Obama's Visit to Israel Offers Rare Opportunity for Palestine

During the US president’s visit to Israel, writes Clovis Maksoud, it's crucial that discussions with the Palestinian Authority include representatives from Gaza, and that Israel be identified as an occupying  power.

Palestine

Aramaic Language Project in Israel Furthers Recognition of Maronites

Shady Khalloul Risha talks to Jacky Hugi about his quest to revive the Aramaic language and recounts the struggle of the Maronites in Israel to be recognized as an ethnic minority.

Israel

Salafist Factions on Rise At Palestinian Camp in Lebanon

The historically contentious Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh in southern Lebanon has been shaken up by the the surge in the proliferation of hard-line Islamism in the region, Nasser Chararah reports.

Lebanon

New March 14 Group to Launch In Lebanon Next Week

Next week will see the birth of a new current that intends to recapture the spirit of the Lebanese March 14 Movement under the guidance of former MP Samir Franjieh, writes Elie al-Hajj.

Lebanon

Lebanese Elections: Three Scenarios

As Shiite, Sunni and Christian considerations threaten to disrupt and even cancel the Lebanese elections scheduled for this summer, Jean Aziz outlines the three potential paths developments could take in the near future.

Lebanon

Lebanon Foreign Minister Creates Stir Over Syria

Lebanon’s foreign minister, Adnan Mansour, draws criticism from both his own government and the Gulf states by calling for the reinstatement of Assad’s Syria in the Arab League, writes Elie Hajj.

Lebanon

Netanyahu Sets Scene For Obama Visit

Israel's prime minister has stepped up demands for US support while minimizing the visibility of the settlement issue in preparation for the US president's upcoming visit, writes Clovis Maksoud.

Israel

Lebanese Maronites Hope Patriarch is Next Pope

For the first time since Lebanese independence, many Lebanese Maronites think that there is a real chance that their patriarch becomes pope, writes Jean Aziz.

Lebanon

Obama Should Re-Launch Peace Process

Some are expecting US President Barack Obama to relaunch Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, but this should not mean negotiations just for the sake of negotiations that eventually go nowhere, writes Nassif Hitti.

Palestine

Lebanon's Gathering Storm Over Syria

As the Syrian conflict enters its second year, Lebanon's security situation is weakening as sectarian tendencies rise, signaling a coming crisis, writes Scarlett Haddad.

Lebanon

Jabhat al-Nusra and Hezbollah In First Confrontation

For the first time in the 23-month-old Syrian civil war, Jabhat al-Nusra and Hezbollah have been involved in direct confrontations, writes Jean Aziz.

Lebanon

Lebanese Elections Likely to Face Postponement

As the debate regarding the Orthodox Gathering law rages on, amid a complicated web of alliances between Lebanon’s sectarian contingents, elections are unlikely to take place according to schedule, writes Elie Hajj.

Lebanon