Informed Comment Homepage

Thoughts on the Middle East, History and Religion

Header Right

  • Featured
  • US politics
  • Middle East
  • Environment
  • US Foreign Policy
  • Energy
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • About
  • Archives
  • Submissions

© 2025 Informed Comment

  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Month
  • 2025
    • May 2025 (24)
    • April 2025 (91)
    • March 2025 (96)
    • February 2025 (86)
    • January 2025 (93)
  • 2024
    • December 2024 (93)
    • November 2024 (91)
    • October 2024 (94)
    • September 2024 (89)
    • August 2024 (94)
    • July 2024 (93)
    • June 2024 (90)
    • May 2024 (93)
    • April 2024 (90)
    • March 2024 (96)
    • February 2024 (90)
    • January 2024 (96)
  • 2023
    • December 2023 (95)
    • November 2023 (96)
    • October 2023 (96)
    • September 2023 (92)
    • August 2023 (113)
    • July 2023 (124)
    • June 2023 (121)
    • May 2023 (124)
    • April 2023 (122)
    • March 2023 (124)
    • February 2023 (112)
    • January 2023 (124)
  • 2022
    • December 2022 (124)
    • November 2022 (120)
    • October 2022 (123)
    • September 2022 (121)
    • August 2022 (124)
    • July 2022 (124)
    • June 2022 (119)
    • May 2022 (124)
    • April 2022 (120)
    • March 2022 (124)
    • February 2022 (112)
    • January 2022 (125)
  • 2021
    • December 2021 (120)
    • November 2021 (119)
    • October 2021 (124)
    • September 2021 (121)
    • August 2021 (126)
    • July 2021 (126)
    • June 2021 (121)
    • May 2021 (128)
    • April 2021 (121)
    • March 2021 (128)
    • February 2021 (112)
    • January 2021 (128)
  • 2020
    • December 2020 (125)
    • November 2020 (122)
    • October 2020 (128)
    • September 2020 (122)
    • August 2020 (125)
    • July 2020 (122)
    • June 2020 (124)
    • May 2020 (131)
    • April 2020 (126)
    • March 2020 (133)
    • February 2020 (120)
    • January 2020 (130)
  • 2019
    • December 2019 (122)
    • November 2019 (113)
    • October 2019 (119)
    • September 2019 (117)
    • August 2019 (101)
    • July 2019 (126)
    • June 2019 (122)
    • May 2019 (130)
    • April 2019 (118)
    • March 2019 (143)
    • February 2019 (130)
    • January 2019 (152)
  • 2018
    • December 2018 (160)
    • November 2018 (137)
    • October 2018 (154)
    • September 2018 (142)
    • August 2018 (147)
    • July 2018 (137)
    • June 2018 (132)
    • May 2018 (136)
    • April 2018 (133)
    • March 2018 (126)
    • February 2018 (116)
    • January 2018 (131)
  • 2017
    • December 2017 (132)
    • November 2017 (135)
    • October 2017 (146)
    • September 2017 (127)
    • August 2017 (130)
    • July 2017 (121)
    • June 2017 (125)
    • May 2017 (126)
    • April 2017 (127)
    • March 2017 (139)
    • February 2017 (135)
    • January 2017 (127)
  • 2016
    • December 2016 (124)
    • November 2016 (116)
    • October 2016 (115)
    • September 2016 (95)
    • August 2016 (66)
    • July 2016 (109)
    • June 2016 (114)
    • May 2016 (128)
    • April 2016 (157)
    • March 2016 (156)
    • February 2016 (162)
    • January 2016 (149)
  • 2015
    • December 2015 (153)
    • November 2015 (155)
    • October 2015 (147)
    • September 2015 (149)
    • August 2015 (153)
    • July 2015 (151)
    • June 2015 (152)
    • May 2015 (145)
    • April 2015 (148)
    • March 2015 (147)
    • February 2015 (136)
    • January 2015 (155)
  • 2014
    • December 2014 (157)
    • November 2014 (150)
    • October 2014 (138)
