Eyad Abu Shakra

The Middle East Between the American Root and the Iranian and Israeli Branches

The exchanged messages between Israel and Iran, especially over recent weeks, leave no room for reasonable doubt regarding the intentions of both sides. By the intentions of both sides, I am referring first to their intentions regarding the Palestinian cause and secondly to the regional map of…

Will The Post-1920 Survive the Region’s Great Implosion

I know in advance, given the tense— if not explosive— current political circumstances, that this article will be condemned in some quarters, and be met with bewilderment and discomfort in others. Nonetheless, anything less than a blunt conversation would be inappropriate. The region finds itself in…

Two Different Silences In Iran And Türkiye

Turkish voters head to the polls today as Türkiye’s parties compete in local elections. This political "test" in Türkiye (one of the three powers competing for regional dominance in the Middle East, with the permission of the United States) comes at a time when eyes are on the two other powers,…

‘Cold War’ Climate Does Not Allow for Human Rights 

Two notable developments from last week deserve our attention. One is the Russian-Chinese veto against the US United Nations Security Council resolution regarding the displacement war in Gaza, and the other is the shooting attack on the outskirts of the Russian capital, Moscow, that left hundreds…

Fascism and Regional Functions on the Margins of the Tragedy in Gaza

Hassan Nasrallah’s talk about not wanting to "drag Iran into a war with Israel and the United States" and his insistence that Hezbollah would wage this battle alone, is highly indicative. I wouldn't be surprised to see people commenting that they "Wish he cared as much for what remains of Lebanon's…

What Have the Super Tuesday Battles Taught Us About the Race to the White House?

Have the Super Tuesday results presented us with any new insights? In terms of the detailed results that commentators and analysts enjoy noting, most of them did not defy expectations... But they are worth mentioning nonetheless. However, that is not the case for a deep reading of a battle…

‘The Beginning of The End’ of the Most Dangerous ‘Agreement’ Lebanon Has Ever Seen

May God be kind on Abu Nuwas, who wrote the following verse in one of his most renowned poems: "You are astonished by my Illness?... It is my health that should astonish you!" It came to mind as it had become clear to me that the so-called "Mar Mikhael Agreement," which was signed in Mar Mikhael…

Britain: Dark Political Times For Arabs And Muslims

These are not happy days for the moderate, open, well-intentioned in Britain, nor for advocates of understanding and dialogue. These are particularly difficult times for Muslims and Arabs, who have always and continue to strive for integration into an environment that experiences had shown respects…

Our World and Democracy… What Democracy!?

The late British leader Winston Churchill made one of the most eloquent political claims of the contemporary era when he said that "The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." If this iconic leader of the so-called "free world" and Western…

On the Background for US-Israeli ‘Coexistence’ with Iran 

US President Joe Biden fulfilled his promise... and launched a military attack against Iran. The attacks were "against" Iran in the flexible and loose sense of the term. Indeed, Iranian territory was not hit, and the attack did not intend to inflict a decisive military defeat on the Tehran…