Tag Archives: middle east

US Secretary of State John Kerry’s failed bids to bring peace in Gaza coupled with the waning influence of the United States in global affairs seem to be hampering a ceasefire bid in Gaza, but the US still remains the single global power capable of mediating a peace deal right now. According to analysts, an unfortunate power vacuum in the …

Thousands of people on Twitter, both Muslims and Christians, have expressed solidarity for Christians being persecuted in Iraq using #WeAreN. Last week, members of extremist group Islamic State (IS) drove Christians out of the Iraqi city of Mosul – Christians have been living in the city for over 2,000 years. They were given the option of fleeing the city, paying …

CNN reporter Diana Magnay was re-assigned to Moscow from the Israel-Gaza conflict after she posted a tweet in which she referred to a group of Israelis who were cheering at missiles aimed at Gaza as “scum”. She had then deleted the post and has since not tweeted. On Thursday, several Israelis had appeared in the background of one of her …

By Delinda C. Hanley (L-r) Menachem Begin (Ron Rifkin), President Jimmy Carter (Richard Thomas) and Anwar Sadat (Khaled Nabawy) “negotiate” at “Camp David.” (Photo Courtesy Arena Stage) There’s something quite remarkable about a play. A great actor can magically connect with a person sitting in the last row of a theater. Intense emotions can engulf the audience, one heart at a …

On Tuesday, the United Nations warned that thousands of female Syrian refugees were caught in a “spiral of hardship, isolation and anxiety”, either separated from their husbands or widowed, and struggling to survive. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN agency for refugees, said in a new report that the plight of about 145,000 Syrian refugee women …

Turkey and Iran on Monday pledged to stop bloodshed and extremism in the Middle East by working together, despite their differences over the civil war in Syria. In a news conference in Ankara, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said, “Iran and Turkey, the two important countries in the region, are determined to fight against extremism and terrorism”. He added that the …

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres will plant an olive tree symbolizing peace after their unparalleled meeting with the Pope on Sunday in the Vatican Gardens, amidst high tensions between Palestinians and Israelis. The Vatican on Friday said that it hoped the initiative launched by Pope Francis, which will include Muslim, Jewish and Christian music and prayers, …

The Holy See on Thursday said that the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres will be praying for peace on June 8 at the Vatican. During his three-day trip to the Middle East, Pope Francis had invited both of them to his home for a “heartfelt prayer” for peace, the Vatican said.  It added that the …

Israel on Monday approved their plans to build at least 50 new settler units in the district of East al-Quds in occupied Jerusalem despite international outrage over Israel’s settlement activities. The Israeli regime has said that at least 50 settler units are set to be built in the Har Homa settlement. Yosef Pepe Alalu, city councilor of Jerusalem, said on …