Dear Readers,

Thank you for supporting The Arab Street over the last few months.

Due to other writing commitments, I will no longer be blogging. I hope you will continue to follow my work through Twitter or my bio page on CFR.org.

Below are some other CFR resources and initiatives that you might find interesting:

– Four blogs with distinct angles on Middle East politics: Pressure Points, Democracy in Development, From the Potomac to the Euphrates, and Middle East Matters, by my colleagues Elliott Abrams, Isobel Coleman, Steven Cook, and Robert Danin, respectively.

– The Development Channel, a blog about political reform, economic growth, and U.S. policy in the developing world

– The Religion and Foreign Policy program, which offers resources tailored to the religious community

Again, thank you for following The Arab Street with such interest.

With all good wishes,

Ed Husain

Egypt. Following yesterday’s attack on Egyptian border guards that left at least sixteen dead, President Mohammed Morsi has held an emergency meeting with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and will travel to Sinai today. Meanwhile, SCAF has vowed to step up efforts to secure the area and root out militants.

Libya. The interim government in Libya will transfer power to the newly elected, 200-member legislative assembly on Wednesday. The assembly, comprising both independent and party seats, will lead the country until a new constitution is written and elections are held.

Syria. Amid continued fighting in Damascus and Aleppo and the reported defection of Syria’s prime minister, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will travel to Turkey next Saturday for bilateral talks on Syria. Among the likely topics of discussion is Iran’s request, as reported by Iranian media, that Turkey and Qatar help secure the release of forty-eight Iranian nationals being held captive by Syrian rebels.

Egypt. Newly appointed prime minister Hisham Qandil has reportedly chosen candidates for a majority of the open cabinet positions, and will present his choices to President Morsi this week. The formation of the cabinet has been marked by repeated delays, but the full roster is expected to be announced within the next week.

Iraq. As Syrian refugees fleeing to Iraq are reportedly being met with a less than hospitable reception, the Iraqi National Security Council is debating how best to manage the borders and refugee issues. Whether changes will be made to the current system of holding refugees in buildings near the border remains to be seen.

Lebanon. Amid concerns that recent cross-border attacks tied to the Syrian crisis could destabilize Lebanon, Lebanese military officials are attempting to reassure the public this week that the country’s border is secure and is being closely monitored. In a statement on Monday, Lebanese general Jean Kahwagi declared: “whatever the outcome of the events in Syria, the army will remain fully prepared to take up its national responsibilities…in order to minimize the impact of these events on Lebanon and protect the people of border areas…”

Syria. The battle for Aleppo continues in Syria as the military shells rebel forces in several areas of the city. Despite the bombardment, Syrian activists claim that the opposition has maintained control of strategic areas in the city. Clashes in Damascus, Deraa, Hama, Homs, and Idlib have also been reported as the Syrian National Council has called on the international community to provide the rebels with heavy weapons to counter the military’s use of force.

Regional. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta visits Tunisia, Israel, Egypt, and Jordan this week. The Syrian crisis and Iran’s nuclear ambitions are expected to dominate his discussions with officials during his five-day tour of the region.

Today, Secretary Clinton speaks at an event at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, held in collaboration with CFR and CNN, on the subject of genocide prevention. I wish that a major Arab country was the host for this event.

Last week I visited the West Bank and Israel, where I met people from varied walks of life. In conversations with young Arabs, I was saddened to hear that Holocaust denial continues to be part of the normative mindset among so many in such an important part of the world. Their grievances with the modern State of Israel are real, but this does not give them the mandate to rewrite history.

What’s worse is the schizophrenia of denying that the Holocaust occurred, while claiming that “Hitler did not eliminate all of the Jews because he wanted to spare some so the world can see how they behave in Israel with Arabs.” Implicit in this argument, of course, are the ideas that the Holocaust was part of a plot to create Israel, and that Hitler’s actions are justified.

