It is starting to look like Israel’s apparent reaction to the Palestinian Authority (PA) being granted ‘observer state’ status at the UN last Friday is about to backfire. In a rapidly changing world, Israel’s heavy handed response is seen as less and less seen as an appropriate way forward. Last Friday, the UN General Assembly […] … learn more→

When US President Obama announced the end of America’s involvement in Iraq, he deliberately did not claim victory. But he did say, when welcoming the last contingent of combat troops home in October last year, that the war in Iraq was over. For Americans, Australians and the media in both countries, that may be how […] … learn more→

After the overthrowing of dictator Hosni Mubarak, Egypt has had its first round of parliamentary elections, with two parties dominating the vote – the moderate Muslim Brotherhood and the religious conservative party, Al-Nour. As voting continues, I spoke with Middle East expert, Anthony Billingsley to understand how Egypt has gone from a secular revolution to […] … learn more→

The western media tends to portray the political uprisings in the Middle East as being broadly motivated by similar reasons and led by similar groups of tech-savvy young people, but surveys of people in the region paint a very different picture, a leading Cambridge researcher will tell a debate on the Arab Spring next week. […] … learn more→

The spring 2011 protests and revolutions in North Africa and the Middle East (commonly referred to as “Arab Spring”) were fueled by many factors, including frustrations with existing political regimes, a growing youth population, online social networks, and a shortage of employment opportunities. An additional factor that deserves attention in this circumstance, and more broadly, […] … learn more→