Eyad Abu Shakra

I remember how we learned of Imruu al-Qais’s response to the news that Banu Asad had killed his father, the king of Kindah at school: “Today, wine; tomorrow, serious matters...” In a sense, there is a parallel, though not identical, saying in the Levant: “The drunken stupor is gone, and now the…

Yesterday, Israel rejected Lebanon’s request for a ceasefire during the period of direct negotiations currently underway in the US capital, Washington. With this position, Israel clearly has no fear whatsoever of provoking American anger. That is because the nature of US-Israeli relations differs…

As I followed the state of regional and international politics with sorrow, I was reminded of the saying attributed to Imam al-Shaabi. Speaking about the four “masterminds of the Arabs,” he said that “The masterminds of the Arabs are four: Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan for patience and deliberation; Amr…

Once again, Itamar Ben-Gvir staged his extremism at the Al-Aqsa compound, surrounded by a crowd of his fascist supporters, repeating his claim of Israel’s “exclusive ownership” over the site. At the very same moment, while some sought to convince the Lebanese public that their leadership was…

Few observers were surprised by the local election results in Britain and Northern Ireland yesterday. Opinion polls had already shown that the ruling Labor Party was heading toward a painful defeat under its weak, opportunistic leadership that lacks substance, conviction, and charisma. Its…

Washington continues to forcefully push "official" Lebanon toward normalization with Israel, through a process premised on direct negotiations between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, effectively without conditions or guarantees. This pressure is…

Before the momentum generated by Lebanon “breaking of the taboo” of engaging in direct negotiations with Israel began to subside, there began to emerge European reverberations that complement the projects of Benjamin Netanyahu for the future of the Middle East. Having hosted last week the …

I believe that the overwhelming majority of Lebanese citizens would be delighted to see peace prevail across their beautiful country that has suffered for so long. The Lebanese people, moreover, have a distinct talent for inventing reasons to celebrate and savor joy the moment even a glimmer of…

I have the impression that most of the discourse around efforts to defuse tensions in our region is underpinned by wishful thinking and deliberate ambiguity, not tangible realities and serious commitments. Personally, I do not doubt that only a small minority of regional players reject peace. I…

It would be fair to say that Israel’s current government is the most extreme since the country’s founding in 1948; I believe that this is indeed the case, though I was not a witness to the founding event itself. Since that time, like many others, I have had the opportunity to read about Jewish…