America’s Backyard
Iran is exploiting its growing ties with Latin American countries for subversive and propaganda activity, terror and smuggling, and the development of long-range military capabilities. There have been reports that Iran is seeking to establish a missile base in Venezuela, at the doorstep of the great Satan.
Countdown to September: Israel, the Palestinians, and the UN General Assembly
The public debate in Israel over the Palestinian plan to seek UN support for statehood in September is based on a fundamental misconception: the UN General Assembly cannot by itself establish or recognize a Palestinian state.
Pressures Build Inside Fatah Ahead of Palestinian State Declaration
The Palestinian people and the Fatah membership recognize Abbas’ importance and international standing, thanks to which he enjoys support and accessibility, without which their situation would be infinitely more difficult. Yet many people in the movement and in Palestinian society do not identify with him as a leader and hence do not support his leadership.
Where Is Tunisia Heading?
Iran has maintained a presence in the Tunisian arena for years. In 1987, documents found in the possession of an official of the Iranian Embassy arrested in Europe testified to the ties that Iran maintains with Tunisian fundamentalists. That same year, a Tunisian named Lutfi, who had been recruited by Iran and underwent training there prior to joining a local network in Tunisia, unveiled to French police precise information regarding Iran’s subversive activity in Tunisia.
Rachel’s Tomb, a Jewish Holy Place, Was Never a Mosque
UNESCO has declared that Rachel’s Tomb near Jerusalem is a mosque – endorsing a Palestinian claim that first surfaced only in 1996 and which ignores centuries of Muslim tradition.
Rachel’s Tomb never served as a mosque for the Muslims. It has been identified for over 1,700 years as the grave of the Jewish matriarch Rachel. The depiction of Rachel’s Tomb has appeared in thousands of Jewish religious books, paintings, photographs, stamps, and works of art.
Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People: From the San Remo Conference (1920) to the Netanyahu-Abbas Talks
According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the real root of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians had been their ongoing refusal to recognize “the right of the Jewish people to a state of their own in their historic homeland” and he has singled out this issue as a key “prerequisite for ending the conflict.” Netanyahu’s proposal puts back on the global agenda a fundamental Jewish national right that was once axiomatic but today is rarely mentioned.
Lebanon: Ayatollah Fadlallah’s Death and the Expansion of Iranian Hegemony
Shiite religious leader Sayyed Muhammed Hussein Fadlallah played a leading role in the increasing Islamic radicalization of Lebanese Shiites and laid the foundations for Hizbullah’s ideology of violent struggle against the West and Israel. He supplied an organized doctrine for the mujahid who is ready to sacrifice his life. Yet he opposed the aspirations of Iran to establish an Islamic republic in Lebanon.
The Myth of the Siege of Gaza
Gaza is not cut off from the outside world. In the last year, the markets of Gaza have been flooded with produce and merchandise.
From June 2007 (the date of the Hamas military takeover of Gaza), overall monetary transfers to Gaza have totaled over $5 billion from governmental and extragovernmental sources.
