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31st July 2014
Whenever I hear Israel's supporters defending the war in Gaza I wonder what they are hoping to achieve. Who do they think they are going to persuade?
Something has gone seriously wrong with Israel's once-reliable hasbara. Far from shifting opinion in Israel's favour, it is now having the opposite… Read more
30th July 2014
Algeria is one of the most under-reported of the Arab countries, at least where English-language media are concerned. In the article below, Alex Russell discusses a little-noticed conflict which has been rumbling on for several months in the city of Ghardaïa. The article was first published… Read more
30th July 2014
The big picture is very clear. Israel's onslaught against Gaza is killing large numbers of civilians, including many children. Nobody can seriously dispute that.
When the big picture is so clear it's easy to slip into the habit of seeing every new incident as further confirmation, but war is rarely… Read more
28th July 2014
Click here to enlarge image
Last Friday, @IsraelinIreland, a Twitter account belonging to the Israeli government and apparently managed by its embassy in Ireland, posted a series of images (above). One showed a famous Dublin landmark – the statue of Molly Malone – clad in a burka, with a message… Read more
24th July 2014
Yesterday, I got into a Twitter conversation with Benjamin Weinthal, a Europe-based correspondent for the Jerusalem Post. Weinthal asked:
"How does one explain that 1,700 people died in Syria over last seven days and zero protests in Europe. Hardly any media coverage."
It's an interesting question… Read more
23rd July 2014
International human rights law has often been characterised as a product of colonialism and cultural imperialism. In the words of Makau Mutua, a Kenya-born professor of law: “The west was able to impose its philosophy of human rights on the rest of the world because it dominated the United Nations… Read more
22nd July 2014
Israeli students in the "Hasbara War Room"
Just over a week ago, when killings in Gaza had not yet reached the 200 mark, an Israeli website published a report about Herzliya university's "Hasbara War Room" where 400 student volunteers are waging an online propaganda battle. Working in 30… Read more
21st July 2014
"The number of UK citizens and westerners travelling to fight in foreign conflicts has reached alarming levels unlike anything seen in recent years. We require an immediate response targeted at dissuading and preventing those who wish to go to fight from going."
These were the words of a British … Read more
19th July 2014
The most-viewed item today on the Saudi Gazette's website is an article about sexual harassment.
"Women of all ages and walks of life in the kingdom are subjected to abuse and sexual harassment," the paper says. "There are seldom any campaigns or workshops that teach women how to protect themselves… Read more
ARAB ART ONLINE: Susan Hefuna: Al Sabr Gamil (Patience is Beautiful) 2007. Ink stained on wood 140 x 170 cm. More information | Click to enlarge
