Middle East

By Belal Yasin | – ( Middle East Monitor ) – On 5 February the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a ruling in which it agreed to investigate possible war crimes by the Israeli occupation in the Palestinian territories and decided that its jurisdiction extends to the territories controlled by the Israeli occupation since the […]

Armenia

In Challenge to U.S., Putin’s Eurasian Union seeks to Incorporate Iran

Nikola Mikovic

Belgrade (Special to Informed Comment) – Iran is hoping to join Russia-dominated Eurasian Union by the end of February. The Islamic Republic could also soon get a new rail connection with the Russian Federation, and such an action would additionally strengthen economic and political ties between the two countries. Such a major infrastructural project would […]

Featured

Biden’s Saudi Game of Thrones: Is he trying to Sideline crown prince Bin Salman?

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – BBC Arabic reports that Saudi Twitter has gone wild with responses to the apparent sidelining by President Biden of Saudi crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman, with many Saudis considering it a humiliation. White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said this week that Biden wishes to “recalibrate” the U.S. relationship with Saudi […]

Israel/ Palestine

As Israel aims for 1 mn. Squatters on Palestinian Territory, Settler Violence against Indigenous Palestinians Spikes

Middle East Monitor

By Osama Othman | – ( Middle East Monitor) – Terrorist attacks by Israeli settlers have become more frequent in the occupied West Bank. One of the latest victims was Bilal Shehadeh Bawatna, 52, from Al-Bireh, who was killed last Friday when he and his companions were run over by a car driven by a […]

Houthi

Biden seeks peace in Yemen, but will the warring factions come on board?

Brian Whitaker

( Al-Bab.com) – The US State Department confirmed on Friday that it is revoking a last-minute decision by the Trump administration to designate Yemen’s Houthi movement as a terrorist organisation. The issue is not whether the Houthis deserve to be designated – their atrocities are well known – but Trump’s action, just days before leaving […]

Epidemics

Israel stops Palestinians of Gaza from getting 2K doses of Russian Coronavirus Vaccine

Juan Cole

Update. On Wednesday Feb. 17, Israel finally permitted 1,000 doses into Gaza, despite an earlier temptation to play politics with the pandemic. Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – According to AFP Arabic, Palestinian Minister of Health Dr. Mai Al-Kilah announced Monday that Israeli authorities halted a shipment of the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine sent to […]

Iran

Is Biden risking new conflict with Iran by yielding to Dem Hawks and Neoconservatives?

Medea Benjamin and Nicholas J.S. Davies

( Code Pink) – As Congress still struggles to pass a COVID relief bill, the rest of the world is nervously reserving judgment on America’s new president and his foreign policy, after successive U.S. administrations have delivered unexpected and damaging shocks to the world and the international system. Cautious international optimism toward Biden is very […]

Israel/ Palestine

Is Netanyahu mainstreaming Israel’s Extremist Far Right, which dreams of Ethnically Cleansing Palestinians?

Asa Winstanley

( Middle East Monitor) – Rabbi Meir Kahane is considered something of a prophet by the Israeli right-wing. He openly advocated expelling all Palestinians from historic Palestine between the river and the sea – what he called “the Land of Israel”. “The Jews and Arabs of the Land of Israel ultimately cannot coexist,” he wrote […]

Featured

Federal Court strikes down Arkansas’ attempt to Punish proponents of Boycotting Israel over its treatment of Palestinians

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Andrew DeMillo at the Associated Press reports that a 3-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis has struck down an Arkansas law requiring contractors with the state to sign a pledge not to boycott Israel. The alternative print monthly the Arkansas Times carried advertising […]