The Islamic World
Qatar’s GameTuesday, February 8, 2011 by Elliot Jager | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
On the map of the Middle East, it is easy to overlook the peninsular state of Qatar, bordering Saudi Arabia and jutting into the Persian Gulf opposite Iran. Yet, as the dominant exporter of liquefied natural gas, it is one of the world's wealthiest countries. Nor is it easy to pigeonhole.
The Pharaoh’s General, and Mubarak’sMonday, February 7, 2011 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
The general was a commoner. He rose through the ranks as a career soldier, attracting attention for his prowess and dedication. Becoming a soldier-diplomat, he fought Egypt's battles, negotiated with troublesome neighbors, and served several kings in succession.
Cyrus, Ahmadinejad, and the Politics of PurimTuesday, February 1, 2011 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Anyone who deplores the politicization of the past should have been apoplectic in September 2010 at the sight of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad receiving the loan of the "Cyrus Cylinder" from officials of the British Museum.
Blood LibelsMonday, January 31, 2011 by Allan Nadler | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Among the unexpected consequences of the January 9 shooting tragedy in Tucson has been the introduction into American public discourse of a term seldom used and poorly understood.
Arab StirringsFriday, January 28, 2011 by Elliot Jager | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
On January 14, the strongman of Tunisia, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, fled in panic to Saudi Arabia after the astonishingly spontaneous, Facebook-driven crumbling of his corrupt regime.
The Iraqi Jewish ArchiveMonday, January 24, 2011 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
To whom do antiquities belong? For Jews, the question took on flesh in 2003 in the flooded basement of a building belonging to the Iraqi secret police.
The Persian PuzzleWednesday, January 12, 2011 by Aryeh Tepper | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
A synagogue in today's Jerusalem bears the name "Hajji Yehezkel." Yehezkel is Ezekiel, and Hajji is the Persian term for one who has fulfilled the Islamic precept of going on pilgrimage to Mecca. Who was this Ezekiel, and how did he earn his improbable honorific?
The Mood of the OudFriday, December 10, 2010 by Aryeh Tepper | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Arab elements continue to animate many forms of Jewish expression that, originally rooted in Arab countries, have been transplanted into Israeli society.
Counting JewsWednesday, December 1, 2010 by Elliot Jager | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
A newly-released World Jewish Population Report has been making waves. Some critics, especially in Israel, charge that the report, in claiming the existence of a non-Jewish majority between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, is both slanted and unduly pessimistic. Other critics, especially in the Diaspora, complain that the report is too old-fashioned in its definition of Jewishness.
The Brothers LurkMonday, November 22, 2010 by Elliot Jager | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
November is election month not just in the United States but also in Jordan and Egypt. On November 9 Jordanians voted overwhelmingly to fill their parliament with loyalists of King Abdullah II. Egyptians will go to the polls on November 28 to elect the People's Assembly, and there is little doubt that Hosni Mubarak's ruling National Democratic party will remain in control.
Editors' Picks
Cyberwar Eli Lake, Daily Beast. The Arab-Israeli conflict is normally fought with Katyusha rockets and Merkava tanks, but the conflict's latest weapon is a botnet.
Shrine Online Sohrab Ahmari, Tablet. Unable to restore a shrine with a prominent Star of David in Iran, a U.S. organization and an Iranian-American architect are reviving the site in cyberspace.
UN-occupied Hillel C. Neuer, Jerusalem Post. Now that even Hamas accepts that Gaza is not occupied territory, why does the UN persist in claiming that it is?
Minority Report Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, Middle East Forum. The identity of Middle Eastern Christians has been shaped more by linguistic and cultural Arabization than it has by a simple desire to avoid persecution.
The Perils of Self-Deception Colin Rubenstein, Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council. To imagine that anti-Semitism would evaporate if Israel signed a peace deal with the Palestinians is sheer fantasy. So why do pundits and policymakers regularly make this claim?
The Historian, the Diplomat, and the Spy Clifford D. May, National Review. Bernard Lewis, Uri Lubrani, and Meir Dagan see that disenchanted Iranians may offer the last, best hope for the Muslim world—and for winding down the global war against the West.
Deflecting a Nuclear Iran Patrick Clawson, Washington Institute. It is not inevitable that Iran will acquire nuclear weapons: Tactically, Iran's nuclear program is not yet mature. And strategically, the Islamic Republic is not a sustainable system. (PDF)
The Philosopher's War Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New York. How Bernard-Henri Lévy managed to goad Sarkozy—and the world—into vanquishing Qaddafi.
"Fight Judaization!" Jonathan S. Tobin, Contentions. The tour of Arab capitals being conducted by Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh demonstrates that Hamas' goal is not only to destroy the State of Israel but to eradicate Jewish history.
New President Calls for Tunisia's Jews to Return Associated Press. With Islamists in power, Israel warned Tunisia's remaining Jews to emigrate. But they're staying put. In fact, Tunisia's president wants the emigrants now in Israel to come back.