29 Oct
2014 November/December, World

Opinion // ISIS Commits Cultural Genocide

Militants sever the ties that connect the region to the world—and history by Amy E. Schwartz In 2010, Bonnie Burnham, president of the World Monuments Fund, paid a visit to historic Aleppo, Syria to see the triumphant conclusion of a 10-year restoration and conservation of the historic citadel.  “Aleppo was bursting with optimism,” she recalled in New York recently at a press conference to highlight the ghastly cultural destruction that, along with human carnage, has overtaken the region since. “Palaces were being reopened as luxury hotels. Tour operators were signing contracts with international vendors, caterers, shopping centers. “For now,” she added, stating the obvious, “those dreams are on hold.” Destruction of cultural heritage—of which the obliteration of Aleppo’s old city, minaret and Great Mosque since 2012 is only one tragic example—has been a shocking subtext of the violence crashing over Syria...

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30 Aug
Uncategorized

Egypt on the Edge

By Adina RosenthalTensions in the Middle East have sadly reached a familiar high.  Recently, Gaza militants ambushed Israeli vehicles in southern Israel near Eilat, killing eight people in the deadliest attack in three years. In addition to this premeditated act of terrorism, militants launched more than 150 rockets and mortars into Israel—despite a ceasefire—killing one, injuring scores of civilians and inciting panic throughout southern Israel.While such hostilities at the hands of terrorists are a tragedy, unfortunately, they are not an anomaly. When news breaks concerning violence against Israelis, the word “Gaza” usually seems to follow closely behind. Despite the recent events being perpetrated by Gaza militants, the backdrop behind the atrocities should also raise some eyebrows.Despite the difficulty in entering a heavily guarded Israel, the Gaza militants were able to travel through a lax Egyptian...

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04 May
Uncategorized

Now What? How Israel Should Respond to Palestinian Unity

By Sophie Taylor In light of the recent upheaval in the Middle East, Moment’s Niv Elis spoke to 16 experts on what the changes mean for Israel and how it should move forward in light of those changes. While the range of thinkers expounded upon many different scenarios, none could predict what happened next; today, the opposing Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas met in Cairo and proclaimed a unity deal, complicating peace efforts for Israel and the United States. Here are what a few of the thinkers in our roundup have had to say about the newest development: Aaron David Miller, who argued in Moment that Israel lacks a coherent strategy in the face of dramatic change, writes in Business Week:  "This peace at home will guarantee greater political conflict with both Israel and the U.S. and, if Palestinians...

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