    • September 2014 (139)
    • August 2014 (151)
    • July 2014 (156)
    • June 2014 (146)
    • May 2014 (160)
    • April 2014 (146)
    • March 2014 (143)
    • February 2014 (122)
    • January 2014 (181)
  • 2013
    • December 2013 (166)
    • November 2013 (62)
    • October 2013 (62)
    • September 2013 (69)
    • August 2013 (76)
    • July 2013 (118)
    • June 2013 (109)
    • May 2013 (109)
    • April 2013 (85)
    • March 2013 (89)
    • February 2013 (70)
    • January 2013 (73)
  • 2012
    • December 2012 (96)
    • November 2012 (76)
    • October 2012 (92)
    • September 2012 (74)
    • August 2012 (66)
    • July 2012 (99)
    • June 2012 (77)
    • May 2012 (76)
    • April 2012 (98)
    • March 2012 (107)
    • February 2012 (93)
    • January 2012 (64)
  • 2011
    • December 2011 (60)
    • November 2011 (51)
    • October 2011 (41)
    • September 2011 (39)
    • August 2011 (42)
    • July 2011 (36)
    • June 2011 (49)
    • May 2011 (64)
    • April 2011 (62)
    • March 2011 (54)
    • February 2011 (52)
    • January 2011 (74)
  • 2010
    • December 2010 (79)
    • November 2010 (57)
    • October 2010 (65)
    • September 2010 (58)
    • August 2010 (56)
    • July 2010 (51)
    • June 2010 (59)
    • May 2010 (41)
    • April 2010 (48)
    • March 2010 (52)
    • February 2010 (51)
    • January 2010 (73)
  • 2009
    • December 2009 (65)
    • November 2009 (70)
    • October 2009 (49)
    • September 2009 (53)
    • August 2009 (60)
    • July 2009 (65)
    • June 2009 (78)
    • May 2009 (56)
    • April 2009 (52)
    • March 2009 (78)
    • February 2009 (46)
    • January 2009 (94)
  • 2008
    • December 2008 (84)
    • November 2008 (105)
    • October 2008 (75)
    • September 2008 (84)
    • August 2008 (84)
    • July 2008 (66)
    • June 2008 (62)
    • May 2008 (66)
    • April 2008 (47)
    • March 2008 (49)
    • February 2008 (43)
    • January 2008 (61)
  • 2007
    • December 2007 (63)
    • November 2007 (69)
    • October 2007 (67)
    • September 2007 (68)
    • August 2007 (95)
    • July 2007 (74)
    • June 2007 (59)
    • May 2007 (82)
    • April 2007 (56)
    • March 2007 (51)
    • February 2007 (50)
    • January 2007 (61)
  • 2006
    • December 2006 (49)
    • November 2006 (45)
    • October 2006 (55)
    • September 2006 (63)
    • August 2006 (94)
    • July 2006 (91)
    • June 2006 (72)
    • May 2006 (85)
    • April 2006 (69)
    • March 2006 (66)
    • February 2006 (53)
    • January 2006 (62)
  • 2005
    • December 2005 (60)
    • November 2005 (77)
    • October 2005 (76)
    • September 2005 (77)
    • August 2005 (86)
    • July 2005 (95)
    • June 2005 (85)
    • May 2005 (79)
    • April 2005 (76)
    • March 2005 (81)
    • February 2005 (69)
    • January 2005 (63)
  • 2004
    • December 2004 (80)
    • November 2004 (86)
    • October 2004 (77)
    • September 2004 (67)
    • August 2004 (99)
    • July 2004 (98)
    • June 2004 (102)
    • May 2004 (172)
    • April 2004 (114)
    • March 2004 (130)
    • February 2004 (131)
    • January 2004 (118)
  • 2003
    • December 2003 (128)
    • November 2003 (139)
    • October 2003 (166)
    • September 2003 (134)
    • August 2003 (36)
    • July 2003 (33)
    • June 2003 (29)
    • May 2003 (34)
    • April 2003 (31)
    • March 2003 (25)
    • February 2003 (25)
    • January 2003 (32)
  • 2002
    • December 2002 (16)
    • November 2002 (19)
    • October 2002 (30)
    • September 2002 (29)
    • August 2002 (17)
    • July 2002 (15)
    • June 2002 (4)
    • May 2002 (3)
