Middle East
All countries-
War in Ukraine and the West
Putin's fight and our illusions
Faced with Russia's war against Ukraine, "the West" is once again getting tangled up in its own propaganda, invoking the threat of a clash of civilisations when it comes to the question as to which side Ukraine belongs. An essay by Stefan Weidner
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War in Ukraine
A food crisis in the MENA region?
With Vladimir Putin’s forces gaining ground in Ukraine, a further increase in the price of bread could severely destabilise MENA countries. Rising costs would inevitably challenge states such as Turkey, which imports essential cereal supplies from Russia and Ukraine. The same applies to most economies in the Arab world, such as Egypt – the world’s largest wheat importer – Algeria, and Tunisia
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Ukraine war
The deep desire to declare a state of emergency
Russia's attack on Ukraine took Germany by surprise. The "end of an era" has shifted the political focus to the military, bringing back stale memories of the Western response to the attacks of 9/11. Essay by Stefan Buchen
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War in Ukraine
Stress test for the Arab world
It’s unusual for the troubled Middle East to be looking at a war in Europe. And in that unfamiliar situation, Arab nations are jostling to adopt a position on the issue – as was evidenced by the show of spectacular shilly-shallying by the wealthy United Arab Emirates in recent days. Karim El-Gawhary reports from Cairo
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Russia's interventions in Ukraine and Syria
What drives Putin is evident from Syria
Anyone wishing to know how far Putin will go in Ukraine should look to Syria. There, the Kremlin has been successfully asserting its own interests for years – with military ruthlessness, diplomatic pressure, brazen propaganda and tactical agility. Commentary by Kristin Helberg
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Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon
Sentenced for a selfie: police target LGBTQ+ phones
An in-depth study of court files has found that police forces in Tunisia, Egypt, and Lebanon are increasingly relying on digital tools to identify, entrap and prosecute LGBTQ+ people – thus "intensifying anti-queer surveillance". The study reveals the extent that the safety of LGBQT+ people in the Middle East can be compromised by their digital footprint
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Ukraine conflict
Why Israel is mediating between Russia and Ukraine
With his surprise visit to Moscow on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is assuming the unlikely role of mediator between Russia and Ukraine. Yet as one commentator put it, he is taking a huge risk, not only for himself as a politician, but for the state of Israel and its standing in the world
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Egypt
The revolution did not fail
Ten years ago, the Egyptians overthrew ruler Hosni Mubarak. Although this did not bring them more freedom, they did gain something. An essay by Andrea Backhaus
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Ukraine conflict
Israelis, Arabs, Iranians in harrowing exodus from Ukraine
Israelis, Arabs and Iranians are landing back in their home countries to the tearful relief of relatives, as evacuations of nationals caught up in the Russian invasion of Ukraine gather pace. The Middle Eastern evacuees have been forced to make harrowing escapes through the war zone to board repatriation flights in neighbouring countries, after Ukraine closed its airspace to civilian traffic at the start of the invasion.
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Geneva Initiative's Gadi Baltiansky
The two-state solution – what future?
A two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has practically disappeared from the international agenda. Israel’s unity government has decided against negotiations and Palestinian politics are stuck in deep stagnation. Yet some are working tirelessly to change that. Noam Yatsiv talks to Gadi Baltiansky of the Geneva Initiative
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Climate crisis and over-population
The Arab world has no answers
As challenges such as population growth and the end of the fossil fuel era loom large, not a single Arab regime is in a position to meet them. It is now incumbent upon Europe to encourage a response. Commentary by Rainer Hermann
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Egypt, France, a growing alliance
The Cairo-Paris axis
A growing alliance between Cairo and Paris is resulting in significant foreign policy coordination, with political and economic repercussions on the horizon for both Egypt and France. By Maged Mandour