30 years after the fall of the Wall, Germans born in 1989 reflect on why right-wing populism is ascendant in the east. […]
A discussion with Karen Donfried and Jeff Gedmin. Reporting by Emily Schultheis. […]
Residents in both Ethiopia and Eritrea complain of a lack of progress on demarcating their shared border despite a much-lauded peace deal, ICWA fellow Robbie Corey-Boulet (Ivory Coast and Cameroon, 2013-2015) reports for Agence France Presse. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end hostilities, but locals say they don’t see the peace. […]
Speaking at a conference of the liberal pro-Israel advocacy group J Street , Bernie Sanders energized the crowd by recommending a tough love approach to Israel, ICWA former fellow Jonathan Guyer (Egypt, 2015-2017) writes in The American Prospect. The senator from Vermont advocated conditioning aid to Israel on its human rights record. “He can take credit for creating space for a more robust discussion of the U.S.-Israel relationship, offering a progressive blueprint going forward,” Jonathan writes. […]
A majority of Central American migrants come from rural communities, where their presence is missed during annual traditions. […]
Johns Hopkins SAIS Magazine features Matt Chitwood (China, 2017-2019) as a noteworthy alum, who is chronicling the transformation of China from his home in a remote village in Yunnan province.
“Changes have been taking place in Bangdong village, where I live,” Matt writes. “Spring tea season has come and gone. Some have married, and some have passed… and my neighbors ate their dog.” […]
France’s far right party, the National Rally, has turned its attention to aggressively campaigning in local elections, Karina Piser (France, 2017-2019) reports for The Financial Times.
“As the National Rally seeks to shed its image as a political pariah and settle into the mainstream, municipal elections have emerged as an indispensable strategy,” she writes. “Although the strategy has yet to translate into national gains, the party has decided that chipping away at local offices will be critical to its long-term success.” […]
The Israeli prime minister’s recent loss in the polls on top of his criminal indictments on corruption charges could mark a new chapter in Israeli politics, former ICWA fellow Neri Zilber (Israel, 2011-2013) writes in an opinion piece for The Globe and Mail.
“It’s all a major comedown for a leader who has, in the later stages of his reign, given new meaning to the term l’état c’est moi,” he writes. “In addition to the premiership, Mr. Netanyahu has been defense minister, too, and holds three other ministry positions as well. The cabinet has been a rubber stamp for decisions he concludes beforehand with his security chiefs.”
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Former ICWA fellow Neri Zilber (Israel, 2011-2013) joins NPR’s Here & Now to discuss how a new Israeli government might look after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition, clearing the way for his rival Benny Gantz to try. Link to Here & Now interview here. Image credits here. […]
On the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Germany’s populist far-right party promises disaffected voters in the east a new ‘Peaceful Revolution.’ […]