Hamas

How Israel helped midwife the birth of Hamas

By rayhanania | May 10, 2018

How Israel helped midwife the birth of Hamas Hamas is considered one of Israel’s greatest threats, but the Islamic terrorist organization found its beginnings in the misguided Israeli effort to encourage the rise of a religious alternative that would undermine the popularity of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Yasir Arafat. (reprinted from 2002) By Ray…

Arab World, Bloggers, Commentary, Israel, Middle East, Opinion, Palestine & JordanGaza Strip , Hamas , Hamas terrorism , Israel , Israel midwifed birth of Hamas , Israel opened the door to Hamas terrorism , Israeli terrorism , Menachem Begin , opposing Yasser Arafat , Palestine , PLO , Sheik Yassin , Yitzhak Shamir

Hamas, Abbas slammed for media abuses

By rayhanania | August 24, 2017

Hamas, Abbas slammed for media abuses The Palestinian authorities in the West Bank and their rivals, the de-facto Hamas administration in Gaza, have both tightened the noose on freedom of expression in recent months, launching a repressive clampdown on dissent that has seen journalists from opposition media outlets interrogated and detained in a bid to exert pressure…

Activism, Arab World, Israel, Journalism, Middle East, News, Palestine & JordanArab Journalists , Hamas , Israel , journalism , Journalists , media censorship , media suppression , Palestine , Palestinians , President Abbas

Futility of Gulf Cooperation Council diplomacy towards Qatar

By Ghassan Rubeiz | July 18, 2017

Futility of Gulf Cooperation Council diplomacy towards Qatar By Ghassan Michel Rubeiz Shunning Qatar undermines a precious structure of pan-Arab diplomacy. The blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt against Qatar is more about relations with Iran than alleged links to terrorism. Unlike Saudi Arabia, Qatar has good relations with Iran…

Arab World, Bloggers, Commentary, Ghassan Rubeiz, Gulf States, Middle East, OpinionAljazeera , extremism , Hamas , Hezbollah , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , terrorism , UAE

Qatar should not capitulate

By Ghassan Rubeiz | July 1, 2017

Qatar should not capitulate By Ghassan Michel Rubeiz The travel and trade blockade on Qatar – imposed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt- is less about “stopping terrorism” and contacts with radical “Islamists” than about Qatar questioning Riyadh’s tough position against Tehran. The anti-Qatar Arab countries, having serious issues of their…

Arab World, Bloggers, Commentary, Ghassan Rubeiz, Gulf States, Middle East, OpinionAljazeera , dispute , extremism , Gulf , Hamas , Qatar , radicals , Saudi Arabia

President Trump pushes for Palestine agreement

By rayhanania | May 3, 2017

President Trump pushes for Palestine agreement President Donald Trump greeted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House Wednesday May 3, 2017, and vowed to push hard for a final peace agreement. Trump, who many claimed would abandon Palestinian rights, has remained faithful to the needs of Palestinians despite expressing strong support for Israel By Ray Hanania…

Bloggers, Commentary, Israel, Middle East, News, Opinion, Palestine & Jordan, Politics, Ray HananiaDonald J. Trump , Hamas , Mahmoud Abbas , Palestine , Palestinians , peace process , White House

Real threat facing the Middle East is Iranian extremism

By rayhanania | October 13, 2016

Real threat facing the Middle East is Iranian extremism Published in the Arab News, Oct. 13, 2016 By Ray Hanania Although much is made of the rising threat of ISIS and al-Qaeda in the Middle East, one axis more threatening, is the violent coalition of Syria and Hezbollah, led by Iran. Iran is one of…