A More Assertive Russia in the Middle East

What will be the impact of Russia's move in the Middle East after its quick victory in Crimea?

This writer, who has followed the Middle East's history with careful analysis, believes that Russia will have a far more determined hand in the affairs of countries close to the Mediterranean Sea.

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A number of articles on Russia and the Middle East can be found here.

Israel and the Middle East

Significant events in the Middle with Israel at the middle of things:

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Is Kerry responsible for the breakdown of talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority?

12 important articles collected here.

Armenians and Turkey - Erdogan's latest attempt to defuse the coming 2015 Crisis

Interior of an Armenian Church in Istanbul

One of the longest standing debates in the Middle East regards the treatment of Armenians by Turks. Armenians claim that up to 1,500,000 were killed. The key date is April 24, 1915. In addition, Armenian historians will point out that tens of thousands were displaced and died previous to that date.

Turkish governments have pointed out that (a) hundreds of thousands of Turks were killed in World War I (many more than a million); (b) Armenians made up part of the population siding with Russia and so Turks 'were at war with them'; and (c) that about 350,000 Armenians died as the result of April 24, 1915.

Turks generally look down on the land-locked country of Armenia and on Armenians in general. Refusing to call that series of events a "genocide" is a matter of national pride for Turks.

The diaspora of the Armenian call those events a "genocide", as do the parliaments of more than a dozen nations. The Armenian diaspora in the USA want the US president to use the word "genocide". This debate divides politicians and citizens across dozens of countries.

This year Prime Minister Erdogan surprised Turks, Armenians and others with his condolence speech when referring to the Armenians

His speech was unprecedented in the history of the Turkish Republic

The statement of "shared pain" was received differently in the West than by Armenians

In the USA, President Obama did not use the word "genocide"

Reactions from Armenians in Turkey and Armenia could not have been more different

What are the possible consequences of the Palestinian Authority governing with Hamas?

Photo of a Palestinian looking at "The Wall"

On the surface, it looks like a good idea.

Keep all the Palestinians happy by calling for a truce between those on the West Bank and those in Gaza.

However, you don't have to dig any deeper than your next day's newspaper to realize that this proposed "peace-making" action could have long-ranging consequences.

Will the USA continue to give aid donations to the Palestinians under this new set of circumstances?

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Israel believes there is no point in continuing to press forward for peace and consequently has declared an end to the "Peace Process". Read more

Is Democracy in Turkey and Egypt loosing it's Luster? What is the model to follow?

Observers looking at the Middle East today have to scratch their heads a bit to find a model that might include the following: human rights, transparency, respect for the individual and dialogue with those who don't agree with the go
vernment.

Semih Idiz makes the point that Turkey, once seen as a model for democracy in the Middle East, has now little respect from the nations in the region.

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The results of the recent Turkish election have significance for the West.

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What about child brides, those under age 14? Is it right that they be married?

Western governments do not seem to care about children who are married at very young ages, say 12, 14 or 15.

Dishonest men, usually from the Middle East, are known to take very young girls as their "wives".

The author, Mark Durie, believes that Western governments need to face up to the situation and clamp down on these clandestine marriages in the name of human rights. Exploitation and underage marriages avoid the necessary registration of these marriages in the name of "religion".

He calls such "marriages" - illegal and a form of sex-trafficking.

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Turkey and Iran: Mortal Enemies with Visiting Privileges

Turkey and Iran have a very complex relationship. Sharing a long boundary together, these two nations have different languages, different histories and in some ways, different approaches to Islam. Iran, having gone through the Islamic Revolution in the early 1980's became an Islamic Republic with roots firmly grounded in Shi'a Islamic interpretations and a history that goes back to the glorious days of 490-480 BC (!) when Persia conquered lands all the way to Greece.

Turkey, a republic that is struggling to find its way into 20th century forms of European-style democracy has (faint) aspirations of joining the European Union. Turkey needs the natural gas Iran can send to it. Iran needs the currency Turkey can pay.

Both nations are faced with Kurds, Turkey's Kurds having being in a low-grade "civil tension" for 25 years, with more than 40,000 who have died. Iran faces a similar situation, with Kurdish tensions. 

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Do "Lebanon", "Iraq" and "Syria" still exist?

The Mountains of Lebanon

Are these nations in the Middle East changing to the degree that one could say, "They may not even be countries / states any more"?

This writer posses a very provocative question.
"What is a viable state?"

"This war has a number of fronts, some more intense and active than others, but it is everywhere defined by sectarian conflict, especially the divide between Sunni and Shia Muslims. It is most intense in the area encompassing the current states of Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon; but has also spread further afield—to Bahrain, northern Yemen, and to some degree Kuwait and eastern Saudi Arabia."

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The Cedar trees of Lebanon

A related article is found here speaking of a new Sunni Insurgency in Iraq.



Jihadis - Holding a Double Edged Sword

What are the consequences of a jihadi philosophy to the various interest groups in the Middle East?

Raymond Ibrahim points out that once the genie is out of the box it cannot be put back in again.

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The American Jewish "Fairness Trap" in Light of Hardened Attitudes in Israel

Jews are wrong if they do it an

d wrong if they don't do it!

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This is especially interesting in views of the news from Israel, the West Bank and the White House this week.

The events surrounding the apparent collapse of negotiations between Israel and the West Bank are very important signposts for the future.

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What Four countries are at the top of Religious Persecution?

If you guessed North Korea and Afghanistan as two of the top four, that's correct. Graphic images on the internet by human rights observers are too upsetting for me to post, or pass along to others.

What are the other two nations responsible for more deaths than any others in 2013?

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What can you do about it?

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