(The Conversation) – Daniel G. Williams, Swansea University (The Conversation) – Yasmin Zaher’s remarkable novel The Coin has won the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize for writers under the age of 40. This is not a story that begins at the beginning. Instead, its narrator starts with dirt and an obsession with cleanliness, but suggests […]
Israelis’ Blinkered Media Drive Public Doubts on Gaza’s Hunger Plight
By Jori Breslawski, Tel Aviv University and Carlo Koos, University of Bergen (The Conversation) – Under mounting international pressure, Israel announced on May 19, 2025, that it would lift its monthslong humanitarian blockade on Gaza. The aid, which the Israeli government said would include a “basic amount” of food to stave off starvation, comes as […]
Israel’s Policies have already Created Catastrophic Starvation Risk for Millions in Gaza: a Trickle of Aid won’t Avert It
By Yara M. Asi, University of Central Florida (The Conversation) – After 18 months of punishing airstrikes, raids and an increasingly restrictive siege in Gaza, the United Nations on May 20, 2025, issued one of its most urgent warnings yet about the ongoing humanitarian crisis: an estimated 14,000 babies were at risk of death without […]
Trump Lifting Syria Sanctions is a win for Middle Power Turkey
By Hyeran Jo, Texas A&M University and Ece Göztepe Çelebi, Bilkent University (The Conversation) – President Donald Trump announced while in Saudi Arabia on May 14, 2025, that the United States would lift sanctions on Syria. The turnaround was a huge victory for the government of Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa as he attempts to consolidate […]
The Gulf States have Long Boosted US Economic Dominance, even if not every President Got a Free Private Jet
By Adam Hanieh, University of Exeter (The Conversation) – After signing a US$142 billion (£107 billion) arms deal with Saudi Arabia, Donald Trump said the US bond with that country was “more powerful than ever”. He was also reportedly quite pleased with the gift of a private jet from Qatar. But these arrangements are just […]
Pope Leo XIV’s Link to Haiti is Part of a broader American Story of Race, Citizenship and Migration
By Chelsea Stieber, Tulane University (The Conversation) – Early coverage of Pope Leo XIV has explored the first American pontiff’s Chicago upbringing, as well as the many years he spent in Peru, first as a missionary and then as a bishop. Genealogist Jari Honora broke the story of the pope’s ancestors’ connection to the Creole […]
Syria faces renewed Sectarian Violence as Government Fails to deliver Inclusivity
By Katya Alkhateeb, University of Essex and Faten Ghosn, University of Essex (The Conversation) – A recent surge in violence against Syria’s Druze religious community has reportedly seen over 100 people killed since the start of May. This is a grim extension of sectarian targeting that began with the massacre of Alawite civilians in March. […]
Netanyahu’s Occupation Plan for Gaza means more Suffering for Palestinians and less Security for Israel
By Julie M. Norman, UCL (The Conversation) – Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, declared on May 5 that his government intends to intensify military operations and indefinitely reoccupy Gaza. The announcement has dashed hopes for a permanent ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas. The plan, which was unanimously approved by […]
Palestinian Literature: A Rich Literary Heritage from a Nation in Exile
By Heather Laird, University College Cork (The Conversation) – Palestinian literature is unique. It stands apart for its ability to capture a nation’s identity in exile – shaped not by borders, but by memory, resistance and longing. The settings of modern Palestinian literature include Israel, the occupied territories, countries more broadly in the Middle East, […]
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