|
Bar-Ilan: Managing Conflict: Can Religion Succeed Where Politics Has Failed?
by Ben Mollov
 How can work in micro-level dialogue, which may help in improving mutual perceptions and interactions on the individual or group level, also have an impact on the macro level? Based on our empirical experience and the general approach we have been developing, the inter-religious dialogue, although starting on the inter-group level and helping to improve mutual perceptions, can also take us to a deeper level of discourse necessary for conflict management. (JCPA)
UC Santa Cruz: Perspective on Middle East Politics
by Gilbert Stein
 The Bush administration's stance on Islamic terrorism and the continuing American involvement in Iraq is troublesome for any liberal thinker. However, we should refrain from creating conspiracy theories when reality doesn't match what we want to believe. This is especially true if these theories target a specific ethnic group. I read the rhetorical question, "Who's running American foreign policy?" as a not-so-subtle insinuation that it is the Jews and Israel to blame for our foreign policy disasters. My concern is that this is not that much different than the accusations of Hitler and Stalin more than half a century ago. The writer is a UCSC alumnus. (UC Santa Cruz Currents)
|
Interdisciplinary Center Herzilya: Analysis: Nasrallah Could Take Power Within 5 Years
by Boaz Ganor
 "Nasrallah and Hizballah have two objectives, short- and long-term, in two different arenas – in Lebanon and in the region. In the Lebanese arena, the short-term goal is changing the political balance in such a way that will improve the status of the Shiite community in the eyes of the other ethnic groups in Lebanon and their political representation. In the long-term, the goal is to turn Lebanon into a Shiite caliphate according to sharia law similar to Iran. On the regional level, Hizballah's short-term goal is to expel Israel from Lebanon, and in the long-term to eradicate the State of Israel and establish a radical Islamic regime in its place. When we look at these objectives, we see that Nasrallah has achieved the goals he set for himself in the short-term. The only thing left for him now is to complete his long-term objectives." (Ynet News)
|