Eyad Abu Shakra

Eyad Abu Shakra

Lebanese-Israeli Negotiations: Between Hope and Reality

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…

What Does the Age of ‘Nationalisms’ Mean for the Future of a United Britain?

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…

Meaning of Negotiating Under Occupation Without Guarantees

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…

Lebanon: Faced with the Israeli Project and Its Regional Cost

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 …

Lebanon… Words, Actions, and Reality

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…

Fragile Lebanon: Between the Invasions of 1982 and 2026

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…

Us… And Israel in Its ‘Kahanist’ Era!

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…

The Prospects of the European Right… After France's ‘Local’ Elections!

French voters made their voices heard in the municipal elections of mid-March, whose insights into the trajectory of the far-right National Rally party, led by Marine Le Pen and her protege Jordan Bardella, were followed closely. The party first rose to prominence in the early 1970s as the…

Is Lebanon Now Living Its Last Chance?

Last week, my esteemed colleague Hiba Nasr and Asharq News correspondent in Washington, wrote a post that reflected palpable anguish, on her account on "X,” about the receding shadow of the Lebanese state in her village in southern Lebanon after the army's withdrawal in the face of a new Israeli…

Let Us Prepare for a New Reality!

The new war on Iran did not take anyone by surprise. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had openly laid the ground for it. While Netanyahu’s previous regional wars were justified under the banner of the “right to self-defense,” however, he was more explicit this time, invoking both the …