Politics
Topics
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The Knesset member Haneen Zoabi
Loathed, reviled ... and excluded from parliament
Haneen Zoabi is a tireless defendent of human rights for Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories. Never afraid to voice harsh criticism, she constantly challenges state and society in Israel. Ulrike Schleicher met the outspoken Israeli politician in Jerusalem
By Ulrike Schleicher -
Attacks and unrest in Jerusalem
A third intifada in the making?
Jerusalem is once again a front-line city, haunted by the spectre of intifada. An update from Inge Günther in Jerusalem
By Inge Günther -
Drone war in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Living in the shadow of the "angels of death"
While the world is spellbound by the atrocities perpetrated by the organisation "Islamic State" in Iraq and Syria, the killing in another region of the world goes on unremarked. The daily lives of people in Afghanistan and Pakistan are affected less by the murders committed by bearded extremists than by unmanned killing machines. By Emran Feroz
By Emran Feroz -
The Uighurs' situation
An escalation of violence in Xinjiang
The number of reports of murders, attacks and unrest from the Chinese province of Xinjiang has been on the rise for months. The province's Uighur population has long complained about being disadvantaged in religious, cultural and social terms. The authorities claim unspecified "terrorists" are responsible for the violence, but the public almost always remains in the dark about the true background to the attacks. By Ulrich von Schwerin.
By Ulrich von Schwerin -
German jihadists
Turning their backs on the West
How is it possible to stop vulnerable young people attracted by the siren call of religious salvation from becoming radicalised and joining IS? Prevention is difficult — sometimes even impossible. By Naomi Conrad
By Naomi Conrad -
Unrest in Egypt's universities
Students in the firing line
The revolution lives on at Egypt's universities – still. But the government is moving ever more quickly to break the students' resistance. Details from Markus Symank in Cairo
By Markus Symank -
Inside Kobani
The political game and the humanitarian crisis
The city of Kobani in northern Syria has been under seige from Islamic State (IS) for over a month now. In recent days, Turkey has allowed a military convoy of Iraqi peshmerga and Free Syrian Army fighters to pass through its territory en route to Kobani. However, the peshmerga are arriving relatively late in the day. Thousands of Kurds from Syria, Turkey and Iraq have already joined the YPG and are in Kobani defending the city. They may all be fighting the same enemy, but they are certainly not united among themselves. By Kiran Nazish in Erbil
By Kiran Nazish -
After the first free parliamentary elections in Tunisia
New horizons or back to square one?
Does the election victory of Nidaa Tounes mean a return to old mechanisms, cronyism and entrenched power structures? Or will the political alliance of convenience succeed in setting a new course for Tunisia's future, fostering socially acceptable compromises and swiftly tackling urgently required economic reforms? By Isabel Schäfer
By Isabel Schäfer -
Democratic transformation in Tunisia
The model student faces difficult tasks
Tunisia is the only one of the Arab Spring nations that is on the road to democracy. Almost four years after the first protests, which began in the south, this North African country has become a beacon of light for the whole Arab world. But in spite of its successes to date, Tunisia still faces some huge challenges. By Ilyas Saliba
By Ilyas Saliba -
Interview with the Tunisian documentary filmmaker Sami Tlili
"We've reached a crossroads"
In conversation with Martina Sabra, the Tunisian literary scholar and documentary filmmaker Sami Tlili talks about the political future of the North African country following the recent parliamentary elections, and the democratic prospects three years after the "Jasmine Revolution"
By Martina Sabra -
The Kurds and Turkish–Iranian relations
Caught between two stools
As differences over Syria and Islamic State continue to deepen between Turkey and Iran, Kurds living across the Middle East are set to become pawns in the intensifying rivalry between these two regional powers. By Dorian Jones in Istanbul
By Dorian Jones -
The Syrian conflict and the fight against IS
Time to treat allies like allies
In Syria, unilateral uncoordinated air strikes against IS (Islamic State) are turning people into victims instead of partners in the battle against terror. If they are to win over the Syrians, the international alliance must treat rebels and activists as allies, says Kristin Helberg
By Kristin Helberg
Most read articles
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German foreign policy
Hunger in Gaza—made in Germany
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Suwayda
Not a local conflict, but geopolitics in disguise
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Iran's monarchists
Producing nostalgia, courting war
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Fairuz
Songs for a Lebanon that never existed
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Sex tourism in Egypt
A bride for the summer
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Gaza
Caught between starvation and deadly aid centres