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A Mess Indeed: Security in the Middle East
I had lunch with Amos Harel of Ha'aretz a few months ago in Tel Aviv, and he floated the idea of starting a blog on security issues in the Middle East that would reach a larger audience than his normal posts for Israel's newspaper of record. (Or is that Yedioth Ahronoth these days? I honestly don't know.) I normally enjoy the reporting Amos does with Avi Issacharoff, so I am enjoying their new blog, even if it reads less as a blog and more as just another section of Ha'aretz. Both guys are excellent journalists who would (and probably did) make the late Ze'ev Schiff proud. (Avi, in particular, earned kudos for physically protecting Palestinian families from crazy religious-nationalist settlers two years back.) The one thing that bothers me, though, aside from the format, is how isolated the discussion is. I mean, it's all about Israel and the Palestinian Territories. And that's fine, as that's the beat walked by Harel and Issacharoff. But it's less "the Middle East" and more "a slice of the eastern Mediterranean."
On a serious note, you wonder whether or not Israel's isolation in the region has made the perspective of its reporters increasingly blinkered. If I were the editor of Ha'aretz, I would send talented guys like Amos and Avi off to report from Washington or London or Tokyo for a year to get a more global view of security before returning home to report on the IDF and the territories. Have them do a fellowship at CSIS or RUSI or something. One of the things I thought was cool about Schiff is how plugged in he was with the policy debates taking place in Washington and Europe.
Another thing I would like to see -- and this is by no means the responsibility of any one journalist or newspaper -- is a good blog on Middle East security issues written by reporters from all around the region, with bloggers from Cairo, Baghdad, Beirut, Tel Aviv, the Palestinian Territories, Yemen, etc. all joining in. Is that too much to ask for? Some newspapers have tried to do this, but with budgets shrinking, what you end up getting is two or three English-speaking journalists trying to cover an entire region with little coordination and too few resources.
That having been said, I think Amos and Avi have perhaps chanced upon the most appropriate name for a blog covering security in the Middle East. Middle East Security Survey. Or: MESS. I plan to be a regular reader and look forward to their future posts.
P.S. Speaking of Israel, followers of my Twitter feed will know I saw none other than Tzipi Livni wandering around 7th Street NW in Chinatown yesterday. Lady Muqawama spotted her first and made me walk into the Anne Taylor store to confirm. I walked in, started scanning the store, and was like, "Not famous ... not famous ... not famous ... woah, hey, it's Tzipi Livni!" The AIPAC conference, of course, is going on right now, which you can follow here if it interests you. (I'm personally not that interested, honestly, for pretty much the exact reasons Jeffrey Goldberg C'87 lists here.) Now if any of you want to leave comments below, by all means do so, and feel free to tell me whether or not I should have either given Livni a big hug and kiss or arrested her for war crimes. But let's keep the discussion free of ugly anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim or anti-Arab slurs, okay? Because those are not cool.
"But let's keep the
"But let's keep the discussion free of ugly anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim or anti-Arab slurs, okay? Because those are not cool."
So much for free speech.
See
See http://www.cnas.org/blogs/abumuqawama/2010/03/why-we-cant-have-pretty-things.htmlOh my
Oh my http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/182705-1
you wonder whether or not
you wonder whether or not Israel's isolation in the region has made the perspective of its reporters increasingly blinkered.
###
And the evidence for that is?
This DOES remind me of the beginning of The Lexus and the Olive Tree, in which Friedman says his new beat exposed him to new perspectives (and whatever you think of Friedman and any of his other work, I contend that TLATOLT is a good book).. Still, the idea of essentially making Israeli journalists Fellows (interns?) strikes me as a bit weird. I'm not sure how "unplugged" they actually are.
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Having just gotten through a
Having just gotten through a couple of Martin van Creveld's books, I wonder whether it's America's position as a dominant empire that makes ITS journalists "blinkered". I wouldn't worry about the Israelis.
You thought I was serious?
You thought I was serious?
Israeli journos are very
Israeli journos are very constrained by what they can write about. Ask your friends about the rules of the military censor.
Israeli journalists are less
Israeli journalists are less constrained in many ways than MSM reporters.
While there is serious censorship of Israeli news when there are lives at stake, it is sometimes quite worrying how much stuff that the US would consider as classified 'OPSEC' gets into the Israeli news, both English and Hebrew.
Some of this is due to the fact that everybody knows everybody else, and they all tell everybody everything, as in Facebook being used as an 'ops planner'.
Take, as another example, the level of detail about the friendly-fire death that just happened on the Gaza border.
