Martin Kramer has stunned many observers in the Middle East by claiming radical Islam is not a response to Western foreign policy, poverty or domestic governance frustration. Instead he states “…that it was inherent in the demography of Muslim societies such as Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan and t
The Gaza zoo briefly gained notoriety when several of its animals died of starvation during Israel’s Operation Cast Lead. The situation became so dangerous that the owners couldn’t reach the zoo during the campaign as it was too dangerous. The enterprising owners subsequently painted two don
There are many that demonize Hamas’ governance of the Gaza; however, they fail to realize things may well be catastrophic if the Hamas falls. Hamas has so far kept the more extreme jihadists in check that have snuck into the territory as well as home grown extremists. There is no doubt that Al
Israel won't allow concrete and other construction materials into blockaded Gaza. This raises problems for the many Palestinians made homeless there in the wake of Operation Cast Lead. Israel says raw materials could be seized by Hamas to make weapons or fortify their military structures, but
The statistics for the education levels of young Palestinians refugees are shameful, and to some extend explain why such youngsters form a fertile recruiting ground for those who would radicalize their world view. This sampling from the Palestinian population resident in Lebanese refugee camps is a
11.27.2009 | Lebanon, Middle East, Palestine | Clarity Correspondent
In addition to the human and psychological impacts produced by the blockade of the Gaza, there are environmental ramifications too. People denied access to basic foodstuffs will, as a necessity, search for options that surround them. Traditional ethnic groups with a close tie to their environs
I recently had the opportunity to see a one-woman play performed ‘off -Market’, as they say in San Francisco, entitled “I heart Hamas”. The play is written and performed by an American-Palestinian (or a Palestinian-American depending on your perspective) actor, Jennifer Jajeh. "I heart Ham
11.2.2009 | Americas, Editorials, Middle East, Palestine | Stuart Ford
In the face of complex policy choices and increasingly rancorous clamoring from the opposition, it is worthy of repeating that a calculated response in foreign policy is not necessarily a bad thing. A country is not just judged in the world’s eye by what it does, but also by the subtler nuances of
10.26.2009 | Editorials, Israel, Middle East, Palestine | Stuart Ford
If one was of a cynical frame of mind, one could argue that the recent incursion by Israel into the Gaza was meant to be such a massive and brutal display of force as to intimidate. Perhaps, Israel felt that by letting the IDF run riot in the Gaza for a little while, that the spirit of Palestinian r
08.29.2009 | Middle East, Palestine | Clarity Staff Reporter
Often, there is a very thin line between national security and xenophobia. Some, both inside and outside of Israel, think the new "Palestinian Authority Only" stamp process for foreigners entering from Jordan into the West Bank that then denies them access to Israel, is discriminatory. Many fo
08.26.2009 | Israel, Middle East, Palestine | Clarity Staff Reporter
