What has really divided Libyans during the past seven months has not been tribe, class, culture, ethnicity or race. In the wake of the recent bloody events, the most divisive issues have been disagreement over the necessity of foreign military (...)
EAST MEREDITH, New York: What has really divided Libyans during the past seven months has not been tribe, class, culture, ethnicity or race. In the wake of the recent bloody events, the most divisive issues have been disagreement over the necessity (...)
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida: Much of the debate about the recent burning of the Quran in a Florida church by Pastor Terry Jones focused on its devastating impact overseas. But beyond the power of symbolic actions to stir up religious tensions, this (...)
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida – Israel has been monitoring the storm sweeping the Arab world with anxiety. For decades, the peace with Egypt has been governed by paper agreements rather than grassroots engagement between the two peoples. The overthrow (...)
EAST MEREDITH, NY: Mutual distrust leads many Palestinians and Israelis to think of peace as a mirage. Since religion plays a significant role in justifying the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, politicians need the help of religious leaders in their (...)
EAST MEREDITH, NY: The ongoing peace talks in the Middle East may bring an agreement. But more is needed – a lasting peace. In 1983, Lebanon signed a peace treaty with Israel under similar pressure-cooker conditions. During the civil war, the (...)
EAST MEREDITH, NY: During a historical visit to Jerusalem in 1979, late President Anwar Sadat of Egypt proclaimed that the Arab-Israeli conflict is largely psychological.
Inherited notions about history and deeply felt convictions about the (...)
EAST MEREDITH, NY: The current hard-line legislation considered by Israeli lawmakers to ensure “loyalty” of Arab citizens reflects tensions and mistrust on both sides of the Arab-Israeli divide. The climate is leading many to believe that (...)
EAST MEREDITH, NY: As Arab-Jewish ties in Israel fluctuate they mirror larger regional tensions. The raid on the Gaza flotilla may impact Israel's external relations with Turkey but they are also likely to introduce new significant unknowns into the (...)
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida: The Mideast peace “proximity talks” are a step backward from years of direct negotiations. The ethnic Diasporas in the United States have both helped and hindered the resolution of the conflict. Stuck in a cycle of (...)
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida: In trying to save Israel and save Palestine, competing interest groups in Washington are “saving†no more than the conflict itself.
The efforts of the Jewish, Arab and Muslim communities in America should be (...)
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida: In trying to save Israel and save Palestine, competing interest groups in Washington are saving no more than the conflict itself.
The efforts of the Jewish, Arab and Muslim communities in America should be harnessed (...)
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida: The latest American Middle East peace initiative has been launched in the absence of change in the attitudes of the protagonists or in the political landscape. Is America gambling with a new round of dead-end diplomacy (...)
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida: The latest American Middle East peace initiative has been launched in the absence of change in the attitudes of the protagonists or in the political landscape. Is America gambling with a new round of dead-end diplomacy (...)
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL: Thomas Friedman is emphatic that America should withdraw from the Mideast peace process until Arab and Israeli attitudes soften.
I disagree. America should deepen its involvement in peace-making and assume more (...)
EAST MEREDITH, New York: The American University of Beirut (AUB), from which tens of thousands of Arab leaders have graduated over the last 140 years, is a shining example of foreign aid put to good use. What distinguishes the graduates of AUB is (...)
NEW YORK: President Obama is heroically facing domestic and international challenges on many fronts. One international issue, which is of high priority for the president, is promoting lasting security for Israel through a peace deal with the Arabs. (...)
PALM BEACH, Florida: As the war of Gaza worsened, the prospects for peace looked grim. But crises can be turned into opportunities by visionary eyes, caring hearts and thoughtful minds. The cycle of violence may continue for some time. But (...)
FLORIDA: There is both good and bad news regarding attitudes about peace in the Holy Land. A Gallup Poll released last week indicates that 63 percent of Israelis and 66 percent of Palestinians still support the peace process. However, only 29 (...)
NEW YORK: Following a week of devastating economic news, the latest presidential and vice-presidential televised debates have put concerns of foreign affairs back on the campaign agenda - particularly issues of importance to Muslim-US relations. (...)
NEW YORK: Israelis are not united in supporting their government's policies of a four-decade festering occupation of Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese territories. The occupation is costly, morally troubling and beyond the capacity of Israel to (...)
The hope for social and industrial awakening in the Middle East and North Africa may start in unexpected ways. The most potent indicator of social change is women s education.
Nine years of schooling for every woman would wipe out a large segment (...)
New York: There are 1.3 billion followers of the Prophet Mohamed; every fifth person prays facing Mecca; every fifth country celebrates Ramadan. In the near future Muslim populations will only continue to increase, as will the importance of (...)