    • April 2002 (8)
Category
  • Africa (253)
    • Cameroon (3)
    • Djibouti (4)
    • Eritrea (5)
    • Ethiopia (19)
    • Kenya (8)
    • Namibia (2)
    • Niger (1)
    • Nigeria (19)
    • Senegal (2)
    • Somalia (17)
    • South Africa (32)
    • South Sudan (8)
    • Sudan (73)
    • Tanzania (4)
    • Uganda (1)
    • Zimbabwe (1)
  • Asia (1,255)
    • Central Asia (15)
      • Kazakhstan (1)
    • East Asia (342)
      • China (298)
        • Hong Kong (2)
      • Japan (28)
      • North Korea (24)
      • South Korea (10)
      • Taiwan (10)
    • South Asia (871)
      • Afghanistan (595)
        • Taliban (294)
      • Bangladesh (22)
      • India (113)
      • Nepal (3)
      • Pakistan (222)
        • Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (1)
        • FATA (31)
        • Haqqani Network (14)
        • Nawaz Sharif (8)
        • Pakistan People's Party (3)
        • Zardari (2)
    • Southeast Asia (59)
      • Cambodia (1)
      • Indonesia (4)
      • Malaysia (1)
      • Myanmar (40)
      • Philippines (2)
      • Singapore (1)
      • Thailand (3)
      • Vietnam (6)
  • Australasia (36)
    • Australia (28)
    • First Nations (2)
    • New Zealand (4)
    • South Pacific (2)
  • Authoritarianism (391)
  • Canada (8)
  • Culture (565)
    • art and photography (74)
    • Books (73)
      • Short Stories (1)
      • The New Arabs (4)
    • Dance (3)
    • Entertainment (95)
      • Humor (48)
        • Cartoon (7)
      • Sports (20)
        • Golf (2)
      • Video Games (1)
    • Fiction (1)
    • fiction (6)
      • Comic Books (1)
      • Fall of the New Year Throne (1)
      • Flash Fiction (1)
    • film (65)
    • Graphic Novel (17)
      • Shamash (5)
    • Languages (2)
    • leisure (22)
      • Intoxicants (3)
      • Sports (3)
    • Modernism (3)
    • Music (56)
      • Hip-Hop (3)
    • Philosophy (7)
    • poetry (183)
      • Omar Khayyam (154)
    • Popular Culture (17)
      • Comic Books (2)
    • Popular Culture (24)
      • Comic Books (1)
      • Zombies (4)
    • Science Fiction (14)
    • Television (7)
  • Economy (1,068)
    • Agriculture (3)
    • Banking (67)
    • Boycotts (1)
    • Carbon Footprint (6)
    • Corporations (54)
    • Cryptocurrency (2)
    • Debt (21)
    • Degrowth (1)
    • Democratic Socialism (20)
    • Demographic Decline (1)
    • Development (26)
    • Downward Mobility (1)
    • Employment (118)
    • Food Insecurity (21)
    • Homelessness (16)
    • Industry (5)
    • Inequality (426)
    • Inflation (5)
    • infrastructure (10)
    • Insurance (1)
    • Investment (93)
    • Market Crash (12)
    • Middle Class (61)
    • Monopolies (8)
    • Neoliberalism (204)
    • Plutocracy (632)
    • Poverty (209)
    • Poverty (16)
    • Regulation (3)
    • Retirement (1)
    • Sanctions (4)
    • Tariffs (4)
    • Taxes (37)
    • Technology (3)
      • Artificial Intelligence (2)
      • Autonomous Weapons (2)
    • Trade (118)
    • Weapons sales (7)
  • Education (190)
    • Academic Freedom (12)
    • Anti-intellectualism (34)
    • Universities (130)
      • Students (36)
  • Energy (1,755)
    • Batteries (53)
    • Coal (140)
    • Electricity Cost (2)
    • Fossil Fuels (329)
    • Fracking (50)
    • Geothermal (7)
    • Green ammonia (5)
    • Green Energy (422)
    • Green Hydrogen (8)
    • Heat Pumps (6)
    • Hydroelectric (15)
    • Hydroelectric (1)
    • Mining (1)
    • Natural Gas (107)
    • Nuclear Energy (160)
    • Petroleum (303)
    • Power Grid (12)
    • Pumped Hydro (6)
