As a long-time critic of Israeli foreign policy, I always wondered how far Israel would have to go before it brought down the wrath of the moderate international community. It seems the flotilla debacle was one blockade too far. The Lebanon Wars weren’t apparently enough to anger Israel’s alli
In the wake of the tragedy of the IDF operation to stop the peace flotilla breaching the Gaza blockade, condemnation or support are vehemently expressed by both sides, each clamoring for the dominant story. You always have to approach the Israel-Palestine issue with caution, particularly in t
In light of the latest set of nuclear maneuverings of Iran and Brazil and new proposed sanctions, it is worthwhile revisiting the confusion of global nuclear policy. Who can be and can’t be granted self-governance over nuclear development plans seems to be based on whim. It reads like a Marx B
05.18.2010 | Americas, Asia, Editorials, Europe, Middle East, Rest of the World | Stuart Ford
Man is a political creature. This often causes conflict when it rubs up against religiosity. In so many ways, religion is often used by the powers of the day to validate their actions and excesses. It is used as a cloak for violence, a shield for tyranny and as a justification of the excesses of
Regular readers may be wondering about our recent silence. Don’t worry we haven’t run out of things to say or abandoned the good fight for insight; we just got surprised by an unexpected, lengthy overseas trip. Like many changes, being overseas produces multiple benefits. Not least of these
Bar Refaeli has enjoyed a long time romance with Hollywood leading man, Leonardo DiCaprio. Now in an ironic twist, Jewish extremists have called on her not to marry DiCaprio as it could in their words ‘dilute the Jewish race’. I would have thought that politicizing racial purity was not a pa
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
An update to the ongoing saga of the Mig-29 jets that Russia is gifting to Lebanon. If you remember, at first blush this looked like a major act of Russian largesse, the gifting of 10 MIG-29 fighters to Lebanon. This would be a strategic boon for Lebanon situated in a region where neighborhood s
There was a certain symbolism in the recent dinner in Damascus between Sheikh Nasrallah. Leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad . The US has been frantically trying to reverse the mishandling of diplomatic relations wi
03.2.2010 | Iran, Middle East, Syria | Stuart Ford
There are many observers that think the recent really to commemorate the 5 year anniversary of murdered ex-Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafiq al-Hariri, marked the end of the line for the March 14 alliance. It seems the very bastions of the largely anti-Syria movement are eroding. Syria and Lebanon
The settlements keep growing, pre-emptive policies remain, the fence is being strengthened, and the swords are being rattled at Syria and Lebanon. Time moves on, but Israel isn't changing. Many had hoped that a new US President and a newly minted Knesset may have resulted in some progress in 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
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