Israel
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Iran and Israel
"A war of extremisms"
Both Israel and Iran are driven by dangerous forms of fundamentalism, says former IAEA analyst Behrooz Bayat. He explains how close Tehran is to developing a nuclear bomb and the logic behind Israel's attacks.
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Abu Shabab in Gaza
A militia under Netanyahu's control
An armed group is making headlines in Gaza. Led by Abu Shabab, the militia stands accused of looting aid and attacking starving civilians, while enjoying quiet backing from Israel as a means to undermine Hamas.
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Displacement in Gaza
A whole life in one bag
The Israeli offensive in Gaza has displaced thousands of people multiple times. Many carry with them a single bag containing identity documents, a few personal belongings and traces of the lives they left behind.
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Weapons exports to Israel
"Unlawful arms export licences have likely been issued"
Germany remains one of Israel's top arms suppliers, a situation likely to persist under Friedrich Merz. According to Lilian Löwenbrück from the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, politicians and manufacturers could face charges for complicity in crimes against international law.
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Germany's new government
Merz, Netanyahu and the reason of state
Under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Germany is expected to double down on its support for Israel, even if it means sidelining international law. Domestically, repression of Israel's critics is set to intensify.
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Pankaj Mishra on Germany, Israel and Palestine
"An anarchic, nihilistic world"
The West, particularly Germany, has instrumentalised Holocaust remembrance to justify state violence, argues Pankaj Mishra. A conversation on suppressed colonial histories, Western complicity in Gaza and Germany's role in the erosion of international law.
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Cairo's Jewish Quarter
The neighbourhood that shaped a nation
In his new book, Egyptian author Ahmed Zakaria Zaki explores the 19th-century history of Cairo's Jewish Quarter, tracing the social transformations within the city's Jewish community and its reaction to the emergent Zionist movement.
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Civil society since the Arab Spring
Europe must support the agents of change
Civil society organisations in West Asia and North Africa face widespread repression. But instead of supporting activists on the ground, European policymakers continue to prop up autocratic regimes.
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New books on Gaza
Turning point, failure, moral abdication
Four well-known authors address the global consequences of Gaza's destruction and Western support for Israel, or as one frames it: the "world after Gaza". Charlotte Wiedemann takes a look.
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Volleyball in Gaza
Playing without fear
An amateur women's volleyball team in Gaza is offering displaced people a sense of peace amid the destruction. The women on the team dream of a lasting end to Israel's war on the enclave.
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Musician Michael Barenboim on Gaza
"Nothing justifies genocide"
Violinist Michael Barenboim, leader of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, calls for an arms embargo against Israel and argues that the German media has failed in its responsibilities. He tells Qantara how he balances art and activism.
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Gaza documentary "Yalla Parkour"
It all started with a smile
The documentary "Yalla Parkour", which held its European premiere at the Berlinale, is a tribute to Gaza before 7 October—and an urgent appeal to support the survivors of the war.