Israel
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Politics and the humanitarian situation in Gaza
"War is always possible here"
Is the cautious rapprochement between Hamas and Fatah now under threat following U.S. President Trump’s announcement that Washington will be moving its embassy to Jerusalem? Elisa Rheinheimer-Chabbi spoke to Matthias Schmale, Head of the UN refugee agency for Palestinians in Gaza
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Book review: Dorit Rabinyan′s "All the Rivers"
Star-crossed lovers
In her bestselling novel "All the Rivers", Dorit Rabinyan tells the poignantly beautiful love story of an Israeli translator and a Palestinian painter in New York, a romance that eventually dies due to the apparently unsolvable Arab-Israeli conflict. By Volker Kaminski
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Interview with historian David Motadel
Hitler′s Muslim stop-gaps
During the Second World War, tens of thousands of Muslims fought on the side of the National Socialists. In interview with Nastassja Shtrauchler, historian David Motadel examines the attitude of Hitler and the Nazis towards Islam and Muslims. Interview by Nastassja Shtrauchler
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Israel 100 years after Balfour
A case of moral degradation
2 November 2017 marked the centenary of the Balfour Declaration. This document promised to deliver a homeland for the Jews, yet also that "nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine". Has this promise been kept? Political analyst Peter Oborne reports
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Israeli-Palestinian relations
Entering a new era?
If Israel doesn′t accept the deep concessions it will have to make for peace, the recent reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah will not mark the beginning of the end of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It will merely be the start of a new chapter. By Daoud Kuttab
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Fatah-Hamas rapprochement
Can they keep their cool?
Following the recent reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, journalist and Al-Shabaka policy advisor Khalil Shaheen examines what now needs to happen to cement this historic step along the road towards genuine Palestinian self-determination
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Palestinian territories
From self-determination to dictatorship: With a rod of iron
In the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority has long ceased to pursue the national aspirations of its population and established a security apparatus designed to secure the status quo. Meanwhile in Gaza, the de facto Hamas regime is planning to hand over control to its military wing. Commentary by Abdalhadi Alijla
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Donald Trump′s America
U.S. immigration policy: Damn those cosmopolitans
Cosmopolitanism is clearly a dirty word to the Trump administration, which is increasingly aligning itself with nativist movements hostile to ethnic or religious minorities. In the process Trump and his advisors are walking on thin political ice, argues Ian Buruma in his essay
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America′s dangerous anti-Iran posturing
For a farewell to arms
The Middle East is fraught with bitter national and sectarian conflicts that realistically can only be solved by compromise. Rather than another round of demonisation, what the region needs, argues Jeffrey Sachs, is an era of diplomacy that focuses on normalising relations
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Ilan Pappe′s latest publications
Israel′s mega-prison
The dissident Israeli historian and activist Ilan Pappe is known for his challenging and meticulously researched books on the Israeli-Palestine conflict. His two latest books are in keeping with this reputation. By Susannah Tarbush
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Egyptian historian Khaled Fahmy on the Six-Day War
The Arabs′ Groundhog Day
In interview with Sonja Zekri, Harvard-based Egyptian historian Khaled Fahmy describes the Arab defeat at the hands of Israel in the year 1967 as triggering the rise of Islamism
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Controversial documentary on anti-Semitism
"Bibi" TV
An anti-Semitism documentary that aired recently on the German public channel ARD has come under fire for distorting the truth. To date, the ensuing debate has focused on censorship in public television broadcasting, poor communication and a commitment from the BILD tabloid newspaper to investigate the matter. But little attention has been paid to the nub of the issue: the film and its weaknesses. Commentary by Stefan Buchen