Egypt is witnessing a new dawn of freedom – at least it is according to Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi. "Our two glorious revolutions have paved the way to an era devoted to strength, not hostility... which defends the rule of law, enhancing the judiciary and (...)
An incident of sexual harassment has provoked widespread outrage and sparked a broad public debate. Sadly, this is not because sexual harassment is a rare event. In fact, it has reached epidemic proportions in recent years. Despite the undoubted (...)
In Egypt, neither Islamism nor militarism is the solution. What we need is a visionary founding document, and the stillborn constitution of 1954 fits the bill.
It is a sign of just how awry the situation has become this past week that Al-Jamaa (...)
What is happening in Egypt cannot be reduced to a simple conflict between Islamists, secularists and the military. It is a fundamental clash over conflicting concepts of "freedom".
The millions of anti-Morsi protesters who flooded the streets across (...)
Egypt has a rare opportunity to build a unique direct democracy – without a president or political parties – tailored to its needs that could also serve as a model for other Arab countries.
In my previous article, I promised to outline a vision for (...)
Jerusalem – With all the uncertainty in the air, these are troubling times for Arab-Israeli relations. But one man insists on keeping his feet firmly planted on both sides of this chasm.
Sasson Somekh describes himself as both a Jew and an Arab, as (...)
JERUSALEM: In East Jerusalem, the occupation has affected the city's cultural landscape. Chronic underinvestment, expanding settlements and a massive wall — which Israel says it has constructed for security purposes and Palestinians allege is a land (...)
JERUSALEM: Is it possible to have statehood without a state? This is the puzzling question raised by the dramatic Palestinian bid to seek United Nations membership which Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas launched with a rousing speech to the (...)
JERUSALEM: Is it possible to have statehood without a state? This is the puzzling question raised by the dramatic Palestinian bid to seek United Nations membership which Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas launched with a rousing speech to the (...)
JERUSALEM: The mutual distrust between Israelis and Palestinians is such that almost every action by the other side is viewed through a prism of suspicion. Take the Jerusalem light railway. When it finally starts operating, it will connect the (...)
JERUSALEM: It was not a good start to 2011. The massive explosion during midnight mass that tore through St. Mark and St. Peter's Church in Alexandria, killing 21 worshippers and injuring dozens, marked a turn for the worse in the situation (...)
JERUSALEM: The Egyptian-brokered Palestinian “national unity” agreement between the two main Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, took the world by surprise when it was announced on 27 April.
Palestinians hope this internal peace deal — (...)
BRUSSELS: Millions of Egyptians have accomplished what many thought was improbable: they defied their dictator and won. After Hosni Mubarak spent three decades as Egypt's uncontested leader, his downfall has understandably been cause for euphoria (...)
BRUSSLES: Millions of Egyptians have accomplished what many thought was improbable: they defied their dictator and won. After Hosni Mubarak spent three decades as Egypt's uncontested leader, his downfall has understandably been cause for euphoria (...)
BRUSSELS: Alaa Al-Aswany is an unlikely candidate for the job of savior of the Egyptian novel. Yet this dentist, who continues to run his downtown practice in Cairo, is widely regarded as having revived the Egyptian novel and raised its street (...)
BRUSSELS: Alaa al-Aswany is an unlikely candidate for the job of savior of the Egyptian novel. Yet this dentist, who continues to run his downtown practice in Cairo, is widely regarded as having revived the Egyptian novel and raised its street (...)
BRUSSELS: As Romeo and Juliet learned the hard way, love and friendship in times of conflict is rarely a simple story of boy meets girl (or whatever other combination suits your orientation). At such times, the personal so often becomes public, and (...)
BRUSSELS: As Romeo and Juliet learned the hard way, love and friendship in times of conflict is rarely a simple story of boy meets girl (or whatever other combination suits your orientation). At such times, the personal so often becomes public, and (...)
BRUSSELS: It is a welcome change that US President Barack Obama is not only committed to halting the spread of nuclear weapons but realizes that non-proliferation begins at home. In contrast with his predecessor, George W. Bush — whose (...)
BRUSSELS: Nearly three decades after his death, the former Egyptian president, Anwar el-Sadat, remains a controversial figure. In Israel and many parts of the West, he is best remembered for his daring trip to Jerusalem, where he became the first (...)
BRUSSELS: Nearly three decades after his death, the former Egyptian president, Anwar El-Sadat, remains a controversial figure. In Israel and many parts of the West, he is best remembered for his daring trip to Jerusalem, where he became the first (...)
BRUSSELS: Cursed as they are with bad leadership, the sad saga of the Palestinian people fluctuates between tragedy and farce. As if contending with a crushing occupation, embargoes, closures and the complete physical separation of the West Bank and (...)
BRUSSELS: The rise to power of Hamas, Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu represents a frightening hardening of nationalistic visions that does not bode well for the future. Instead of obsessing over how their identities clash, Israelis and Palestinians need (...)
BRUSSELS: Although the Israeli-Palestinian media battlefield is bitter and deeply entrenched, journalists have a responsibility to venture into the no-man's-land between the two sides, even if it means getting caught in the crossfire.
The (...)
A couple of months ago, as Israelis celebrated 60 years of statehood and Palestinians marked six decades of dispossession, I wondered whether there would ever be peace between the two peoples.
Rather than dwell on the depressing present or (...)