Middle East
All countries-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Egypt – a human rights crisis
No more "quiet diplomacy"
For years, EU states have held back from criticising Egypt’s military regime for its human rights crimes. NGOs and a European parliamentary initiative are now seeking to change that, urging the UN Human Rights Council to act. By Sofian Philip Naceur
-
Amnesty's Israel report
The power of words
Apartheid! Anti-Semitism! Why the row about definitions is shifting the focus away from the issue at hand. Commentary by Daniel Marwecki on the debate about Amnesty International's Israel report
-
Kurdish autonomy in northeast Syria
Between Assad and Erdogan
The Kurdish Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria controls a third of Syria, but is not recognised by anyone. Attacks by Turkey, a threatened takeover by the Assad regime, dealing with tens of thousands of IS supporters and international isolation complicate people's daily lives. Kristin Helberg reports for Qantara.de from Qamishli
-
Assad's rehabilitation
At the expense of the Syrian people
A number of Arab League member states have announced in recent weeks that they intend resuming relations with the Syrian regime. A potential invitation to the Arab League summit in Algeria in March was even on the table, but the conference has since been postponed. By Bente Scheller
-
UAE foreign policy rethink
Is dialogue replacing proxy politics?
The UAE is revisiting its foreign policy goals with the aim of boosting its global trade partnerships and ensuring its security and political stability, by replacing robust military intervention and proxy politics with dialogue and diplomacy. By Mohammad Barhouma
-
Iran nuclear talks enter ‘final stage’
Iran's Vienna gambit
The risk that the United Nations will re-impose the economic sanctions on Iran that were ended by the 2015 nuclear deal hangs over the presidency of hardliner Ebrahim Raisi like a sword of Damocles. This threat may be Raisi's strongest incentive to reach a compromise in the ongoing nuclear talks. By Djavad Salehi-Isfahani
-
America and the War on Terror
Guantanamo's "forever prisoners"
The notorious U.S. prison camp is 20 years old. Over the years, several plans to close it have been rejected. For the detainees, little has changed in the last two decades. Oliver Sallet reports from Guantanamo Bay
-
Political correctness in the Gulf
Qatar's textbook spring-clean
With World Cup 2022 around the corner, Qatar has embarked on a campaign to clean up its school system. Distracting from grievous shortcomings in other areas by highlighting a willingness to reform on "soft" issues remains a stubborn trend across the Islamic world. By James M. Dorsey
-
Sex education
The Arab Spring's greatest success?
People in Arab countries have been talking more openly about sex and sexuality for some time now, especially on social media. And for the first time ever, they have the vocabulary to discuss these topics. By Lena Bopp