What citizens of other countries are reading about the Middle East
By COMPILEDTHE MEDIA LINEThe recent American elections may ‘lead to a reevaluation of Washington’s policies toward its allies in the Gulf, and the renewal of its close relationship with Saudi Arabia'(photo credit: REUTERS)The end of Obama’s doctrine Al-Okaz, Saudi Arabia, November 23During the last eight years, America’s foreign policy in the Middle East has been largely shaped by President Barack Obama’s belief in cooperating with Iran.As the chief proponent of the agreement with Tehran, Obama trumpeted the idea of forcing the mullahs to abandon their aspiration for a nuclear bomb not through the use of force but through the use of diplomacy.Some voices in the United States claim that the president took his belief a step too far. Vali Nasr, an Iranian-American academic, for example, compared Obama’s muzzling of voices opposing the deal to the restriction of political criticism during the Cold War’s Red Scare. Obama’s determination to reach the deal was so strong that it allowed Iran to completely reshuffle the cards in the region. Knowing that the United States would not use force, Tehran proceeded to advance its sinister programs in the Middle East.The mullahs hurried to seal the nuclear deal, and then continued to intervene in the war in Syria, in Yemen, and even in Lebanon.Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia – the United States’ historic and long-standing ally – found itself pushed to the sidelines, where it was left to deal with the implications of this new world order on its own.The recent election results that gave rise to President- elect Trump are the best testimony to the growing frustration among the public regarding the decline of America’s power abroad. In the face of an ever-stronger Iran and an ever more provocative Russia, the American people voted to “make America great again.” This desire comes in direct opposition to Obama’s doctrine.This might lead to a reevaluation of Washington’s policies toward its allies in the Gulf, and the renewal of its close relationship with Saudi Arabia.– Turki al-Dakhil Facebook and the consumption of lies Asharq al-Awsat, London, November 24When we look back at history, we see that news usually spread from the printed media to the masses.Regimes that controlled newspapers and radio channels could very easily manipulate their populations, spreading information – or preventing its spread – as they wished.Today, all of this has changed. News flows from the masses, via social media platforms, to television channels.Pixelated videos appear on television screens as credible sources of information. Tweets and posts are treated as more reliable than any headline appearing on a printed newspaper.However, we rarely question the authenticity of what we see on social media. Facebook posts, we all know, often contain fabricated information – photos, videos and text. What is even more disturbing is that this information truly affects people’s opinions. During the recent election in the United States, for example, a fabricated post accredited to Pope Francis called on American Catholics to vote for Donald Trump. Many truly believed that the pope ordered them to do so. We have seen similar examples in other places in the world, including in the Middle East.What happened to the day and age where we hailed credibility in reporting? We live in a world of journalistic chaos, in which anyone can spread “news” as he wishes. Fighting this phenomenon on the technical side – with the help of Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp – is only part of the solution. The other is to educate people about the importance of critically engaging with the news they read. Only then will we be able to restore our faith in the media.– Abdulrahman al-Rashed Palestine lost an ally Al-Quds News, Ramallah, November 26With the death of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Palestine lost one of its closest allies. With the exception of South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, few world leaders have been such avid and vocal supporters of the Palestinian cause.The relationship between Castro and the Palestinian people dates many decades back. In 1974, Castro was among the first world leaders to host PLO chairman Yasser Arafat, preparing the ground for his recognition by many other nations. Meanwhile, Castro brought to attention Israel’s brutal human rights violations and occupation of Palestinian land. He cut his country’s ties with Tel Aviv following the 1973 war, and frequently compared the acts of Israel in Gaza to the acts of Nazi Germany.I suspect that in upcoming days we will read and hear a lot about the life and death of this legendary man.Many news sources will probably devote considerable attention to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, which has been an important milestone in American-Soviet relations. However, few will discuss his courageous support of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause, years before it became important to anyone else. In Castro’s death, Cuba lost a great revolutionary, and Palestine lost a great ally. Few, if any, world leaders will be able to step into his shoes.– Faiz Abu ShimalaIndia and Japan – the next great superpowers? Al-Itihad, UAE, November 27Not many noticed, but India and Japan signed a civil nuclear deal this week. The agreement will allow Japanese companies to export atomic technologies to their Indian counterparts.This is an interesting development, since Japan was among the first nations to impose financial sanctions on India after it first conducted nuclear tests in 1998. It has long felt wary of India’s refusal to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty. On Friday, however, the two countries brushed aside their differences and signed the agreement. Why did this happen? The most likely explanation is China’s growing activity in the region. India has a border dispute with China, and it is also concerned about China’s growing ties with Pakistan. Japan, meanwhile, has growing territorial disputes with the Asian superpower over islands in the South China Sea. Therefore, both Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to strengthen the ties between their respective countries, through the sharing of nuclear technologies and the strengthening of their control over the Pacific and Indian Oceans.Surely, there is still much more to be done between these two countries. Trade between Japan and India, which totaled $14.5 billion between 2015 and 2016, has been growing at a pretty slow rate. This leaves plenty of room to increase the volume of trade – especially in the fields of infrastructure and energy. If the two countries continue pursuing these ties, it is possible that we will witness the next two superpowers emerge in Asia.– Zukiru al-Rahmanhttp://www.themedialine.org/
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