As it stands today, Israel’s government is a system of extreme proportional representation. There is hardly an ethnic minority or political group lacking representation. While at face value this may seem to be the fairest system, it is in fact a deeply flawed way of governance. The way it works is the public votes for […]
Reports are swirling that nearly $ 7 billion of Iraq’s oil money, siphoned into the country to rebuild critical infrastructure, may have simply been lifted by some enterprising crooks
Israelis often pride themselves as being the only democracy in the Middle East. Israelis compare their actions to those of their neighbors, often using the clause, “Well, Hamas did worse” as rationale for an Israeli action. For Israel to take the high ground, the Jewish state must act like it by actually being more democratic, […]
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently posted a job opening, that of chief managing director. Their outgoing chief left in a hurry and a search is currently underway to replace him. Several names have been tossed around in consideration of the position, including the head of Israel’s central bank, Stanley Fischer. Despite his high qualifications, […]
The Following piece is written by a Yemeni-based journalist who writes for the Foreign Policy Blogs network and, due to serious security concerns, remains anonymous. Brigadier General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar was before he defected last April a powerful ally and close relative of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. For over 30 years, General Mohsen has been […]
The Following piece is written by a Yemeni-based journalist who writes for the Foreign Policy Blogs network and, due to serious security concerns, remains anonymous. About a week ago, President Saleh was the victim of an assassination attempt when a bomb exploded within the Presidential compound. As a result of his injuries, Ali Abdullah Saleh […]
The Following piece is written by a Yemeni-based journalist who writes for the Foreign Policy Blogs network and, due to serious security concerns, remains anonymous. A little over a week has passed since President Ali Abdullah Saleh was taken to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment. And since, Yemen is no closer to finding a solution […]
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) managed to win its third consecutive general election, while increasing its vote percentage again. AKP’s single-party government had received 34.28% of the votes in 2002; then 46.58% in 2007 and now 49.90% in 2011 elections, exceeding many expectations and analyses that foresaw AKP’s probable vote percentage around the […]
As the current civil crisis rages in Syria, Lebanon and others await the outcome. Coinciding with the so-called Arab Awakening throughout the Middle East, demonstrations that started earlier this year in Syria have continued to build. The protests have been met with force by the government. The Tunisian and Egyptian governments fell quickly in the […]
Syrian President Esad’s regime is still standing despite the weeks long protests and callings for a regime change in Syria. Recently, the Syrian National Television released the videos of military operations on a northern town, Cisr el Sugur. Many people from Cisr el Sugur and surrounding towns are already on the move to run from […]
Marc Stanley, the Chairman of the Jewish National Democratic Council, wrote an article in August 2008 lauding President Obama’s (then the Democratic candidate) trip to Israel as a “reaffirm[ation] [of] his commitment to Israel’s peace and security.” However, since he has taken office, President Obama has yet to visit Israel. Far right-wingers point to his […]
Originally appeared in: Political Reflection Quarterly. Volume 2, Issue 1. (Spring, 2011) H. Akın Ünver, PhD — Turkey’s opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has been undergoing an important and profound transformation since May 2010, which began with the resignation of Deniz Baykal, the party’s chairman for more than 15 years, as a result of sex scandal allegations. Following Baykal’s resignation, […]
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