International Relations
Inside Israel’s social media campaign to woo the Middle East
(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…
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…
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…
The Second Libyan Civil War and the Russia Connexion with Mohamed Abufalgha
ABOUT THIS EPISODE Tom and Matt have the great opportunity to speak with Libyan national Mohamed Abufalgha and expert on the conflict that has been going on for several years now in this oil-rich, war-torn country. Mohamed helps us unpack the Russian-Libyan connection and exactly how many countries have their fingers–and fighters–in Libya.
Is the ‘Abraham Accord’ already unravelling?
This month’s announcement by President Donald Trump that diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be normalised took the world by surprise, not least because it was a well-kept secret in a usually leaky White House. Horrified traditionalists in the Arab world suspect many of their forefathers will be turning in their graves on seeing this…