CNN Middle East News- Suicide blast kills Yemeni troopsA suicide bomber dressed in a military uniform set off a blast that killed more than 100 soldiers, authorities said, in what appears to be the deadliest attack ever on troops in Yemen. […]
- Syria troubles spill into LebanonThe impact of Syria's troubles have spread to Lebanon. CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom reports from Beirut. […]
- Soldiers shoot anti-Assad clerics in LebanonThe international community called for restraint Monday after deadly clashes were triggered in Beirut by the deaths of two religious clerics, both of whom were opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. […]
- NATO shuns intervention in SyriaThe U.S. ambassador to NATO says the alliance has no plans for military intervention in the Syrian crisis, as reports of deaths mount by the dozens and diplomatic efforts have yet to stymie the bloodshed. […]
- Ex-Yemeni President Saleh hospitalizedFormer Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh was admitted Sunday to a military hospital in Sanaa, the second time that he's been to a hospital this month, a government official said. […]
- Suicide blast kills Yemeni troops
Author Archives: Arik Segal
What Israelis think about the conflict with Turkey?
“What? You are going to Turkey?!” “Are you crazy?” “Be careful not to get kidnapped”
“I’m surprised you came back alive!” These are some of the comments I heard before and after my recent visit to Istanbul. Despite attempts to classify the Israeli-Turkish conflict as a political one, the relations between the two societies have suffered an enormous setback which might not be easy to fix, even if the two governments solve the dispute diplomatically. More than simply affecting mutual travelling and due to the sensitivity both governments have for public opinion, there is a direct connection
The Arab Spring Brings Prisoners back home
When Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu announced about approving the prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas, he stated that a “window of opportunity have been created that could shortly closed due to upheaval in the Middle East”. The window Netanyahu talked about expresses the dynamic political developments which resulted from the Arab Spring. Israel’s and Hamas’ willingness to move towards each other was an outcome of those political developments and stems in the countries’ basic needs for maintaining stability and political power.
An open letter to Palestinians
Dear neighbors,
I usually use this blog to write professional political analysis in which I use just my skills as conflict management professional and disregard my Israeli background. In this piece I will combine both.
I decided to write this message for a few reasons. First, because I can do so- I have been writing on Middleastpost blog to reach as many Arab readers as possible to expose them to a different Israeli point of view. I am privileged to do so since I meet the founders of Middleastpost and other Palestinian writers
The Arab Spring Forces Israel to Change its Security Strategy
The recent cycle of violence in southern Israel marked a few important precedents in Israeli security policy. First, the Southern Israeli border with Egypt is no longer safe as it has been in the past 30 years. Second, the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt should not be taken for granted. Third and most important was the decision of Israeli cabinet not to forcefully respond to rocket attacks coming from Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that: “Israel will not respond to the attacks from Gaza with a large-scale operation”. The Israeli government realized that the new environment created by the Arab Spring has limited
How will Nakba day events influence Netanyahu’s speech at the congress?
The popular marches on May 15th marking the 63rd anniversary for the “disaster” of the creation of the state of Israel have been received with great [singlepic id=541 w=320 h=240 float=right]satisfaction in the Palestinian community. For the first time, hundreds of Palestinians came from Syria and managed to take down the border fence between the countries and enter the Golan Heights. This site, of hundreds of Palestinians carrying flags, yelling slogans and marching into Israel, sparked a sense of unity and hope for Palestinians who felt that they are about to fulfill the “right of return”.
Syria after Assad – how should Israel ensure its security?
As the popular revolt in Syria intensifies, its neighbours, especially Israel, are anxious about the implications of a possible regime change on regional[singlepic id=537 w=320 h=240 float=right] stability. Many analysts discuss this situation by assessing the identity of possible regime successors. However, since there is no way to make an accurate prediction in such a fluid situation, a better way to deal with the question of stability is to examine how the West can help satisfy people’s grievances, and thus maintain stability.
It may be difficult to grasp, but in the new quasi-democratic Middle East, political decisions are starting to reflect the people’s will. In Syria, most likely in the aftermath of a regime change, the new government will be weak, more vulnerable to outside interference, and will seek to satisfy the grievances that drove the popular revolt.
The Israeli Peace Initiative – By Arik Segal
On April 6th, several prominent Israeli figures drafted the “Israeli Peace Initiative” and proposed it to the Israeli government, with the purpose of promoting [singlepic id=529 w=320 h=240 float=right] a regional peace agreement in the Middle East. The authors and signatories are former security chiefs, former IDF chiefs, former politicians, journalists, leading businessmen and entrepreneurs, academics, scientists, artists, social activists and others.
Despite the initiative being a civilian one, it is significant to deliver its message to the civilian and political levels in the Arab world, both to increase the exposure for Israeli willingness to achieve peace and to receive a response from Arab politicians. Such response will push Israeli leaders to give a serious
