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Hannah Arendt warned in 1948 that a Jewish state built without Jewish-Arab agreement would live by permanent war, fear and exclusion – a warning that now reads less like idealism than realism Robert Manne is [...] The post Robert Manne – Hannah Arendt and the creation of Israel appeared first on Brave New Europe.

The current economic model is exhausted – it’s time to focus on production, skilled work, and industrial investment, Costas Lapavitsas is a Professor of Economics at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of [...] The post Costas Lapavitsas – Labour’s priority is rebuilding Britain’s productive base: Manchesterism is not enough appeared first on Brave New Europe.

Iran, Oman to jointly charge fees along Strait of Hormuz: Report Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 06/30/2026 - 17:05 Muscat appears to be trying to find a workaround so Iran does not impose a unilateral, mandatory toll for use of the critical waterway The Liberian-flagged container vessel MSC Reef is seen docked along a pier at the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the major container ports in Sharjah emirate, along the Gulf of Oman, on 28 June 2026 (AFP) Off Iran and Oman are looking to jointly impose a service fee for use of the Strait of Hormuz, despite open US objections, The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing an Iranian official and four diplomats.  The 14-point plan signed by the US and Iran earlier this month stipulates that the Strait of Hormuz would see "the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge", but much like the rest of the agreement, it is only valid for the 60-day negotiation period.  However, Iran and Oman are mandated to develop a plan as part of the deal.  Charging a toll as part of a new, post-war business model in the region, however, reverses centuries of free transit through the waterway.  Oman would like the fee to be voluntary, while Iran insists the fee should be mandatory, the unnamed sources who spoke to the NYT said.  Muscat hopes the amounts paid will cover the costs of maintaining safe navigation practices along the maritime route, akin to the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.  But on Monday, Iran’s deputy foreign minister said that if an agreement is not reached with Oman, Tehran would impose its own fees.  'We'll have to blow them up'  Last month, US President Donald Trump threatened to attack Oman, in remarks that offered a window into what several US officials have told Middle East Eye is the administration’s frustration with Muscat amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. Trump said he would “blow up” the country if it agreed to work with Iran to impose a fee for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz as part of a settlement to end the war on the Islamic Republic. “The strait is going to be open to everybody. Nobody is going to control it…it’s international waters,” Trump said.  'From outlier to trailblazer': How Oman offers a glimpse into the post-war Gulf Read More » “Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow them up,” he added.  Trump’s outburst left US diplomats scrambling to preserve ties, while pressing Oman, unsuccessfully, to issue a statement denouncing Iran’s claims about a toll, Arab and US officials previously told MEE. Oman, a longtime US ally that has played a mediating role in multiple conflicts, did not publicly respond to the remarks, but a later private discussion between an Omani diplomat and US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent revealed assurances that Muscat had "no plans for tolling the Strait".  In the war’s early days, when other Gulf states opened their military bases to the US and joined the attack on Iran, Oman was called an outlier among its neighbours because of its criticism of the US and its reluctance to enter the fray. But Muscat's decision has now been vindicated by a ceasefire that is widely viewed as a victory for Iran in the Gulf. Oman is the US’s oldest treaty partner in the Gulf, going back to 1833.  War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

The Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) emerged as the clear winner in the municipal elections in the city of Graz, securing what has been described as its strongest electoral result to date and consolidating its position [...] The post Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) achieves second consecutive election victory in Graz appeared first on Brave New Europe.

