Essays

The violence of the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s subsequent retaliatory war on Gaza have reignited historical collective traumas and existential fears among Jewish-Israelis, the Jewish Diaspora, and Palestinians

Enabling Evolution: The Role of Knowledge Production in the Development of African Unity

By Samuel M. Makinda and Angela Leahy

Fall 2024

Knowledge is power; by harnessing knowledge production, the Organization of African Unity and its successor, the African Union, have set the continent on a new path

Pursuing Unity: Pan-Africanism in Practice

By Stephen Okhonmina

Fall 2024

History has proven that a completely politically unified Africa may be impossible to achieve; instead, integration should be pursued with a more limited goal of facilitating faster economic, social, and political progress

Human Rights and Constitutionalism in Africa: Progress has been Achieved, but More is Needed

By Ottilia Anna Maunganidze

Fall 2024

The institutional human rights and constitutionalist framework in Africa has been constantly evolving through the Organization of African Unity’s history and transformation into the African Union. In the face of contemporary challenges in the form of coups, unconstitutional changes in government, and more, African policymakers must focus on grounding their policy within the normative framework of the Union

Toward Anti-racism Education in the African Context

By George Sefa Dei and Niketa Afia Peters

Fall 2024

What would African educational systems look like without colonial influence? Answering such questions may guide educators in the various communities of the African continent to imagine something re-centered around indigenous experiences. Anti-racism is an important part of that answer

Syria is the Middle East’s Hinge, but Which Way Will It Turn?

By Hussein Ibish

The demise of the Syrian dictator has put the country on the precipice of the chaos and instability other countries experienced since the Arab uprisings. But there is a glimmer of hope that Syria can buck the trend and instead embrace tolerance, plurality, and security

Is Israel a Liberal Democracy?

By Raphael Cohen-Almagor

Fall 2024

Israel’s democratic principles are under threat both internally and externally. Its long-term survival is to integrate fully into the Middle East, and the key to that integration is to peacefully resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Is China Becoming a Political Player in the Middle East?

By Gedaliah Afterman and Dominika Urhová

China saw Israel’s war in Gaza as an opportunity to gain traction in the Middle East at the expense of the United States, but is it ready to become a serious political actor in the region?

Israel Accelerates Mass Arrest and Torture Campaigns

By Kellie Kuenzle

The Israeli government has capitalized on public anger and fear following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks to justify arbitrary mass arrests of Palestinians, the systemic use of torture, and inhumane prison conditions

Posting Our Way to the Presidency

By Sydney Wise

American presidential campaigns have increasingly turned to social media to reach Gen Z voters. How well can they speak the youth’s language?

A Pacifism for Our Times

By Antonio Patriota

Fall 2024

Growing trends of unilateralism are encouraging violence and threatening a systemic breakdown of international law and order. Change must come, and soon

A Reading on the Future of Hamas

By Omar Shaban

Summer 2024

The aftermath of October 7, and assassination of senior commanders, has forced an existential rethink within Hamas

Bridging the Knowledge Gap Between Scientific Research and the Masses

By Nadine El Sayed

Amid ongoing climate change and the aftermath of a pandemic that revealed a significant lack of public awareness, scientists and journalists alike have recognized an urgent need to fill in the information gaps between the lab and the people. This challenge is particularly acute in the Arab world, where language barriers continue to hinder effective communication of scientific research, and the spread of misinformation remains rampant.

Hamas “From the Heart of Battle”: Analyzing Abu Obaida’s Discourse

By Sophia Agathocleous and Erwin van Veen

Summer 2024

The frames and focus of the speeches of Hamas spokesperson Abu Obaida reveal the group’s strategic goals and the psychological warfare used to achieve them.

It’s Been a Year

It’s time to end this war

Amid Global Challenges to the Profession, Egyptian Journalism Goes Soul Searching

By Khaled Ezzelarab

Print journalism around the world has been in trouble for a couple of decades since the rise of digital media gave audiences access to instant and often-free news, deeming the next day’s newspaper less and less relevant

Is Israel’s Star Fading in Latin America?

By Jodor Jalit

Summer 2024

The Latin American response to Israel’s war on Gaza could help strengthen the rich but neglected cultural ties with Arab states

Looking Backward into The Future: Why the United Nations Has Failed to Prevent Genocide

By Gregory H. Stanton

Summer 2024

At its root, genocide is committed through a lack of empathy, and it has failed to be prevented by a lack of political will. It is time to reverse those failings by rethinking our systems and challenging our assumptions.

Don’t Forget About the Red Sea

By Burak Şakir Şeker

Summer 2024

A widening of Israel’s War on Gaza could threaten the vital Red Sea waterway and lead to a global economic crisis

China Tests the Water in Palestinian Diplomacy

By Ramzy Baroud

Summer 2024

While the ramifications of the recent unity agreement signed in Beijing by multiple Palestinian factions remain to be seen, it is evident that China has stepped up as a leader in the region