Category Archives: Middle East

What We Have Here Is A “Flagrantly Undemocratic Situation.”

Posted on November 26, 2011 by wallwritings

by James M. Wall In the words of Ha’aretz publisher Amos Schochken, Gush Emunim has seized control of power in Israel and driven the state into a “flagrantly undemocratic situation.” How was it possible for this much power to be seized by … Continue reading →

Posted in Media, Middle East, Religious Faith | 12 Comments

Palestine Enters UNESCO in 107 to 14 Vote

Posted on November 1, 2011 by wallwritings

by James M. Wall To mounting excitement and wild applause, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), voted 107-14 with 52 abstentions, to approve full Palestinian membership in the international body. The vote came on Monday. Fully aware … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle East, Middle East Politics, United Nations | 19 Comments

Palestinians Are “Marching To Freedom Land”

Posted on October 1, 2011 by wallwritings

by James M. Wall A warning to the United States and Israel is embedded in a New York Times analysis entitled, “Arab Debate Pits Islamists Against Themselves”. The warning lies in the reality that the Palestinian people are on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle East, Middle East Politics, Politics and Elections | 8 Comments

Palestinians Join The Arab Spring And Reach For UN Membership

Posted on June 11, 2011 by wallwritings

By James M. Wall Five years before the 2011 Arab Spring, Hamas won a decisive victory in the January 25, 2006, Palestinian parliamentary elections. The United States and Israel had both endorsed the participation of Hamas in the 2006 elections, putting aside … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle East, Middle East Politics | 11 Comments

Obama Team Missed Egypt Signals

Posted on February 13, 2011 by wallwritings

by James M. Wall The Obama administration was not prepared for the Egyptian revolution. Nicholas Kristof knows this. He is highly critical of the US approach when he writes: Egyptians triumphed over their police state without Western help or even … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle East, Middle East Politics | 13 Comments

Benevolent US Father Exposed; Favors Prodigal Son Over Elder Brother

Posted on January 30, 2011 by wallwritings

by James M. Wall The Al Jazeera collection of  secret documents from US, Israeli and Palestinian peace negotiators, paints a highly negative picture of the three participants. We will need a biblical parable to help explain how these three governments fell … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle East, Religious Faith | 5 Comments

US Offers Bibi 20 F-35 Fighters, The Jordan Valley and a Free UN Pass

Posted on November 21, 2010 by wallwritings

by James M. Wall Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been meeting with his seven-member inner cabinet. They are discussing the offer Hillary Clinton made as an incentive to Israel to “freeze” settlement construction for 90 days. If you are … Continue reading →

Posted in Media, Middle East, Middle East Politics | 8 Comments

Israeli Propaganda Blames UNRWA For “Refugee Problem”

Posted on October 25, 2010 by wallwritings

by James M. Wall The headline on a Miami Herald column began, “Time to Start Planning….”. A Florida newspaper with that headline? Surely, this story will be about finding a place to retire. Not so fast. “Time to Start Planning … Continue reading →

Posted in Media, Middle East | 2 Comments

Who “Won” the PCUSA Assembly? The Answer May Surprise You

Posted on July 18, 2010 by wallwritings

by James M. Wall (See Updated Comment from PCUSA Commissioner Pete Bloss at end of Comments.) Who “won” the Minneapolis Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly? To answer that question, we first need to ask, who did not win? The religious … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle East, Religious Faith | 16 Comments

This is No Longer Your Daddy’s Presbyterian Church (USA)

Posted on July 12, 2010 by wallwritings

by James M. Wall When commissioners to the 219th Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly left Minneapolis, they departed from a GA that achieved amazing, surprising, and unexpected results. Reports on the Assembly in the secular media were formulaic, shaped by … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle East, Middle East Politics, Religious Faith | 6 Comments