Desert Solar—A Spectacular Fiction, Not a Spectacular Future
On the visual power, and pitfalls, of solar mega projects.
Laundering Carbon—The Gulf’s ‘New Scramble for Africa’
Carbon offsets are changing the relationship between the Middle East and the African continent.
The Uneven Politics of Decarbonization in the Middle East and North Africa
According to Europe’s largest generator of renewable energy, Norway’s state-owned Statkraft, “A lesser known positive aspect of the green energy shift is that more renewable energy leads to more peace and democracy!” It is tempting to formulate such grandiose...Speculative Climate Futures in Arab Literature
From beautiful dystopias to experimental graphic novels, how authors in the region are tackling climate change.
An Interview with William Carter, Sudan Country Director for the Norwegian Refugee Council
The war in Sudan that began in April 2023 has led to a reckoning among humanitarian aid organizations. As international organizations have struggled to alleviate the diverse, complex crises facing people across the country, locally led initiatives and mutual aid...Dispatch from Nyala, Sudan’s Second City
The battle for Nyala—Sudan’s second largest city and the capital of South Darfur state—was a turning point in the current war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). When the SAF’s garrison in Nyala fell to the RSF on October 26,...Land, Livestock and Darfur’s ‘Culture Wars’
How austerity politics and the changing environment have fueled war in Sudan.
Beirut and the Birth of the Fortress Embassy
A deep dive into the local, regional and global politics behind the sprawling new US embassy complex in Beirut.
Land, Livestock and Darfur’s ‘Culture Wars’
How austerity politics and the changing environment have fueled war in Sudan.
Jordan’s Syrian Refugee Response and Discriminatory Development Aid
The labor-oriented migration policies celebrated by European donors leave many more vulnerable.
Calling Erdogan’s Bluff on Palestine
Israel’s war in Gaza has animated Turkey’s longstanding political rivalries.
Michael Tanzer
TRIBUTE: MICHAEL TANZER (July 1935 – January 2024) Mike Tanzer, writer, scholar and activist intellectual, was a great friend of MERIP’s from its early days. He was always generous to and supportive of the publication as a donor and occasional contributor to...‘Dream, My Grandchild’—An Interview with Sara Abu Ghazal
In September of 2023, Roba AlSalibi interviewed Sara Abu Ghazal, a Palestinian writer and feminist activist about her Arabic short story collection, Dream, My Grandchild. The book uses multiple voices to chronicle the story of the Abu Sukkar family, originally from...Urban Planning and the Struggle Against Israel’s Spatial Domination
Located in Wadi Ara within the Green Line, Kufr Qara is a Palestinian town of 20,000 residents. Before the Nakba, its land spanned 28,000 dunums (roughly 7,000 acres), but today, Israel has left it with less than 8,000 dunums (fewer than 2,000 acres). The town is...Palestine, Popular Will and Political Repression in Britain
On November 11, 2023, the largest demonstration in support of Palestinian rights in Britain’s history took place in London. People of all genders, ages, ethnicities and religions marched together from Hyde Park to the US Embassy in Vauxhall demanding a ceasefire in...Listening to the Camps’ Walls—Lebanon Since October 7
There has been no shortage of worry in Lebanon following the Hamas attacks on October 7 and the ensuing Israeli declaration of all-out war on Gaza. Israel has made it clear that war with Hezbollah will lead to devastating consequences for the whole of Lebanon. “What...Palestine and the Limits of Permissible Protest in Jordan
Will recent demonstrations against the Gaza War threaten the regime?
From the Oil Weapon to Boycott, Mobilizing in Support of Palestine in the Gulf
50 years after the 1973 oil embargo, some Gulf citizens oppose normalization with their wallets.
The Egyptian Public and the War on Gaza
The government’s delicate balancing act around Palestine.
Gaza Is a Crime Scene
Understanding Israel’s war crimes and the case for genocide.
