Egypt
The (Very) Quiet Peace Talks Between Israel and Hamas
The Middle East's storm clouds have a silver lining
The recent news out of the Middle East has been grim. But, if there's an atmosphere of pessimism in the international press, that's because the real story hasn't been earning any attention—intentionally so. We can all read about Hamas's daily maligning of Israel, and its promises to put an end to Jewish sovereignty in the Holy Land, just as we can read about Israeli officials continuing to demand that Hamas recognize the right of Israel (including Jerusalem) to exist, knowing full well that no devout Muslim has ever done so, or can ever do so. READ MORE >>
Welcome to Phase Three of the Arab Spring
Islamists are waning in the Arab world. But will Obama notice?
So it is not true that, in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood speaks for society as a whole. Nor does Islamist ideology, with its invocations of superstition and its exaltations of obedience, express the Egyptian “street.” Nor does the Brotherhood possess the canny ability to bend history to its will. The crisis in Egypt over the Brotherhood’s proposed new constitution broke out in December, and, three months later, the riots and demonstrations and killings have still not come to an end. READ MORE >>
Have We Lost Egypt? A Dialogue on Islamists, Reactionaries, and American Diplomacy
After weeks of political intrigue and street violence, Egyptians will vote this weekend on a controversial new constitution. TNR asked two analysts with differing perspectives on events in the region, Nathan Brown and Eric Trager, to weigh in on the immediate and long-term future of the world's most influential Arab country. TNR: What exactly is in the newly drafted Constitution? Does it really privilege Islamists? READ MORE >>
Is Egypt's Political Rift Beyond Repair?
Last night, the scene in front of Rabaa Al-Adawiya mosque in Cairo's Nasr City felt like an enormous Islamist block party. A six-lane boulevard had been shut down and was crammed with thousands of bodies supporting President Mohammed Morsi. They waved Egyptian flags with religious slogans like “There is no God but God and Mohammed is his messenger,” while eating popcorn and drinking tea. READ MORE >>
Understanding Mohamed Morsi
Shame on Anyone Who Ever Thought Mohammad Morsi Was a Moderate
America’s Responsibility in the New Middle East
The ceasefire struck last week between Israel and Hamas after eight days of conflict seems to be holding. But that’s not to suggest that the time for diplomacy is over. To the contrary, it’s precisely now that the United States needs to survey the new landscape that has emerged in the Middle East, and determine how it can shape it going forward. READ MORE >>
Three Reasons Why the Israel-Gaza Ceasefire Won't Last
Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Amr has announced a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas. It's good news that the fighting will stop. But aside from the immediate cessation of hostilities there's little to cheer about. Here are three reasons why in the absence of considerable outside intervention, it's only a matter of time until war breaks out again. READ MORE >>