    • Solar Energy (422)
    • Tar Sands (13)
    • Wave Energy (9)
    • wind energy (347)
  • Environment (2,722)
    • Climate Change (1,666)
      • Acidification of Oceans (54)
      • Agriculture (26)
      • Biodiversity (14)
      • Climate Refugees (4)
      • CO2 (128)
      • Dehydration (5)
      • Denialism (149)
      • Desalinization (4)
      • Desertification (161)
      • Divestment (2)
      • Dust Storms (6)
      • Environmental Investment (1)
      • Extreme Heat (398)
      • Extreme Weather (298)
      • Flooding (138)
      • Food Supply (3)
      • Forests (18)
      • Green New Deal (41)
      • Green Recycling (2)
      • Greenwashing (3)
      • Mass Extinction (62)
      • Methane (20)
      • Net Carbon Zerio (8)
      • Nitrous Oxide (2)
      • Rainforests (19)
      • Rivers (12)
      • Sea Level (338)
      • Soil Carbon Release (14)
      • Super Storms (265)
      • wildfires (241)
      • Wood Buildings (1)
    • Climate Crisis (1,354)
      • Green Steel (2)
      • Seas (1)
    • Drought (296)
    • Ecology (2)
    • Ecology (12)
    • Environmentalism (393)
    • Green Transportation (256)
    • Ice Melt (139)
      • Antarctica (18)
      • Arctic (23)
    • Invasive Species (2)
    • Islands (1)
    • Oceans (103)
    • Oil Spills (8)
    • Pollution (234)
      • plastic (31)
    • Water (97)
    • wildlife (22)
  • Europe (1,386)
    • Eastern Europe (766)
      • Balkans (8)
      • Hungary (4)
      • Russia (736)
        • Chechnya (5)
      • Ukraine (343)
    • Eurasia (35)
      • Armenia (12)
      • Azerbaijan (9)
      • Shanghai Cooperation Council (11)
      • Shanhai Cooperation Council (1)
      • Tajikistan (3)
    • European Union (558)
      • Austria (2)
      • Belgium (12)
      • Denmark (4)
      • France (112)
      • Germany (186)
      • Greece (14)
      • Ireland (18)
        • Celtic Religion (1)
      • Italy (11)
      • Netherlands (12)
      • Poland (4)
      • Portugal (3)
      • Scotland (8)
      • Spain (25)
      • Sweden (13)
    • Norway (9)
    • United Kingdom (137)
      • Scotland (5)
  • Featured (4,256)
  • Haiti (1)
  • Health (710)
    • Addiction (7)
    • Anti-Vaccination (11)
    • Dehydration (1)
    • Disabilities (1)
    • Drugs (8)
    • Elderly (4)
    • Elderly (8)
    • Epidemics (394)
    • Food (14)
    • Food Security (67)
    • Health Care (447)
      • Heath Research (1)
    • Maternal Health (5)
    • Mental Health (69)
    • Pharmaceuticals (17)
    • Psychology (11)
    • Social Safety Net (56)
    • Well-being (2)
  • History (363)
    • Archaeology (51)
    • Cold War (23)
    • Colonialism (132)
    • Ottoman Empire (23)
    • slavery (16)
  • Human Rights (1,632)
    • Apartheid (263)
    • censorship (322)
    • Death Penalty (30)
    • Disappeared (4)
    • Displaced and Refugees (581)
    • Food Insecurity (30)
    • Gay rights (29)
    • Genocide (66)
    • Human Rights Watch (91)
    • Indigenous Rights (1)
    • Migrants (4)
    • privacy (21)
    • Rights (90)
      • Gay Rights (3)
      • Privacy (14)
      • Torturers (30)
    • Slavery and Trafficking (16)
    • Starvation (4)
    • Torture (102)
    • Trans Rights (3)
    • Transgender Rights (4)
    • Unlawful Imprisonment (109)
    • Unlwful Killing (81)
    • War Crimes (423)
    • War Rape (9)
  • International Politics and Economy (2,126)
    • Arms Sales (73)
    • BRICS (3)
    • Corruption (268)
    • Crime (132)
      • Cybercrime (5)
      • Drugs (13)
      • Piracy (2)
      • Rape (8)
