Somewhere Over the Separation Barrier
December 18, 2013
Article originally written for The Daily Beast, published on December 18th, 2013. I tweet too much. When tweeps follow me, I immediately warn them that I am super annoying and wonât take it personally if they unfollow me for flooding their feed. My addiction to expressing myself in 140 characters finally paid off when a…
‘Omar’ and the Oscars
December 16, 2013
Article originally written for The Daily Beast, published on December 16th, 2013. On Friday the 13th, the movie âOmarâ won Best Film at the Dubai Film Festival. There is very little I could tell you about the plot of Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu Assadâs new thriller without turning this piece into one big spoiler. Abu…
Hey-Hey, Ho-Ho, Mahmoud Abbas Has Got to Go
December 3, 2013
Yesterday morning I woke up to the disturbing news that the Palestinian Authority (PA) had arrested both the father of one of my dearest friends in the world and my brother-in-law. Why, you ask? They dared to point out the fact that the emperor, Mahmoud Abbas, has been running all over Ramallah without clothes. To…
Gaza to Jersey: A Star is Born
November 25, 2013
Article originally written for The Daily Beast, published on November 25th, 2013. On Friday, November 15, I put on my favorite Palestinian-themed T-shirt and shimmied over to the Ritz Theatre in Elizabeth, New Jersey to witness Mohammed Assaf perform live. I first stumbled upon Assaf, dubbed the Rocket of Gaza, six months ago while watching clips of…
Radioactive Revelations Raise the Question: Who Killed Arafat?
November 8, 2013
âWho killed Arafat?â That was the big question on November 6, when the findings of a team of Swiss forensic experts, sponsored by Al Jazeera to figure out what killed Arafat, were made public. The team found elevated levels of polonium while testing bone samples from the late Palestinian president's recently exhumed corpse. Although the Swiss…
The Erekat Came Back
November 5, 2013
ohn Kerryâs quest to bring peace to the Middle East was dealt a severe blow this week when Mahmoud Abbas confirmed that Saeb Erekat, Palestineâs chief negotiator, had resigned and was taking the team with him. Abbas didnât panic because Saeb Erekat canât quit quitting. His nickname is, "The Erekat that Came Back," and Abu Mazen had…
The IDF Eid Crasher
October 17, 2013
The State of Israel prides itself on being masters of public image. They are experts at marketing Israel as a tourist paradise (as long as youâre not a tourist of Palestinian descent) and spinning the occupation as an inconvenience that visitors shouldn't worry their little heads about. Israel also tries very hard to present herself…
Ovaries on Overdrive in the Saudi Kingdom
October 9, 2013
Article originally written for The Daily Beast, published on October 9th, 2013. A defiant group of women have pledged online to hit the road and go for a little drive in Saudi Arabia on October 26, 2013. This is not the first time the women of Saudi Arabia have attempted to break the ban on…
Netanyahuâs Iran Soliloquy at the U.N.
October 2, 2013
On October 1, the 68th United Nations General Assembly's final speaker of 2013 took the stage at the U.N. headquarters in New York City. Benjamin Netanyahu, representing Israel, was tardy in getting his paperwork in and ended up in the unfortunate position of going last, after all the big names had gone home or passed…
Clashes at Al Aqsa, Speeches at the UNGA
September 27, 2013
Mahmoud Abbas has had a very big week. On Tuesday, the Palestinian president met with President Obama and reiterated his commitment to securing a peace deal within the nine months allotted to him by Secretary of State John Kerry. Abbas received a pat on the back and a hearty handshake from POTUS who, in return,…