AboutArticles by Michael Jansen

The reluctant hero

02 Feb 2023

For many Lebanese judge Tarek Bitar is a hero, for the country’s poilitical and official establishment, he is a threat. Last week, he revived his suspended investigation into the August...

West’s arms supplies to Ukraine could rile Russia more

29 Jan 2023

Some Western commentators are now catching up with the reality that the NATO-supported war in Ukraine is a “Western war against Russia,” a forever antagonist of Eastern Europe. Guardian columnist...

Sense prevails

26 Jan 2023

The charismatic, effective, caring presence of outgoing New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will be missed on the world stage this week when she hands over her post and Labour...

Erdogan key to normalising ties with Syria

22 Jan 2023

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week called on the West to lift sanctions against Syria which are deepening the suffering of its people by denying them food, fuel and...

Fierce backlash

19 Jan 2023

By rejecting a fellowship to former Human Rights Watch (HRW) director Kenneth Roth, the dean of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government has besmirched the reputations of both...

Why Turkiye wants the two-state solution for Cyprus

15 Jan 2023

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said recently the two-state solution for Cyprus is not an option and Germany will continue to promote de-escalation of tensions on the island and the...

Promoting peace

12 Jan 2023

Last week’s visit to Damascus by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, was another important step on the Arab road...

A triumph for Trumpism but defeat for Trump

08 Jan 2023

The hotly contested, drawn-out election of Republican Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the US House of Representatives was a triumph for Trumpism but a defeat for Trump. After 15 rounds...

The humble king

05 Jan 2023

King Pele has been mourned around the world not only because he and his triple crown World Cup Santos football club were widely honoured for victories on the field of...

Sticking points between Syria and Turkiye

01 Jan 2023

Last week’s meeting in Moscow of the Syrian and Turkish defence ministers appears to have led to the suspension of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s threat to mount a major...

Michael Jansen

The author, a well-respected observer of Middle East affairs, has three books on the Arab-Israeli conflict.