Pope John Paul II had to cancel plans to visit Iraq at the turn of this century as escalating tensions with the United States undermined negotiations with Saddam Hussein for a papal visit. Pope Benedict XVI had to cancel his plans because of security concerns. And almost until the moment he boarded the papal plane […]

RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (NYTIMES) – The vast majority of Palestinians living in the occupied territories have yet to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, setting off a rancorous debate about whether Israel has a duty to vaccinate Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. But among Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, questions are now being asked of […]

JERUSALEM — The question of who is and isn’t a Jew has always been a subject of debate within Israel. Since the state was founded, the government has largely deferred to Orthodox Jewish authorities, who do not view converts to more liberal forms of Judaism as Jewish. But on Monday, the Israeli Supreme Court struck […]

JERUSALEM — The question of who is and isn’t a Jew has always been a subject of debate within Israel. Since the state was founded, the government has largely deferred to Orthodox Jewish authorities, who do not view converts to more liberal forms of Judaism as Jewish. But on Monday, the Israeli Supreme Court struck […]

JERUSALEM (REUTERS) – Israel approved plans on Sunday (Feb 28) to offer Covid-19 vaccines to Palestinians with Israeli work permits, a step a rights group said did not go far enough to safeguard Palestinians in occupied territory. The Palestinians have received relatively few doses to date and lag far behind Israel, which has vaccinated over […]

Covid cases are surging again in the West Bank amid a dispute over Israel’s obligations toward the Palestinians in the occupied territories. By Isabel Kershner JERUSALEM — The Palestinian Authority on Saturday announced a new set of lockdown restrictions in the West Bank as coronavirus infections surge and Palestinians await the rollout of a significant […]

RIYADH (REUTERS) – “No smoking gun,” pro-government Saudi commentators concluded in response to a US intelligence assessment that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had approved the operation to capture or kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi. A few minutes after the report was released, many Saudis flooded Twitter with the hashtag saying, “We are all Mohammed bin […]

BEIRUT (REUTERS) – Syria said US air strikes against Iranian-backed militias in the east of the country on Friday (Feb 26) were a cowardly act and urged President Joe Biden not to follow “the law of the jungle”. An Iraqi militia official close to Iran said the strikes killed one fighter and wounded four. US […]

After a decade of war, the biggest threat now to President Bashar al-Assad is an economic crisis. But at a recent meeting, he had no concrete solutions to his country’s extreme distress. By Ben Hubbard and Hwaida Saad BEIRUT, Lebanon — In a private meeting with pro-government journalists, President Bashar al-Assad was asked about Syria’s […]

RIYADH (BLOOMBERG) – Women in Saudi Arabia can now take up arms and enter the military, the latest profession in the kingdom to open up to female recruits. Saudi Arabian women can be employed as soldiers, lance corporals, corporals, sergeants, and staff sergeants, according to the Saudi-based Arab News. Jobs have been gradually opening up […]