      • Sexual Assault (2)
    • Democracy (336)
      • Elections (190)
    • Dissent (449)
    • Domestic Terrorism (15)
    • Drones (113)
    • G20 (1)
    • Guns (9)
    • Hacking (8)
    • Immigration (4)
    • Immigration (21)
    • Islamophobia (383)
    • Migrants (2)
    • military (125)
    • nationalism (117)
    • NATO (37)
    • Neocolonialism (1)
    • Peace (144)
      • Nonviolence (70)
    • Policing (2)
    • Politics (309)
      • Far Right (154)
      • Left Politics (83)
    • Politics&Culture (21)
    • Propaganda (13)
    • Smuggling (1)
  • Juan Cole (270)
  • Latin America (102)
    • Bolivia (1)
    • Brazil (22)
    • Caribbean (3)
    • Central America (3)
    • Costa Rica (1)
    • Cuba (5)
    • Mexico (10)
    • Nicaragua (1)
    • Venezuela (9)
  • media (487)
    • Internet (190)
      • social media (147)
    • journalism (292)
      • Political Cartoons (2)
    • television (45)
  • Middle East (10,031)
    • Arab World (5,306)
      • Algeria (19)
      • Arab League (2)
      • Arab Spring (97)
      • Bahrain (63)
      • Egypt (509)
      • GCC (64)
      • Gulf (43)
      • Iraq (1,927)
        • Iraq War (308)
      • Jordan (32)
      • Kuwait (26)
      • Lebanon (182)
        • Hizbullah (73)
      • Libya (226)
        • Gaddafi (2)
      • Morocco (24)
      • Palestine (489)
        • Hamas (13)
      • Qatar (87)
      • Saudi Arabia (693)
      • Sudan (14)
      • Syria (1,203)
        • Bashar al-Assad (167)
        • Free Syrian Army (104)
        • Hayat Tahrir (5)
      • Tunisia (121)
      • UAE (151)
      • Yemen (455)
        • Houthi (139)
        • Saleh (41)
    • Iran (1,357)
      • Persian mythology (1)
    • Israel (956)
      • Haredim (83)
      • Israel Lobby (95)
      • Kahanists (15)
      • Mizrahim (23)
      • Palestinian-Israelis (71)
    • Israel/ Palestine (3,661)
      • BDS (23)
      • BDS Occupied Territories (42)
      • Gaza (5)
    • Israel/Palestine (9)
    • Kurds (294)
    • Red Sea (1)
    • Turkey (601)
    • Turkiye (128)
  • Patriarchy (10)
  • racism (473)
  • religion (1,520)
    • Ancient Greek Religion (1)
    • Buddhism (25)
    • Christianity (223)
      • Assyrians (13)
      • Chaldeans (12)
      • Copts (11)
      • Dominionism (4)
      • Evangelicals (31)
      • Papacy (31)
      • Protestants (13)
      • Roman Catholicism (30)
    • Cults (7)
    • Eastern Orthodox (13)
    • Fundamentalism (33)
    • Hindu Nationalism (7)
    • Hinduism (5)
      • Hindu Nationalism (2)
    • Islam (793)
      • Fundamentalism (2)
      • Islamic History (70)
        • Inscriptions (7)
      • Nation of Islam (1)
      • political Islam (268)
        • Muslim Brotherhood (29)
      • Qur'an (99)
      • Shiites (276)
        • Alawites (8)
        • Alevis (2)
        • Druze (6)
        • Ismailis (3)
        • Zaidis (20)
      • Sufism (26)
      • Sunnis (202)
        • Salafis (72)
      • Wahhabis (35)
    • Jewish History (81)
      • Holocaust (22)
    • Judaism (164)
      • Anti-Zionism (11)
      • Antisemitism (52)
    • Millenarianism (4)
    • Sikhism (1)
    • Western Religion (452)
      • American Jews (21)
      • Christan Nationalists (3)
      • Christians (75)
        • Fundamentalists (55)
      • Islam-hatred (230)
      • Muslim-Americans (242)
      • Roman Catholics (7)
      • US Buddhism (2)
      • Western Jews (53)
        • Antisemitism (23)
        • Zionism (25)
      • Western Muslims (79)
    • Yezidis (18)
    • Zoroastrianism (3)
  • robots (3)
  • Romance (1)
  • science (174)