These are not fringe conspiracy theories. I’ve heard similar rejections of the Holocaust from political leaders in the Middle East, academics, youth leaders, and imams. The virus is so widespread that it impacts Muslims living in Europe. For several years, the Muslim Council of Britain refused to attend Holocaust Memorial Day. In response to this widespread problem, the West’s most prominent Muslim scholar, Shaikh Hamza Yusuf, wrote that Holocaust denial was tantamount to denying Muslim scripture. Just as Muslims believe in hadith literature because of the solid reports (mutawatir) confirming events in seventh century Arabia, we are obliged to believe in the Holocaust by virtue of eyewitness accounts, extant documents, and the presence of Auschwitz and other sites.

Such arguments, theological or otherwise, are yet to be made among Muslims in the East.

But there is good news. Not all Arabs followed the disastrous and disgraceful lead of the mufti of Jerusalem, Hajj Amin al-Husseini, who traveled to Berlin to support the Nazis. Other Arabs helped Jews escape the Holocaust. My friend Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, documents this history in his book Among the Righteous.

The Holocaust Memorial Museum is needed in the Arab world today. The stories that Rob Satloff tells us need amplifying among young Arabs. They too should be proud of helping a persecuted people avoid the Nazis. The history of the Holocaust is forever instructive in preventing genocides. Where the rhetoric of hatred becomes acceptable, politicians soon emerge to ride that storm.

Which Arab countries will open branches of the Holocaust Memorial Museum in their capitals?

Egypt. Egyptians today are recalling the 1952 military coup that brought the Free Officers to power and set the stage for decades of military dominance in Egyptian affairs. Some activists have called for protests today against efforts by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to retain power in Egypt despite the election of a civilian president, Mohammed Morsi.

Iraq. A series of coordinated attacks across the country on Monday has killed almost one hundred people. An al-Qaeda statement on Sunday foreshadowed the violence, which targeted a vegetable market in Diwaniya, a police official’s home in Balad, a checkpoint near Baquba, a military base near Duluiyah, and a number of other locations.

Lebanon. The Lebanese government will deliver a letter of protest to Syria’s envoy to Lebanon in response to cross-border attacks by the Syrian military on rebel targets in Lebanon. The attacks have come in the form of shelling and raids on homes within Lebanese territory. Lebanese president Michel Sleiman also asked the Lebanese army and security forces to work together to investigate the incidents.

Syria. Having retaken control of areas of Damascus previously seized by rebel forces, the Syrian military has threatened today to use chemical weapons against any foreign forces that attempt to intervene in the conflict. Foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Maqdissi said the weapons would “never be used…during the crisis in Syria” against domestic rebel forces, but said “external aggression” would provoke the regime to deploy them.

I am in Jerusalem this week.

This city, its surroundings, and claims by both Arabs and Jews on its territories make it the epicenter of a conflict that stirs the strongest of emotions. Much of the anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism prevalent in this region is linked directly to Arab perceptions of injustice and humiliation meted out to them by the ongoing Israeli occupation and the unprecedented support Israel enjoys from the United States. In contrast, almost all my conversations with Jewish friends here reflect a deep existential angst. Who can blame them? The walls of this ancient city and its varied renovations after different conquests are testament to the persecution and mass killings of Abraham’s first children, the Jews.

And it’s not just the archaeological reminders of mass killings and barbarity at the hands of the Babylonians, Romans, Crusaders, and others—but the fresh memories of the Holocaust in Europe. Then there are today’s hostilities between the children of Abraham: Israelis are terrified at the prospect of a nuclear Iran; they do not trust the Muslim Brotherhood’s promises of peace from Egypt; they want to see Assad’s grip in Syria ended, but worry about what comes next on the Golan Heights; they fear the threats of Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Israeli territory; and, domestically, they see the grasp of a terrorist Hamas on Gaza.

The terrorist attack on Israeli tourists in Bulgaria yesterday only confirms the worst expectations of many in Israel.

Palestinians here, too, have a long list of complaints of injustices and humiliations that fuel their anger toward the State of Israel, ranging from travel bans and restrictions on their movement within their country to aggressive land grabs by Israelis and legislation designed to weaken rights of Arabs on their property, the settler movement and its direct confrontations with entire Arab villages, and daily discrimination faced by Palestinians in education and employment.

