Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Jamal Kanj
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The proxy war destroying Syria
Writing about Syria is emotionally draining and intellectually overwhelming. Evident by the level of destruction and killing, the mutual hatred between President Bashar Al Assad’s regime and the armed opposition surpasses their love of country. More than 70,000 have been killed and, not counting internally displaced Syrians, there are more than...
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US aid: an opiate for Palestinians
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed a $3.9 billion national budget for the 2013 fiscal year just one day before the March 31 deadline. The budget was approved without the required constitutional review and endorsement of the Palestine National Council. The state’s projected revenue for this year is $2.6bn, leaving...
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Counting the cost of war
On October 10, 2002 I was driving the family during a short vacation at Yosemite National Park. Indifferent to the family’s holiday disposition, I scanned the radio for the best AM reception in the middle of the sparsely populated California valley trying to follow the US House of Representatives’...
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Lebanon: Even coffee is political
LEBANON commemorated the 38th anniversary of its Civil War last week. In the days leading up to April 13, 1975 the country was virtually divided across sectarian lines. The military presence of the Palestine Liberation Organization and its perceived alliance with the Lebanese left and Muslims against the right wing,...
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It's all about appeasing...
US Secretary of State John Kerry has succeeded in tailoring yet another peace initiative to appease Israel. But it took Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu no time to effectively reject the offer, telling Kerry and company it was not occupation – it was all “about a Jewish state”. American diplomacy...
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Iran: How to rig an election
The election landscape in Iran is becoming increasingly clear. According to state-run Press TV, a whopping 686 candidates registered to run in the presidential poll. However, only eight men remain on the ballot for the first round on June 14 after candidates were vetted by the Guardian Council, which...
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The plucky professor and the last bigoted democracy
Israeli president Shimon Peres is hosting in Jerusalem this week a presidential conference called “Facing Tomorrow”. Its theme is the “human factor and its role in shaping our tomorrow”. In addition to establishing an image as a world leader, Peres envisioned in 2008 a venue to assemble top international scientific...
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Unattainable peace
But for the chap from Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza who emerged earlier this week as the winner of the “Arab Idol,” the news from Palestine is grim. The newly appointed Palestinian Prime Minister resigned and Israel still insists it should be able to negotiate over dividing the pie...