    • Animals (3)
      • Cats (1)
    • Artificial Intelligence (16)
      • Robots (4)
    • astronomy and outer space (32)
    • Autonomous Weapons (5)
    • Evolution (9)
    • Mass Extinction (3)
    • Mathematics (1)
    • Natural Disasters (13)
    • Nature (2)
    • Planetary Exploration (2)
    • Space Flight (5)
    • Technology (29)
      • Domestic drones (3)
  • Secular (West) (9)
  • Secularism (30)
  • Spirituality (22)
    • Meditation (1)
    • Sufism (9)
  • Statelessness (15)
  • Stranded Assets (1)
  • Surveillance (280)
    • Corporate Surveillance (20)
    • Domestic Surveillance (174)
    • Government surveillance (239)
  • Terrorism (1,096)
    • al Qaeda in the Arabian Penisula (40)
    • al-Qaeda (197)
    • Al-Shabab (2)
    • Boko Haram (10)
    • Counter-Terrorism (79)
    • Far Right (32)
    • Irgun (2)
    • Islamic Jihad (2)
    • Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (630)
    • Israeli Squatters (34)
    • Jabhat al-Nusra (92)
    • osama bin laden (1)
    • Pakistan Taliban (52)
    • PKK (3)
  • Tolerance (6)
  • Uncategorized (8,082)
  • United Nations (178)
    • International Court of Justice (28)
    • International Criminal Court (44)
    • UNRWA (4)
    • World Bank (1)
  • Urbanization (4)
  • US Foreign Policy (1,380)
  • US politics (5,490)
    • Anti-War Movement (13)
    • Campaign Finance (31)
    • Censors (22)
    • Central Intelligence Agency (63)
    • Charity (1)
    • Civil Rights (96)
    • Congress (80)
    • Conspiracy Theories (23)
    • Constitution (410)
      • Bill of Rights (225)
    • Courts (15)
    • crime (12)
      • rape (4)
    • Democratic Party (976)
      • Barack Obama (229)
      • Bernie Sanders (111)
      • Elizabeth Warren (11)
      • Hillary Clinton (78)
      • Jennifer Granholm (1)
      • Joe Biden (431)
      • John Kerry (4)
      • Kamala Harris (23)
      • Obama (4)
      • Pete Buttigieg (1)
    • Democratic Socialists of America (22)
    • Domestic Terrorism (20)
    • Drone Warfare (27)
    • Espionage (124)
      • CIA (52)
      • National Security Agency (62)
      • ODNI (1)
    • Ethnicities (393)
      • African-Americans (247)
      • Arab Americans (98)
      • Asian-Americans (26)
      • Iranian-Americans (19)
      • Latinos (81)
      • Latinos (4)
    • Far Right (398)
      • Steve Bannon (59)
    • FBI (48)
    • Federal Government (1)
    • Foreign Policy (204)
    • Gay Rights (17)
    • Guns (97)
    • Immigration (252)
    • Israel Lobbies (130)
    • Marijuana (4)
    • Militarization (274)
    • National Security State (477)
    • Native Americans (41)
    • Nuclear arsenal (7)
    • penitentiaries (6)
    • Pentagon (576)
    • Police (43)
    • prison reform (10)
    • Private Prisons (3)
    • Progressive Politics (13)
    • Puerto Rico (30)
    • Religious Right (15)
    • Reproductive Choice (69)
    • Republican Party (3,088)
      • Bush (101)
        • Richard Bruce Cheney (54)
      • Donald Trump (2,215)
        • QAnon (15)
      • Neoconservatives (13)
      • Ron DeSantis (11)
    • Supreme Court (133)
    • Voter suppression (36)
    • Whistleblowers (7)
    • Xenophobia (9)
  • Veterans (35)
  • Voting Rights (16)
  • War (622)
    • Chemical Weapons (13)
    • Cyber Warfare (1)
    • Nuclear weapons (22)
    • nuclear weapons (106)
  • White Supremacists (238)
  • wikileaks (8)
  • women (568)
    • Feminism (220)
    • Sexual Abuse (15)
  • workers (234)
    • unions (27)
  • Writing (5)
  • Youth (217)
    • Children (83)
      • child labor (2)