In regards to being "blinkered", my experience with Israelis, from soldier to kibbutzniks to academics, is that the individual's ideological position, left/right/dove /hawk, whatever, is the major factor in how they view the world, not lack of information or access to it.
Being Scottish and having
Being Scottish and having endured a struggle lasting 300 years ( my country , not me personally ) I view the Palestinian struggle as one off the greatest the world has seen considering the strenth of the American\Israelie alliance. What amazes me is when they talk to the cameras they can keep a straight face. Obama said when he visited Palestine that "the walls of division must come down". Well President Obama the wall of shame is 5 times the lenth and 2.5 times the height of the Berlin Wall and still groing. You mate have failed miserebly. As for Tippy Lyvni she is a war criminal, thats why she cant come to Britain now.
Sandy Howden, Edinburgh, Scotland
When you are ready. You have
When you are ready. You have a blogger ready in Ramallah.
Just looked in after a
Just looked in after a while.Is that message about a blogger aimed at me? That would be really cool if it is.
Only dont know how to blog or where. If not I apologise. My heart goes out to the fine people off Ramalla. In the many years and centuries ahead your people will take much strenth and pride in the struggle you are enduring because one day this will, I repeat will end and you will still be standing,only about two feet taller and bursting with pride, heads held high. The Israelis will be walking about looking at their shoes.Heads hung in shame. Scotland fought the English for hundreds of years and at the end ended up owning them in a funny sort of way. He was a good guy King James 1st of Scoland. Take heed Israel!.
Sandy Howden, Edinburgh Scotland
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There is so many different
There is so many different security issues going on in the middle east. We have to control this better in the future. I do not see a fix in the near future. There is so much going on to control this. Forex Currency Trading
Though the whole Middle East
Though the whole Middle East is a mess indeed, Israel and Palestine struggle is the pivot of it. Violence breeds violence. Peace cannot be achieved through violence. Both the Israelis and Palestine should realize or the well wishers of them both should sit together and negotiate in between them. Till now political leaders are doing it who don’t think they have anything to lose. So the role should be taken by the journalists to negotiate. Others couldn’t do it because they were politicians and they have some vested interests, people think that way even if they don’t have any. The journos can, we believe.
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I'm a leading journalist in
I'm a leading journalist in India. Not only in Isreal and Palestine there are frequent violence breakups, Such incidents happens in all parts of Middle East. Political controvercies, Terrorism, Blind belief and being more religioustic, gang overs and many other are the root cause for these. Keep updating and I can keep a track on it.
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It make human heart pain to
It make human heart pain to hear that people are being discriminated, harassed, degraded, on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability. The security issues in the Middle East has been a crux for the peace of the world. Violence is breeding hate and violence in return with a double strength.
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I do not understand much
I do not understand much about this post . But it looks like there is something with the security issue in middle east.
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It make human heart pain to
It make human heart pain to hear that people are being discriminated, harassed, degraded, on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability. The security issues in the Middle East has been a crux for the peace of the world. Violence is breeding hate and violence in return with a double strength.
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It make human heart pain to
It make human heart pain to hear that people are being discriminated, harassed, degraded, on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual mcts training orientation or disability. The security issues in the Middle East has been a crux for the peace of the world. Violence is breeding hate and violence in return with a double strength.It make human heart pain to hear that people are being discriminated, harassed, degraded, on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability. The security issues in the Middle East has been a crux for the peace of the world. Violence is breeding hate and violence in return with a double strength.It make human heart pain to hear that people are being discriminated, harassed, degraded, cissp on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability. The security issues in the Middle East has been a crux for the peace of the world. Violence is breeding hate and violence in return with a comptia network+ double strength.It make human heart pain to hear that people are being discriminated, harassed, degraded, on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability. The security itil v3 dumps issues in the Middle East has been a crux for the peace of the world. Violence is breeding hate and violence in return with a double strength.
It make human heart pain to
It make human heart pain to hear that people are being discriminated, harassed, degraded, on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability.
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One day there will be control
One day there will be control in the middle east. I am unsure when that day will come. I cannot understand why there is so many issues going on here all the time. If we can ever get control of this area, the world will be a better place in the future. This will be good to see.
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Love that acronuym: MESS -
Love that acronuym: MESS - very appropriate for Middle East Security Survey - tumble dryers
Hm the Middle East has a
Hm the Middle East has a special position. I recently was there when I won my Konzert Tickets for a nice Event. I liked it a lot and we had a great time, the Konzert Tickets were for a special event there and I will go again
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Lots of interesting thoughts
Lots of interesting thoughts in this post, but I'm not certain I agree with all of it. Have you posted any more on this subject? -John, the Furminator
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