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Dr. Michael Sharnoff
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Dr. Michael Sharnoff is founder and editor of Sharnoff's Global Views,â„¢ unique original content by internationals for Americans about politics, economics, technology, the environment and other relevant issues. For instant updates and breaking news, please join our worldwide community on Facebook and Twitter.

Blog Entries by Dr. Michael Sharnoff

Jordan, Egypt and Palestine in 2013

(79) Comments | Posted January 1, 2013 | 1:59 PM

Since the 1993 Oslo Accords, a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians has remained elusive. The politically correct paradigm proffered by the international community including Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the United States has been two states, two peoples: an independent Palestinian state including the West Bank and...

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What Is the Purpose of the Arab League? (Part Two)

(4) Comments | Posted December 27, 2012 | 8:59 PM

Go here for Part One

Nine months ago, I wrote that the 22 member Arab League and 56 member Organization of Islamic Cooperation demanded a UN (Western) intervention in Syria to protect Syrian civilians against President Bashar al-Assad's brutal crackdown.

Fact: Muslim nations are perfectly...

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The Syrian Morality Test

(9) Comments | Posted August 16, 2012 | 12:21 PM

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which comprises 57 nations and represents Muslims worldwide, has agreed to suspend Syria's membership for the extreme brutality of Bashar Assad's regime. Iran, Syria's sole Middle Eastern ally, rejects the decision.

This largely symbolic action comes after 17 months of Assad's crackdown...

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Palestinian Attitudes Toward Israel

(83) Comments | Posted May 24, 2012 | 4:33 PM

As the uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East enter into their second year, how have these unprecedented events impacted Palestinian attitudes toward Israel? Will Palestinians be emboldened to mimic these revolts and collectively decide to embark on another intifada? Will they continue to pursue unilateral efforts to declare...

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What People of Conscience Need to Know about Norway

(84) Comments | Posted May 3, 2012 | 11:02 AM

Casual observers of the Middle East are no doubt aware of the deeply anti-Semitic and anti- Zionist attitudes in the leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. These groups make little attempt to conceal their desire for a world without Israel, and care not whether this goal is...

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Jordanians and Palestinians at a New Crossroad

(86) Comments | Posted April 18, 2012 | 4:06 PM

In the past decade, the Jordanian government has initiated a controversial policy of rescinding the citizenship of thousands of Palestinians. On April 12, Jordan announced it will also invalidate the passports of Palestinians affiliated with the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization. This harsh action has...

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Global March to Jerusalem Is Not All About Palestinian Rights

(125) Comments | Posted March 27, 2012 | 10:35 PM

As I have mentioned in previous articles, in the absence of a political settlement, Palestinians will undertake unilateral measures to pressure Israel for concessions and recognition. On March 30, the Global March to Jerusalem (GMJ), a nongovernmental organization comprised primarily of Palestinian, Arab and Muslim supporters...

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What is the Purpose of the Arab League?

(3) Comments | Posted March 1, 2012 | 5:20 PM

On February 23, Arab League chief Nabil ElAraby urged the United Nations Security Council to issue a ceasefire in Syria. This appeal comes 11 months after Bashar Assad began his brutal crackdown, which has taken the lives of more than 7,500 civilians.

What...

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The End of Pan-Arabism Redux

(5) Comments | Posted February 22, 2012 | 12:49 PM

In his 1999 book, The Dream Palace of the Arabs, Middle East scholar Fouad Ajami examines how Arab nationalism -- a secular concept which advocates Arab unity via language and culture -- not religion -- went into decline following the 1967 War, the 1973 War and the 1982 Israeli invasion...

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King Abdullah's Growing Anxiety Over the Two-State Solution

(49) Comments | Posted February 15, 2012 | 7:07 PM

Jordan's struggle with its political identity is not something new, but the social media, the Arab Spring and stalled Israeli-Palestinian negotiations has revived concerns about Jordan's future. Jordan ruled the West Bank -- territory which the international community now regards as Palestinian -- from 1949 to 1967. However,...

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Reflections on a New Hamas Strategy

(65) Comments | Posted February 8, 2012 | 3:29 PM

As I previously noted, a multilateral approach advocated by the Arab Peace Initiative could have the potential to prevent Palestinian unilateralism, which offer no security guarantees to Israel. On February 6, in an effort to unite rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah, Mahmoud Abbas signed a

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Taking Advantage of the Calm Before the Storm

(6) Comments | Posted January 31, 2012 | 7:10 PM

Last week, I asserted that it was unlikely that the Israelis and Palestinians would achieve a diplomatic breakthrough by January 26. The history of failed bilateral negotiations shows that it may be time to try a novel and multilateral approach advocated by the Arab Peace Initiative.

This...

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Reexamining the Arab Peace Initiative

(81) Comments | Posted January 24, 2012 | 4:12 PM

The series of direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians which began in Amman on January 3 are scheduled to end on January 26. While the Middle East Quartet may extend this deadline to continue negotiations, it appears this would have little effect in formulating any comprehensive agreement. Neither...

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King Abdullah's Talks With President Obama

(40) Comments | Posted January 17, 2012 | 12:46 PM

A key item on the agenda for Jordanian King Abdullah's meeting with President Obama on January 17 will be the fate of Israel-Palestinian negotiations. Jordan hosted a series of direct talks between Israel and the PLO which began on January 3. Israeli and Palestinian officials have agreed to...

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Confronting Palestinian Reactions to Failed Talks With Israel

(108) Comments | Posted January 12, 2012 | 2:25 PM

In the autumn of 2011, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas embarked on a controversial diplomatic offensive to have the United Nations recognize the state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital. While Abbas asserts that this strategy is neither intended to delegitimize nor embarrass Israel, the United States, Israel and...

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How Will Egyptian Islamists Rule?

(10) Comments | Posted January 3, 2012 | 11:10 AM

Polling data in Egypt suggests that Islamist parties will gain a majority of seats in Egypt's future parliament. While it is too soon to predict whether an Islamist government in Egypt can coexist with democracy, and whether it can adopt a truly "Egypt-first" approach which focuses on domestic...

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