Featured

Climate Crisis
There’s only One Issue in the 2024 Election: The Survival of a Habitable Earth

There’s only One Issue in the 2024 Election: The Survival of a Habitable Earth

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – In mid-July, Nature Climate Change published a global survey of over 9,000 scientists. Its findings should be like the sirens for a 5-alarm fire to our ears. Scientists are trained to be cautious and to base anything they assert on firm empirical evidence and close analytical reasoning. They want to […]

Featured
Time to end the "No Daylight" Approach to America's Israel Policy

Time to end the “No Daylight” Approach to America’s Israel Policy

Glenn E. Robinson

Monterey, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – Last month’s sad passing of Martin Indyk provides an opportunity to reflect on the US Middle East project over the past three decades, and to assess the potential need for new directions.  This is particularly true given the events in Gaza over the past ten months and […]

Economy
Gaza War, Lack of Palestinian Labor, drives Contraction of Israeli GDP, with 46K Businesses Shuttered

Gaza War, Lack of Palestinian Labor, drives Contraction of Israeli GDP, with 46K Businesses Shuttered

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence on continuing his total war on Gaza is not only inflicting untold misery on thousands of innocent civilians in Gaza but is also hurting the economic well-being of Israelis. According to the Israeli newspaper Arab 48, the Israeli economy’s gross domestic product per capita […]

Featured
Polio Pause: UN Calls for Urgent Ceasefire to allow 640K Children to be Vaccinated, as Gaza Polio Victim Confirmed

Polio Pause: UN Calls for Urgent Ceasefire to allow 640K Children to be Vaccinated, as Gaza Polio Victim Confirmed

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – A ten-month-old child in Gaza has been confirmed stricken with polio, as several other children have displayed symptoms consistent with the disease, which can cause paralysis and death. Polio had been eradicated in Gaza years ago, but the highly unsanitary conditions created by the Israeli military’s indiscriminate destruction of Gaza […]

