Recent Posts

The rise of Abu Shabab: Mapping the Gaza militia armed by Israel

A political earthquake hit Israel last week when former Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman revealed that “the Israeli government is giving weapons to a group of criminals and felons, identified with Islamic State [in Gaza], at the direction of the prime minister”. Netanyahu has since admitted that Israel had been “running” …

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Iran’s devastating hubris Will Trump show restraint?

On the night the Ayatollah Khomeini died, 3 June 1989, I was fast asleep in a guest room at the Tehran home of a famous cinematographer, a friend of my bohemian parents. The adults were glued to state TV in the living room. Contraband booze flowed, as usual, fortifying the …

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