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Daily Star (Lebanon)

190 articles

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by Shlomo Avineri

7 February 2006
The victory of Hamas fundamentalists will have unprecedented consequences for the region, but since now, two elements are discerned. Hamas’s victory is an evidence of the incapacity of the traditional Palestinian leadership to form a political body.
The Palestinian Authority, which has enjoyed certain autonomy since the Oslo Agreement took place, preferred to create dozens of security services instead of using the funds it has to meet the needs of Palestinians. The vacuum left by the (...)

“Will Russia control Europe thanks to oil?”

by Alexander Etkind

2 February 2006
Taking into account the kind of car you have is not important, because every time you fill up the tank you’re paying for the equivalent of what a Russian teacher makes a month. You’re also contributing to finance an archaic, inefficient and evil regimen. Russia began its G8 presidency by unleashing a gas-related war with Ukraine. By practically having the monopoly of supplies to Ukraine, Russia believed it could set prices to benefit itself. But, on its part, Ukraine virtually owns other (...)

“Economic imperialism in Russia”

by Frederick Starr, Vladimer Papava

2 February 2006
Russia’s use of gas to exert pressures upon Ukraine has provoked concern in the West. However, pressures upon Georgia are even stronger although less noticed. In Georgia, as well as in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin wants to apply the doctrine of the liberal empire formulated by Anatoli Chubais, chairman of the United Energy System. It’s goal is to create a new Russian empire by means of money and not tanks.
The first stage of this strategy was aimed at controlling the economy of Armenia. (...)

“Can the “Prince” lead Israel?”

by David Ignatius

1 February 2006
Ehud Olmert has the reputation of being the prince of Israel’s policy, a privileged son of an important family who lacks the military experience of the generations that founded Israel. This irritates the Israelis a great deal, but regarding issues like the withdrawal from Gaza last year, the First Deputy Minister showed a well-defined strategic vision and political trends that exceed those of his boss, Ariel Sharon.
The leader qualities of Olmert constitute a crucial element in the ongoing (...)

“An open letter to Ehud Olmert”

by Daoud Kuttab

1 February 2006
Dear Mr. Olmert,
I am writing with the hope that you would take some time of your busy agenda as acting Prime Minister of Israel to listen to the hopes of a Palestinian. Despite the conditions you have faced to assume power as Prime Minister, I believe that you have the opportunity to participate in a historical reconciliation. I am sure that you will follow the policy of Ariel Sharon but you have the cards that lacked of. You do not have his negative image in the Arab world and you are (...)

“There’s Arab public opinion, just ask the dictators”

by Zvi Bar’el

19 January 2006
This year, El Cairo International Film Festival was not very successful for the public was much more interested in the legislative elections. This means that changes are taking place in the country. In fact, we’re witnessing a transformation of the Arab world: the emergence of an autonomous public opinion.
This is the public opinion that drove Syria out of Lebanon, the one that led Hosni Mubarak to hold elections and implement reforms. Iraqis mobilize themselves for elections while (...)

“Palestinian secular humanists: Unite!”

by Ziad Asali

19 January 2006
Political culture in Palestine and the Arab world last century was marked by the unifying principle of Arab nationalism, describing itself as anti-Western, anti-Imperialist and Islamic based on a rather cultural than religious point of view. Halfway through the XX Century, it also became anti-Zionist and opposed some Arab conservative regimes. All those attributes made up what was dubbed as “politically correct” for decades and still are. The 1967 defeat, the collapse of the USSR and the (...)

“Something rotten in the state of Denmark”

by Zubair Butt Hussain

19 January 2006
Since last September, the Danish society has been immersed in a hot debate due to a number of caricatures of the prophet Mohammed. The drawings, however, are the result of the intimidation that some artists feel about Islam, considered a threat to freedom of speech. During the debate, quite a few commentators got surprised and even, they amused with the reaction of the Muslim community without understanding why it was so particular in view of a classic anti-religious joke, as it also (...)

“Fanatical: one percent in Islam”

by Mohammad Habash

19 January 2006
In the Middle East, conservative Islam reflects a fundamental reality of Muslim society, but it should not be mistaken for violent radicalism as the United States does, unfortunately. Violence and terrorism abound in the region but not because conservatism is quite common. The Centre for Islamic Studies did a survey that showed that 80% of the Islamic population is conservative, whereas the other 20% is mainly formed by reformists. Radicals are not more than 1% of the population. I believe (...)

“The terrorism debate should not divide East and West”

by Thomas R. Pickering

19 January 2006
It’s not necessary to be a genius to know that Islam awakens the interest of the West. This issue has become a burning theme. The first source of concern has to do with terrorism or, better to say, with the link between Islamic fundamentalism and the use of terrorist tactics. In this debate, people usually forget the attacks in Oklahoma City or Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination. As a rule, such an analysis links terrorism to Islam as a whole by leading some people to believe that the war on (...)

“Is Iran’s Ahmadinejad a Messianic Medium?”

by Kenneth R. Timmerman

15 January 2006
At a time when negotiations with Iran are again in decline, it becomes essential to fully understand Mahmud Ahmadinejad.
After his address to the UN General Assembly, he said that day had been lit up by a divine light and that world leaders had had to listen to the Islamic Republic’s message. Such interpretation could have been a laughing matter had it not been for the fact that upon comparing it to others, it suggests the president’s messianic vision of his mission. That reinforces the (...)

“The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership in favour of dialogue and action”

by José Manuel Durao Barroso

14 December 2005
The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership was created according to the logic of evolution and not revolution. Quietly, it has had enviable success and has developed itself.
In the current international context, the partnership is essential to face the instability of some countries and the declining States where new regional crisis are developing. Ideological radicalisation and terrorism have privatized war and some Mediterranean cities have paid a high price. In addition, global problems such (...)

“From Amir Peretz, a possible ray of Palestinian hope”

by Saleh Abdul Jawad

1 December 2005
With Yasser Arafat’s death, the Palestinians experienced a moderate feeling, a mixture of fear of the unknown, the pain for the loss of a paternal figure and the hope of change. This feeling explains reactions with regard to changes in the leadership of the Palestinian Authority. However, since his death, the Palestinians continue to be separated by a wall, suffer humiliation at the checkpoints and the colonies are far from being reduced. In addition, poverty is even worse and the (...)

“Sharon’s centrism the likely winner in Israel’s shake-up”

by Barry Rubin

1 December 2005
Due to the realignment of Israeli politicians and parties, Israel’s political life will suffer the most extraordinary change in the last 30 years. To understand what the consequences for the future of Israel, the region and the Israeli-Arab relations will be, is important.
The Israeli political system is living the end of its second era. The first one was the 1948-1977 period with the hegemony of the Labour Party. Gradually, a sort of free space emerged between the right and the centre (...)

“The promises of the Iraqi Constitution”

by Feisal Amin al-Istrabadi

14 November 2005
The constitutional process implemented in Iraq has brought hope to the Iraqis for this is the first text whose draft has been supervised by an elected assembly and, and whatever the result of the referendum, what matters is this occurrence of democratic debate.
The efforts made by the Assembly before the referendum took place, turned out to be a real success. The creation of a Drafting Committee, larger than the Assembly, aimed at mitigating the lack of participation of a denominational (...)

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