Featured
Ascending the Temple Mount: Political Act in a Site of Holiness

Ascending the Temple Mount: Political Act in a Site of Holiness

Yakov M. Rabkin

Montréal (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – Every year, Jews recite the entire Pentateuch aloud in synagogues. It is divided in weekly portions. This week’s one (Vaet’hanan, Deuteronomy 3 :23 – 7 :11) contains passages that are central to Jewish liturgy, including the Shema, a declaration of loyalty to God, or more precisely, a declaration […]

Featured
Saudi Crown Prince fears Assassination if he Recognizes Israel without getting a Palestinian State

Saudi Crown Prince fears Assassination if he Recognizes Israel without getting a Palestinian State

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Nahal Toosi at Politico reported on Wednesday that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, has emphasized to the Biden administration that the “grand bargain” they want him to make with Israel could result in his assassination. She says he instanced the late Egyptian […]

Featured
Ultra-Orthodox Threaten to Bolt Netanyahu's Government over Prayer at the Temple Mount

Ultra-Orthodox Threaten to Bolt Netanyahu’s Government over Prayer at the Temple Mount

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Times of Israel reported that a schism is brewing on the Israeli right wing. The Ultra-Orthodox object to Jews praying at the Temple Mount on the grounds that it is the holy site of the Second Temple and for Jews to pray there before the Messiah comes is impious […]

Featured
Refashioning War through Aid in Palestine – Elastic Empire

Refashioning War through Aid in Palestine – Elastic Empire

Marc Martorell Junyent

Review of Lisa Bhungalia, “Elastic Empire: Refashioning War through Aid in Palestine” (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2023). Munich, Germany (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) –– The impact of US military aid on Palestine is there for everyone to see. For decades, Israel has been the largest recipient of US military aid. The list of military […]

censorship
Did Turkey Ban Instagram over Shadowbanning Palestine? Why did it Lift the Ban?

Did Turkey Ban Instagram over Shadowbanning Palestine? Why did it Lift the Ban?

Volkan Isbasaran

Istanbul (Special to Informed Comment; feature) – On August 2, Turkey blocked Instagram, the country’s most popular social network. Although Turkey’s Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK) did not officially state the reason for the ban, the move came after Fahrettin Altun, the Presidential Communications Director, criticized Instagram for preventing users from sharing content related […]

  • « Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • …
  • Page 28
  • Page 29
  • Page 30
  • Page 31
  • Page 32
  • …
  • Page 473
  • Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Support Independent Journalism

Click here to donate via PayPal.

Personal checks should be made out to Juan Cole and sent to me at:

Juan Cole
P. O. Box 4218,
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2548
USA
(Remember, make the checks out to “Juan Cole” or they can’t be cashed)

STAY INFORMED

Join our newsletter to have sharp analysis delivered to your inbox every day.
Warning! Social media will not reliably deliver Informed Comment to you. They are shadowbanning news sites, especially if "controversial."
To see new IC posts, please sign up for our email Newsletter.

Social Media

Bluesky | Instagram

Popular

  • Are Houthi Attacks on Israel Driven by Yemeni Domestic Politics?
  • Trump halts Bombing of Yemen, Reportedly under Saudi Pressure, and to Dismay of Israel
  • Israel Announces New Campaign in Gaza aimed at Complete Occupation and Confining Palestinians to Southern Enclave
  • Saying Goodbye to a University System that Supports Genocide
  • Pope Francis encouraged Christian-Muslim Dialogue and helped break down Stereotypes

Gaza Yet Stands


Juan Cole's New Ebook at Amazon. Click Here to Buy
__________________________

Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires



Click here to Buy Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam


Click here to Buy The Rubaiyat.
Sign up for our newsletter

Informed Comment © 2025 All Rights Reserved