(Reuters) – Working in close quarters, surrounded by maps of the Middle East, a small team based in Israel’s foreign ministry are focusing their sights on the Arab world. Their mission: using social media to convince Arabs to embrace the Jewish state. The team is spearheading an Arabic-language campaign via platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as part of…
Why the Middle East cannot ignore the ‘shadow pandemic’ of violence against women
This year, campaigners who took part in the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), which started on 25 November, took on an immense challenge. Six women are murdered every hour across the world because of GBV, often carried out by partners and family members, in what international rights organisations are now calling the ‘shadow pandemic’. With lockdown measures forcing people…
Majority of Lebanese believe in a secular state: survey
BEIRUT: Over half of Lebanese believe that a civil/secular system of governance is best for the country, the latest survey by Arab Barometer has revealed. A thousand citizens were questioned over the phone between July and October on their opinions regarding the country’s political system and the Beirut Port explosion. The survey was conducted by Statistics Lebanon, a polling and…
Back to the Future: Iran’s Normalization and Biden’s Middle East
Introduction The exit of Donald Trump from the White House is being welcomed by many as a return to normalcy in US politics. However, what exactly that normalcy is, and how useful it is, depends on whether you look inside or outside the US. Trump, in many ways, has exemplified many long-term modes of seeing the world that have characterised…
What Happens Next in the Middle East?
A survey conducted by Arab Barometer suggests that people across the Middle East and North Africa doubt whether a Donald Trump or Joe Biden presidency will have any positive effect on the region. Conducted before the election on 3 November, the survey found that more people responded that they didn’t know or that a new US president would make no…
Some Middle East leaders have a big stake in US election
While the majority of people in the Middle East favour a Biden victory, strongmen across the region are hoping for a Trump re-election While the world is closely watching the US election, the leaders of some Middle East countries have a lot riding on who wins the race for the White House. Across the region, surveys have shown that the majority…
Political experts share views on effect of US election result on foreign policies in MENA
As the world watches the 2020 US presidential election, political experts weighed in on how the result of the race between President Donald Trump and former Vice-President Joe Biden will affect US policies in the MENA region and vice versa in a joint webinar hosted by the Brookings Doha Center and Arab Barometer on Monday. Titled ‘How Will the 2020…
Gender, income and education widen digital divide rates in Morocco, survey finds
A study conducted by the Arab Barometer confirmed that digital inequalities in Morocco and in many Arab countries remain «persistent». This week, the Arab Barometer published a study on the digital divide and disparity when accessing internet in 12 Arab countries, stressing that inequalities in this region remain «persistent». The independent, non-partisan research network, which has been conducting opinion polls…
Info-Deficiency in an Infodemic: The Gender Digital Gap, Arab Women and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Abstract: This commentary tackles the complex struggles faced by Arab women, including multiple layers of invisibility, marginalization and inequality,[1] all of which have significantly worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. This examination includes a special focus on how and why the “digital divide,” defined as the gap between the technological haves and have-nots, has been a major contributing factor to this…
Why Do They Hate America(ns)?
In reaction to the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers on September 11, public debates droned an ongoing refrain of ‘why do they hate us?’. Consequently, although obviously not every Arab person who dislikes America commits or even supports terrorist attacks, September 11 brought about a surge in scholarly attention to the causes of anti-Americanism. Generally, it is argued that we…
Are Iraqi youths losing their religion?
“It’s about my identity,” Yara Ali said with confidence. Ali is an Arab-Iraqi lawyer and prominent activist living in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq; for security reasons, she uses a pseudonym. “I was forced to wear it. It was to protect me, but it wasn’t me.” Yara, 29, told Al-Monitor. A couple of years ago, the modern, educated woman who had become…
Lebanon: divided politics, shared discontent
The explosion at the port of Beirut killed at least 150 people, and the subsequent massive protests led to the resignation of the government. However, the protests are not about replacing the figureheads, but about addressing the ‘bankruptcy’ of the political pact that was intended to keep the religious groups in balance. The fear is great that giving up on…