Qifa Nabki
Middle East
Israel, Syria, and Lebanon: Thinking Outside the Box
Maybe you all can help me understand an idea that I’ve repeatedly encountered among various neoconservative Mideast watchers, with regard to the question of whether or not to engage Syria. In a nutshell, the idea is that the best way for Washington to get what it wants–namely a Syrian regime that doesn’t threaten American or … Continue reading
Lebanon’s Jews: A BBC Arabic Documentary
Somehow, I missed this incredible BBC Arabic documentary about Lebanon’s Jewish community. It follows the stories of several people who left Lebanon for Israel after 1948, reconstructing these narratives both from their own testimonies as well as the memories of their friends and neighbors whom they left behind. I highly recommend watching the entire thing … Continue reading
Is the Iranian Aid Convoy to Gaza Under Hezbollah’s Protection?
Conspiracy Chronicles series, no. 7 Iran is sending a convoy of aid ships to Gaza, according to Iranian state radio. Reuters is reporting that one ship left on Sunday and another “loaded with food, construction material and toys” will leave by this Friday. We haven’t had an episode in our conspiracy chronicles series in a … Continue reading
The Future of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon
I just spent the last hour and a half watching a fascinating webcast of a seminar on the Palestinian refugee situation in Lebanon. It was organized by the Aspen Institute, and featured Nadim Shehadi (former director of the Centre for Lebanese Studies at Oxford, current Associate Fellow at Chatham House, and friend of the blog) … Continue reading
Damocles’s Armory
I know several foreigners who are traveling to Lebanon this summer, and so I’m routinely asked about the chances of “something happening” while they are there. I usually adopt a thoughtful expression, pause for a moment, and tell them not to worry. This seems to work. Sometimes, if I am feeling mischievous, I adopt a … Continue reading
Qifa Nabki 
And the people say…