The peace process is in shambles. As one worshipper said to me at the al-Aqsa mosque yesterday, “salam, salam, kulluhu kalam,” a saying mocking the peace process as only empty words.

Yet life goes on. From Bethlehem to Hebron to Tel Aviv, I see a vibrancy in this divided country. Three interactions have struck me most so far:

First, one of the saddest and most disturbing aspects of modern Muslim life for me is the treatment of women in some mosques. In Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina, a gender apartheid is in place where entire walls separate men from women. Women are often reprimanded for being in “male areas.” But here in Jerusalem, at the holiest of holy sites for Jews and Muslims at the Dome of the Rock, it is Muslim women who reprimanded me for wanting say my prayers at an opening in the shrine. During the five daily prayers, it is women who pray inside the Dome of the Rock, say my Palestinian friends. Men pray away from the center of the building, and have become accustomed to women playing a prominent role here. No wall of separation exists, and to see women in such freedom at the Dome of the Rock, Islam’s third holy site, is a lesson for other Muslim communities globally. In the nearby al-Aqsa mosque, again, women were free to walk inside and around the mosque. There were no walls, no barriers, and no demands for face covers. Mosques are Islam’s most important public spaces: equality here helps build it elsewhere.

Second, a Jewish friend of mine from London introduced me to an ultra-orthodox rabbi in Jerusalem who kindly welcomed me into his home to meet his family of eight children and his neighbors, of whom some were also ultra-orthodox rabbis. He then took me to a visit a yeshiva. There, in the rabbi’s community, the very same debates I hear in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Egypt about reconciling religion, scripture, and modernity were alive and animated. Just as Muslims look to scripture and text for guidance, so did the rabbi’s community look to him and his library of commentary on scripture. The ultra-orthodox challenges with women’s rights, homosexuality, and wanting to maintain religious purity in a pluralistic modern world can offer insights to their Salafi Muslim cousins.

Third, my Palestinian companion on a trip to Bethlehem was a man who not only joked in fluent Hebrew with Israeli soldiers at checkpoints, but proudly told me that for the first time in fifty-six years he could now afford foreign holidays to Austria and Turkey. He has obtained an Israeli passport and used it to travel abroad. In our many conversations, he was nothing but mild-mannered. He was quick to remind me that he could insult Prime Minister Netanyahu without any repercussions. As we drove around the West Bank, he pointed to houses sold by Palestinians to Jews. Not settlements, but legal transactions. His anger and comments will never leave me. “It is forbidden to sell property to the Jews. The man who sold that house was then shot and killed in Jericho by other Palestinians. His body was buried in the desert. Traitors are worse than dogs, and have no burial rights.”

When emotions rise, logic disappears. Groupthink dominates Arab-Israeli discourse, and whatever the gains of the Arab spring, this city and the powerful sentiments it evokes can yet again derail the best plans for democracy and prosperity in the region.

For more on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, see CFR’s Crisis Guide here.

Egypt. An Egyptian administrative court will hear arguments this week on the legality of the committee charged with writing the new constitution. The hearing had been scheduled for September but was moved up, fueling speculation that the ruling will be politicized as a part of the ongoing power struggle between the military and President Mohammed Morsi’s nascent government. Field Marshal Tantawi’s statement yesterday that the military would not allow a “certain group” to dominate Egypt indicates the military has no plans to back down.

Saudi Arabia. The head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the Saudi government arm that enforces adherence to its interpretation of Islam, announced on Sunday that his organization’s officers would no longer chase down perceived offenders. The commission has been criticized for aggressively pursuing Saudi citizens in streets, malls, and other public places. Meanwhile, the Saudi government is considering implementing stricter laws against “insulting Islam,” to include insults against the prophet Mohammed, early Muslim leaders, and clerics.

Syria. UN peace envoy Kofi Annan will visit Moscow today for talks on Russia’s role in Syria’s internal conflict. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile, has accused the West of “blackmail” in its attempt to push Russia to support more stringent sanctions against the Syrian government. Violence is escalating further in Syria, with heavy fighting in Damascus and an alleged massacre of civilians in the village of Tremseh over the weekend. The International Committee of the Red Cross has now officially labeled the conflict a civil war.

