It is unlikely to last, but it is hard to remember the last time the Middle East has been as calm, relatively speaking, as it is today. Consider where we were just over a year ago. Some 3 million displaced Syrians huddled together in Idlib province, the last rebel-held territory, as the world feared the humanitarian catastrophe likely to result…
International Relations
Israel Faces Pressure to Follow U.S. Armenian Genocide Move Despite Turkey Ties
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing mounting pressure to ignore protests by Turkey and follow U.S. President Joe Biden in declaring the mass killings of Armenians and other minority groups a century ago a genocide. Biden’s historic genocide recognition made the United States the 30th country in the world to classify as such the ethnic cleansing that experts estimate…
Erdogan as Arab people’s choice reveals weakness of region’s leaders
After nearly two decades in power, first as prime minister then as president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has towered over modern Turkey. His mystique at home has been eroded by authoritarianism and a decreasing ability to provide his pious and conservative followers with prosperity. In local elections in 2019 he lost the country’s great cities, including Istanbul and Ankara, proving he is…
Erdogan is MENA’s most popular leader, Arab Barometer finds
Turkey’s promotion of cultural heritage, including through its tourism and entertainment sectors, is one reason for Erdogan’s popularity. However, the perception of the Ottoman legacy is gradually shifting from one of praise to one of condemnation toward Turkish policies. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remains MENA’s most popular leader, according to new survey data released by the Arab Barometer this…
China ‘Delighted to See’ It Tops U.S. in Popularity in Arab Countries Poll
China has exulted in a recent poll showing the nation’s favorability was roughly twice that of the United States across six Arab countries. “I’m delighted to see the survey, which, I believe, reflects the considerable public support for China-Arab friendship,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Thursday during the first press conference to be held following week-long Lunar New…
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…