Middle East/North African News & Analysis

The Real Context News Podcast #12: Rula Jebreal—Palestinian Journalist, Analyst, & Author—on Palestine and Israel

By Brian E. Frydenborg (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter @bfry1981, YouTube) January 6, 2024 (recorded December 29, 2023 intro/conclusion recorded January 5, 2024); see Brian’s other coverage the Israel-Hamas war here; because of YOU, Real Context News surpassed one million content views ...

The Real Context News Podcast #10: Journalist Noga Tarnopolsky on Israel’s 2 Wars: One vs. Hamas & One vs. Netanyahu

By Brian E. Frydenborg (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter @bfry1981, YouTube)  December 26, 2023 (recorded December 17, intro/conclusion recorded December 25); see Brian's other coverage the Israel-Hamas war here; because of YOU, Real Context News surpassed one million content views on January 1, 2023, but I still need your help, ...
Huddling in caves Two Towers

The Lord of the Rings, Israel, and Palestine: Reflections of the Gaza-Hamas War in Tolkien

From Jenin to Jerusalem, from Kibbutz Be'eri to Al-Shifa Hospital, how Tolkien's tale evokes the horrors of war but also our common humanity By Brian E. Frydenborg (Twitter @bfry1981, LinkedIn, Facebook, Substack with exclusive informal content, my Linktree with all ...
Al Jazeera footage shows rocked failing above hospital

Facts, Context Don’t Care About Your Narrative: Gaza Hospital Edition

I believed one thing at first. As more information came in, I let the facts and context guide me and came to believe something else. And while the specific responsibility for this one horrific incident of carnage belonging to one ...

6 Steps for Israel to Take to Still Win, but with Far Better Outcomes for Itself and Gaza

A catastrophe at a hospital, regardless of its cause, highlights the need for careful, not rash action, on the part of Israel for the sake of both Israelis and Palestinians, that tragic scene of mass death the exact type of ...

The 9/11 and 10/7 Analogy for the Israel-Hamas War: Why It Both Does and Does Not Fit

An imperfect comparison is still an instructive one By Brian E. Frydenborg (Twitter @bfry1981, LinkedIn, Facebook, Substack with exclusive informal content, my Linktree with all my public links/profiles) October 11, 2023 (slightly updated figures late afternoon) (Arabic الترجمة العربية / ...

If You Want to Support Israel, Call Out Its Apartheid in the West Bank

Siding with Israel when it is clearly wrong does not make you a friend, it makes you an enabler, and a former Israeli Mossad chief might just be able to shift the conversation further in the direction it needs to ...
Kilicdaroglu big wins

EXCLUSIVE: First Round Turkey Election Voting Data Suggest Systemic Opposition Voter Suppression

Rejected ballot and voter turnout data favoring Erdogan over Kilicdaroglu collectively suggest foul play By Brian E. Frydenborg (Twitter @bfry1981, LinkedIn, Facebook) May 28, 2023; see related ongoing Twitter thread and related articles by Brian from May 13 The Importance ...
Turkey election map

My Turkish Election Results Dataset Raises Troubling Questions and Should Be of Interest

Still wondering how I yet again beat every major outlet on a big story... By Brian E. Frydenborg (Twitter @bfry1981, LinkedIn, Facebook) May 18, 2023; see related ongoing Twitter thread and related articles by Brian from May 13 The Importance of The Effort ...
Kilicdaroglu rally

The Importance of The Effort to Eject Erdoğan Goes Far Beyond Turkey

Tomorrow’s Turkish election carries regional and even global ramifications By Brian E. Frydenborg (Twitter @bfry1981, LinkedIn, Facebook) May 13, 2023; see directly related May 10 article by Brian graciously published by The UnPopulist: Turkey's Best Shot for Defeating its Illiberal ...
Germany Ukraine Refugees welcome

The West’s Humanitarian Response to Ukraine Should Inspire Repetition, Not Envy

What a brief comparison between today’s aid work in Ukraine and efforts during Iraq’s Battle of Mosul against ISIS can teach us (Russian/Русский перевод coming soon) By Brian E. Frydenborg (Twitter @bfry1981, LinkedIn, Facebook), August 9, 2022 People offer rooms ...
Athena statue

On Christianity, Ancient Rome, History, and Memory: A Christmas Season Reflection

A review of The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World (by Catherine Nixey, Mariner Books, 2017 hc/2019 pb, 358 pages) By Brian E. Frydenborg, December 26, 2021 (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter @bfry1981) The New York Times SILVER SPRING—As ...

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