Essays
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Death sentence for Rapper Toomaj
Tehran's legitimacy crisis
The rapper Toomaj Salehi has been sentenced to death in Iran. His case shows how the regime is fighting to maintain its power, and against whom
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Middle East debate in Germany
The bell of Gaza
With its fossilised premise of "raison d'etat" Germany is damaging itself. It is time for change – for constructive partnership in a concerted effort to overcome the Israeli-Palestinian catastrophe
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Middle East: Is there a solution to the endless conflict?
Welcome to Abraham/Ibrahim
Who invented it? The Swiss. Why it might be worth looking to the Swiss Confederation in the search for a solution to the Middle East conflict
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Prospects for peace in the Middle East
The search for the Middle East formula
Without rights for the Palestinians, there can be neither security for Israelis nor stability in the Middle East. There are four possible future scenarios
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War propaganda in Israel and the Arab world
Spewing poison in both directions
In addition to the actual warfare in Gaza, another, lesser known burden is weighing on the prospects for a better future in the Middle East. Influential media channels are lending support to the most radical forces on both sides of the conflict
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German academia and the war in Gaza
Universities must remain places of dialogue
Discussions about the Middle East conflict naturally tend towards polarisation. In Germany, showing empathy for victims of political violence in Israel while drawing attention to the suffering of Gazan and West Bank Palestinians, who bear the brunt of any major confrontation, is a tricky balancing act
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Gaza and a world order in ruins
Stop the descent into the abyss!
The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has dealt a crushing blow to our multilateral security system and threatens to alienate the entire Arab and Muslim world
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Germany and the Gaza war
Arab criticism of German hypocrisy
Germany used to be a role model for the Arab world. That has changed since the Israeli army killed thousands of civilians in the war against Hamas – with barely a murmur of opposition from German politicians
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Germany's policy on Egypt
Neither value-driven nor feminist
Germany's policy on Egypt is based on economic interests and a fear the country may collapse. As a result it contributes to stabilising Abdul Fattah al-Sisi's brutal regime
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The Middle East's cosmopolitan tradition
Back to a Levantine future?
As regional and global problems rise, the once mixed cities of the Eastern Mediterranean may offer ideas for how we can escape our distress