The holy month of Ramadan begins this Friday for Muslims worldwide.

Egypt. The constituent assembly continues to meet this week to discuss the writing of Egypt’s new constitution. Although the military’s constitutional decree—issued before the presidential election—has left the assembly’s future in doubt, members are moving forward to form subcommittees covering topics such as basic constitutional principles, rights and freedoms, system of government, and regulatory bodies.

Kuwait. The process of forming a new government will begin in Kuwait this week after Kuwaiti emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah accepted the resignation of all cabinet members. Current ministers will remain in place as a caretaker government until the new cabinet is formed.

Libya. Elections for Libya’s constituent assembly are to be held this Saturday, July 7, but the ability of Libya’s transitional government to manage the elections is in doubt. Weekend attacks on election commission offices in Benghazi and Tobruk—led by protesters angry over the distribution of assembly seats—have exacerbated general concerns over the commission’s capabilities and organization. Meanwhile, the Libyan militia that detained a delegation of ICC officials for several weeks released them today following an apology from the court.

Palestine. In Gaza, voter registration scheduled to begin on Tuesday has been suspended by Hamas. Citing a number of security “obstacles,” Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that registration would commence when Hamas’ ability to register voters and monitor election committee activities had been restored. Fatah members, meanwhile, accused Hamas of deliberately delaying the Palestinian reconciliation process.

Syria. Opposition groups are meeting in Cairo this week to outline possibilities for political transition in Syria. Members of the opposition, including former SNC leader Burhan Ghalioun, called the agreement reached by the UN Action Group for Syria (which includes UK, China, France, Russia, the United States, Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait, and Qatar) in Geneva over the weekend a “mockery” for its recommendation that former regime members be included in a Syrian “unity” government. The Free Syrian Army and some other opposition groups are boycotting the meeting in Cairo.

The Arab Street will be on vacation through July 15.

This week I took part in a New York Times debate on the Syria stalemate between Russia and the West. I argued that Russia can play a pivotal role in ending the conflict if the Syrian opposition and the West can reassure Putin that the benefits of Assad’s departure will outweigh any potential burdens for Russia.

Radwan Ziadeh, a member of the Syrian National Council, argued that a shift in Russia’s position is unlikely due to the complicated mix of motivations behind Russia’s continued support for the Assad regime.

Mona Yacoubian of the Stimson Center suggested that the international conference in Geneva proposed by UN special envoy Kofi Annan could provide an opening for Russia to reframe its position on the crisis.

Sharmine Narwani of Oxford University expressed little hope that Russia’s position will change and argued that removing Assad is simply not on Russia’s to-do list for Syria.

You can read the full debate here.

Egypt. President-elect Mohammed Morsi is to be officially sworn in this week, and has already moved into former president Hosni Mubarak’s office. The current cabinet, led by Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri, is expected to submit its resignation soon. The location of Morsi’s swearing-in ceremony remains unconfirmed—it has been reported that he may take the oath before Egypt’s High Constitutional Court, and that he may appear before parliament, in defiance of its dissolution by SCAF.

Israel/Palestine/Jordan. Russian president Vladimir Putin visits Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan this week in a trip seen as an effort by Russia to shore up its influence in the region. While in Israel, Putin is expected to discuss Iran and Syria, as well as business and tourism cooperation, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other high-level officials. Bilateral relations and the peace process will be among the issues discussed in meetings with President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank and with King Abdullah in Jordan.

Sudan. Protests continue throughout the country over high prices and government austerity measures; on Sunday, security forces used tear gas to disperse demonstrators in Khartoum. Demonstrations are now in their second week, although they remain relatively small and scattered. President Omar al-Bashir has denied that the protests are the beginning of Sudan’s Arab Spring, saying “the Arab Spring in Sudan happened many times already.”

Syria. NATO has set emergency talks for Tuesday over Syria’s downing of a Turkish jet last Friday. The Turkish government is still contemplating a response to the incident, although Turkey’s foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu has warned that “no one should try to test the capacity of Turkey.” Meanwhile, a group of high-ranking Syrian military officers has reportedly defected, arriving in Turkey on Sunday with a group of soldiers and their families.