Topic
Public Affairs & Politics
Politics, history, culture and regional affairs.
316 articles in English · 59% of the English edition · all articles in Arabic
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicPalestinian Za'atarA personal reflection that links the author's morning tea flavored with Palestinian za'atar to political developments affecting Palestinian land, Arab responses to US policy, and Palestinian resilience.
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicSketches from Seasonal Reality... HoroscopesThe author recounts listening to televised horoscopes on New Year’s Eve and reflects on their appeal, their relation to politics, and a moment of disclosure about the coming year.
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicInterview with Dr. Nabil ShaathThe author recounts a 10-1-2018 Al Mayadeen interview with Dr. Nabil Shaath and praises his responses. It summarizes Shaath’s views on Palestinian policy, choice of resistance methods, Arab support, national unity, and the declining US global role.
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicTrue Words: Excerpts from the Depths of BooksA collection of excerpts first posted on the author’s Facebook page on 20-2-2018. The piece reflects on how translation introduced and reshaped the concept of “democracy” in Arab political vocabulary, citing Libyan scholar Dr. Sadiq al-Niyehum.
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicInformation Leaks — Timing and SignificanceThe article examines recent leaks of conversations and documents in the Middle East, their historical precedents such as WikiLeaks and the Sykes-Picot revelations, and the timing and political effects of such disclosures.
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicExcerpts from the Depths of Books (3)This piece examines John C. Maxwell’s Failing Forward, cites reviewers’ remarks, and summarizes Maxwell’s fifteen points and seven abilities for turning failure into constructive progress.
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicFrom the Depths of Books (4): Assassination of the MindAn excerpt from Burhan Ghalioun’s Assassination of the Mind examines the crisis of Arab culture amid Salafist influence, dependency, and ideological polarization, arguing for plural dialogue and creative cultural renewal.
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicFrom the Bookshelves (5): Short Life InstructionsThis piece reviews Jackson Brown's Short Life Instructions, a collection of 1,530 daily notes the author wrote to his son Adam. It gives a brief sample of the book's practical advice and reflects on the father's hope that his son would follow it.
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicFrom the Depths of Books (6): Islam in CaptivityAn excerpt from Dr. Al-Sadiq Al-Nihum's book "Islam in Captivity" examining how Arab states' centralized control of funds and governance prevents citizen participation, likening the state to a prison and advocating for freedom and public ownership.
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThe Elderly and the Very OldThe article examines how elderly people in Arab societies are marginalized by law and custom, denied participation and institutions, and often lack representation despite their capacity to contribute.
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicHypocrisy: Is It a Necessity of Contemporary Life?The essay examines the prevalence and types of hypocrisy in contemporary society, citing media examples and religious sayings, and asks how hypocrisy can be reduced.
- Oversight & AccountabilityTranslated from ArabicDistribution of Schools in Palestine’s Northern GovernoratesThis article examines shortcomings in the Ministry of Education’s procedures for assessing and prioritizing the need for school buildings in the northern governorates and summarizes the findings and conclusions of the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB).
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThe International Dimensions of Palestinian Independence: the All-Palestine GovernmentThe article examines Arab and international roles in Palestinian efforts toward independence, focusing on the 1948 All-Palestine Government, its funding, political divisions, and legacy.
- Finance & BankingTranslated from ArabicFreezing and Confiscation of Palestinians’ Bank Account Balances at Banks Operating in 1948This article draws on a Harvard doctoral dissertation that examines what happened to the financial assets and bank accounts of Palestinians in 1948, including freezes and seizures affecting accounts, deposits, trust funds, and the collapse of the Palestine Currency Board.
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicIntellectual SleepLooks at Al-Sadiq Al-Niyahum’s idea of “intellectual sleep,” comparing widespread social conformity in many Arab states to hypnotic suggestion and discussing how regimes shape public belief and erode freedoms.
- Oversight & AccountabilityTranslated from ArabicRaising the Level of Secrecy on Classified Documents in Western CountriesThe article examines how Western governments classify and withhold historical documents, the different time-based secrecy rules (30–75 years), and researchers' legal efforts to obtain disclosure.
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThe American JASTA LawThe article examines the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), its 2016 ratification by the US Congress, its challenge to state sovereign immunity before US courts, and the potential risks it poses to Saudi and Gulf investments and deposits in the United States.
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicFrom the Archive of Arab Politics: Atlanta Library, United StatesThe article reports on Jimmy Carter’s 1998 lecture and archival material at the Carter Library in Atlanta about the Camp David Accords, including Saudi private support, Sadat’s conditions, and Carter’s call for a Palestinian homeland in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
- Oversight & AccountabilityTranslated from ArabicActivities of the Committee for the Resistance of the Wall and Settlements under the Strategic PlanThe article examines audit-identified weaknesses in the Committee for the Resistance of the Wall and Settlements’ planning, internal systems, staffing, disbursement procedures, vehicle management, and attendance controls.
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicA Financial and Political Siege on the Palestinian National AuthorityThe article examines how converging financial and political pressures—including a US aid freeze and proposed Israeli deductions from clearing revenues—are affecting the Palestinian National Authority. It cites preliminary PCBS and Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) data for Q1 2018.
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThank You, IrelandThe article reports on the Irish Senate’s July 2018 approval of a draft law banning the import or sale of goods produced in "occupied lands," notes the vote (25 for, 20 against, 14 abstentions), and describes next parliamentary review. It also expresses solidarity with nonviolent struggle against occupation.
- The Palestinian Economy in FiguresTranslated from Arabic2017 Statistics: the West Bank (including Jerusalem) and the Gaza StripA review of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics’ 2017 census preliminary results, examining population distribution in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, trends in Christian population, literacy, unemployment, youth share, labor participation, disabilities, vacant buildings and Area C residents.
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicAn Old TaleThe article examines Paul D. Wolfowitz’s strategic ideas and influence, notably his advocacy of U.S. military dominance and tactics such as presenting Arabs with faits accomplis.
- Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicMy Story with the 'Sabr' Plant in Our Neighborhood in Al-BirehA personal account of the author’s gardening life at a rented house in Al-Bireh from 2007–2022, detailing care for olives, citrus, grapes, vegetables, flowers and the sabr (prickly pear).
- Oversight & AccountabilityTranslated from ArabicLicense Agreements for Mobile and Fixed-Line Telecom Companies in PalestineThis article presents observations from the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB)’s 2021 audit of license agreements for Palestine’s mobile and fixed-line telecom companies, detailing alleged regulatory, payment, and oversight shortcomings.