A possible ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip, is proving to be much more than an effort to end escalating violence that threatens to spark yet another Middle Eastern war. United Arab Emirates-backed Egyptian and United Nations efforts to mediate an agreement, with the two countries’ nemesis, Qatar,…
The Ethiopian premier can’t win this year’s Nobel Peace Prize for technical reasons, but he nevertheless deserves global recognition for his peacemaking successes. The Nobel Committee will award its eponymous Peace Prize on 5 October, and while Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy certainly deserves this more than anyone else, it’s impossible for him to receive it…
The alliance of the UAE and Egypt is expanding its zone of influence in the Horn of Africa, including the establishment of Ethiopian-Eritrean relations. There is a noticeable Emirati influence in Ethiopia, where they compete with the Qatar-Turkey alliance. Saudi Arabia, being a rival of the UAE and Egypt, supports them in the region against…
The United States is reportedly floating plans for a new security alliance with six Gulf Arab states, alongside Jordan and Egypt, to counter Iran’s growing presence in the region. Provisionally named the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA), some have dubbed it an “Arab NATO” of Sunni Muslim allies. “MESA will serve as a bulwark against…
The U.S. mainstream press can easily recognize the dominant and influential role that the military plays in society, so long as they are referring to countries like Pakistan and Egypt. Unfortunately, the same reporters and commentators turn a blind eye to the similar phenomenon here in the United States. For example, the Washington Post writes:…
There is selling ice to the eskimos. And sand to the Arabs. Now there’s gas to Egypt. The rush is on to finalise a deal which would see $15bn worth of Israeli gas supplied to a private Egyptian company during the next decade. ‘At least on paper, there is no necessity for Israeli gas any…
