Feb 20, 2011 Posted by Joelle

Lessons From The Revolutions

Arab regimes have learned nothing from the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. Their answer to their people’s growing demands for reform or change altogether is more violence and more repression. Libya, Yemen and Bahrain have all moved to crush popular protests by attacking demonstrators, claiming the lives of over 100 civilians, and leaving hundreds more injured. Western countries (read mostly the... read more

Feb 6, 2011 Posted by Joelle

On The US Foreign Policy In The Arab World

These days, the US just can’t seem to balance its interests with its values of freedom and democracy, underlining the conflict between the two. More often than not, it’s American interests that are trumping all. Recent case in Point, Egypt. But following Wikileaks’ release of the US Embassy Cables, aka Cablegate, and Al Jazeera’s The Palestine Papers, and as the protests in... read more

Jan 30, 2011 Posted by Joelle

Breakdown: US Aid To Egypt

In the aftermath of Egypt’s crackdown on protesters since the revolution began on January 25, 2011, Washington has announced it is reviewing its aid package to the country. Egypt receives close to $2bn in financial assistance every year, making it the second largest recipient of US foreign assistance after Israel. In this infographic, I break down this aid which underlines the US’s longstanding... read more

Sep 4, 2010 Posted by Joelle

Adbusting The Mid-East Peace Talks

Israeli and Palestinian leaders have held their first direct negotiations in nearly two years, in Washington. US President Barack Obama made an appeal to the Israeli and Palestinian leaders on the eve of the summit to not let the chance for peace slip away, and pledged to put the “full weight” of the United States behind the effort to forge peace. I wonder if this means that he’ll put an... read more

Sep 2, 2010 Posted by Joelle

I Had A Dream I…

“I had a dream I stood beneath an orange sky. Yes, I had a dream I stood beneath an orange sky, with my brother and sister standing by… And here is what I know now. It goes like this: In your love, my salvation lies…” I dedicate Alexi Murdoch’s song “Orange Sky” to all the leaders meeting in the US for a round of Mid-East peace talks. 7esso 3a damkon, to say the... read more