Middle East

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, talks prior to a Bloomberg Television interview in Washington, D.C. in 2013.

The Convenient Myth of “Humane” Wars The Convenient Myth of “Humane” Wars

How America hides the human toll of its military machine.

Jun 5, 2023 / Norman Solomon

The Lost Worlds of Anton Shammas’s  “Arabesques”

The Lost Worlds of Anton Shammas’s “Arabesques” The Lost Worlds of Anton Shammas’s “Arabesques”

A new translation of the 1988 novel documents not only the loss and exile created by the Nakba but also the loss and exile created by occupation.

May 30, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Raja Shehadeh

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greets the head of Syrian regime Bashar Al Assad, ahead of the 32nd Arab League Summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on May 19, 2023.

After 12 Years, Syria Joins the Arab League After 12 Years, Syria Joins the Arab League

Will regional reconciliation provide a chance for de-escalation and end a damaging civil war?

May 23, 2023 / Helena Cobban

Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, permanent representative of Russian Federation to the United Nations, and Ambassador Zhang Jun, permanent representative of China to the UN, engage in conversation during the UN Security Council meeting on Nord Stream pipeline explosions at the UN Headquarters on February 21, 2023, in New York City.

The Diplomatic Wins at the Heart of China’s Ascendancy The Diplomatic Wins at the Heart of China’s Ascendancy

Its diplomatic feat of restoring relations in the Middle East reflects less its position as a rising power than the startling decline of American regional credibility.

May 23, 2023 / Juan Cole

Palestinian kids hold keys in their hands to mark the 75th anniversary of the Nakba

100 Years of Palestinian Popular Resistance 100 Years of Palestinian Popular Resistance

Even among many sympathetic partisans of the Palestinian struggle, a narrative of victimhood prevails. But how we regard our past and present is a choice.

May 15, 2023 / Nasreen Abd Elal

Reflections on the 75th Anniversary of a Nakba That Never Ended

Reflections on the 75th Anniversary of a Nakba That Never Ended Reflections on the 75th Anniversary of a Nakba That Never Ended

In the decades since the event Palestinians know as "the Catastrophe," dispossession has become a timeless theme of the Palestinian experience.

May 15, 2023 / Mohammed El-Kurd

Representative Rashida Tlaib

Kevin McCarthy Tried to Cancel a Discussion on Palestine. Rashida Tlaib Had It Anyway. Kevin McCarthy Tried to Cancel a Discussion on Palestine. Rashida Tlaib Had It Anyway.

Tlaib and a growing number of House Democrats are pushing to open up the debate about Middle East policy in Congress. But it’s not easy.

May 12, 2023 / John Nichols

A memorial to Shireen Abu Akleh in the room that used to be her office at the Al Jazeera news channel in the West Bank city of Ramallah

My Cousin Shireen Abu Akleh Was Killed a Year Ago. No Justice Has Been Served. My Cousin Shireen Abu Akleh Was Killed a Year Ago. No Justice Has Been Served.

Despite relentless pressure from my family, the Biden administration has done nothing to hold Israel accountable for Shireen’s killing.

May 11, 2023 / Jennifer Zacharia

Jeffrey Epstein is photographed wearing a Harvard sweatshirt.

Jeffrey Epstein, Harvard Man Jeffrey Epstein, Harvard Man

Why a horrific criminal found elite universities so congenial.

May 8, 2023 / Jeet Heer

A car sits in front of a burned apartment building and pile of rubble. A soldier stands in front of the car.

There Is No Winning in Modern Warfare There Is No Winning in Modern Warfare

The US military may have achieved just one success of any significance since 1945—despite becoming the best-funded institution in this country. 

May 2, 2023 / Tom Engelhardt

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