Israel's 'kill first' strategy is now aimed at Turkey. Will the region respond? Submitted by David Hearst on Tue, 06/30/2026 - 18:10 Hard power is needed to halt Tel Aviv's reckless quest to redraw the borders of the Middle East A protester holds a placard outside the Israeli embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, during a demonstration against a previous Israeli war on Gaza in July 2014 (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP) Off The US administration has signed two mutually contradictory deals to end its war on Iran. The power Israel lost to dictate the terms of peace on Iran, it has sought to regain in Lebanon. It was helped, enormously, by the Lebanese government, which signed away both sovereignty over its land and its duty to seek legal redress for the war crimes Israel has committed. Under the deal that US President Donald Trump signed with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Washington accepted an explicit link between Iran and Lebanon by agreeing to an “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”. That commitment, if implemented, makes the second deal signed in Washington on Friday between representatives of the Lebanese, Israeli and US governments obsolete. This “framework” gives Israeli forces, occupying large swathes of southern Lebanon, indefinite leave to remain. In the first deal, the US promised to respect Iranian sovereignty, including over the Strait of Hormuz. In the second, its ally, Israel, has no obligation to respect Lebanese sovereignty, which is further weakened by the creation of a “military coordination group” run in Washington.  The agreement obliges the Lebanese army, kept deliberately weak by the veto Washington and Israel exercise on the weapons it can deploy, to disarm a battle-hardened armed group, seen by many in Lebanon as the only credible deterrent against Israeli attack and settlement.   The framework deal further obliges the government of Lebanon to grant immunity to Israeli troops and generals over the war crimes they have committed in the invasion. Article 13 signs away the right of the Lebanese government to pursue legal complaints against Israel in international courts, according to legal experts. Threat of Lebanese civil war More than one million people have been forcibly displaced in Lebanon since October 2023, and at least 8,000 have been killed. Many of Israel’s strikes have targeted civilians, including journalists and healthcare workers. According to Halima Kaakour, a Lebanese MP and international law expert, “the clause reflects a political decision by the Lebanese authorities not to pursue action before international forums in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal - which is itself a right and should not have to be traded for anything else”. There was fury on the streets of Beirut, so much so that Prime Minister Nawaf Salam was reportedly obliged to thank Nabih Berri, the speaker of parliament, for calming things down, as Berri vowed to block the deal’s passage to avert a potential civil war. Considering Lebanon’s history, this warning should not be taken lightly. The morning after the Lebanon 'agreement' Read More » “Those who prepared this agreement want to ignite a fitna [civil strife], but I don’t want it, and I am pressing to prevent the explosion,” Berri said. “Even Hezbollah is working on internal calming, but they persist in pushing forward with an agreement that is worse than the May 17 Agreement … they want a fitna.”  Berri said the region could pay the price for what he called a “tug of war” inside the US administration. As Lebanon’s chief predator, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was delighted by the Washington deal, dismissing the two areas around the Litani River from which Israeli forces promised to withdraw as insignificant. Netanyahu also called the deal a “major blow” to Iran, saying: “Iran is trying to force us into a withdrawal from southern Lebanon by force. In effect, Israel, Lebanon and the United States are telling them: this is none of your business.” The two deals are so different because they have two competing authors in the US administration engaged in the “tug of war” to which Berri alluded. Trump’s deal with Iran reflects the thinking of Vice President JD Vance, who must have felt vindicated by the total failure of US-Israeli air strikes to achieve regime change. Vance made little secret of his opposition to the joint strikes, and he was conspicuous by his absence from the situation room in February, when Trump made the decision to launch the war on Iran after being briefed by Netanyahu and David Barnea, then the Mossad director. 'Sunni axis' rhetoric The Washington framework deal for Israel and Lebanon was the work of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He continues to be signed up to the goal of regime change in Iran, as he was in Venezuela and is in Cuba. Rubio thinks that Hezbollah’s disarmament must be a condition of peace, as opposed to a consequence of a negotiated political settlement, and that Israel should remain the undisputed regional hegemon. Vance clearly sees too many downsides to continuing the bombing campaign in Iran, not least of which is the hammering that 20 US military sites in the region took from Iranian missiles and drones, among them a major naval base in Bahrain, alongside the time it will take to replenish its stockpile of Tomahawk missiles. Rubio, on the other hand, persists in the myth that Hezbollah is foreign to Lebanon and is merely a tool of Iran.  Turkey has become Israel's latest existential enemy. As if in unison, a chorus of Israeli politicians have raised the alarm about a new 'Sunni axis' opening up The Iran war was a clear setback to Israel’s regional plans. But in an obvious sign that the war would have continued even if the US and Israel had achieved regime change in Tehran, the political establishment in Tel Aviv has now turned its attention to Turkey. As day follows night, Turkey has become Israel’s latest existential enemy. As if in unison, a chorus of Israeli politicians has raised the alarm about a new “Sunni axis” opening up, composed of Turkey, Syria and Qatar. This has not gone down well with Trump, who had little hesitation in laughing off the notion that his best regional friend, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was “an antisemitic dictator” who has been “committing genocide against the Kurds”, as Netanyahu now claims. “Erdogan is a great leader, a very strong person…Everything I’ve ever asked from him, he’s done,” Trump said. When Netanyahu said Israel’s “new” security doctrine was to “kill them first”, Vance was blunter still. Addressing two far-right ministers of Netanyahu’s cabinet, but in reality speaking to the prime minister himself, Vance said: “You’re a country of nine million people. You can’t just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem.” Laying the groundwork But Israel is as serious about setting on Turkey as it was about Iran.  Firstly, the rhetoric against Turkey is bipartisan. It is the leitmotif of the man tipped to replace Netanyahu, Naftali Bennett, who has said that a new Turkish threat is emerging: “I want to be very clear. Turkey and Qatar have gained influence in Syria, are seeking influence elsewhere and everywhere throughout the region, and from here I warn - Turkey is the new Iran.” The theme was picked up by Amichai Chikli, the diaspora affairs minister, who said the era of the “Shia empire of Iran” was over. In its shoes, he added, walks a new axis: “the Muslim Brotherhood axis of Erdogan’s Turkey, Syria and Qatar. And it’s better to open your eyes now.” Secondly, the groundwork for Israel’s latest campaign was laid as far back as November 2024, when a month before the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel should reach out to its natural allies - the Kurds and the Druze. When Assad fell, Israel obliterated the Syrian navy and air force, and invaded an area of southern Syria larger than Gaza. Tel Aviv has openly pushed for a federal Syria, fragmented into confessional cantons.  Netanyahu now calls the land his forces occupy in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza “security belts”, from which he has no intention of withdrawing. Through these means, Israel has aimed to limit the authority of the national government in Damascus formed by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and to challenge Turkey’s relationship with a post-Assad Syria. Israel has also consciously tried to reanimate tensions between Greece and Turkey over Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean, including by supplying Cyprus with Barak MX air defence missiles. Israel is being given privileged status at an air base in Paphos, while Cyprus is reportedly exploring the purchase of Indian supersonic missiles and drones.  All of these moves have one common goal: to challenge Turkey’s rising naval power. A recent Maariv article argues that Turkey is increasingly being seen in Israeli strategic circles as a more significant long-term challenge than Iran. It’s not just the aircraft carriers being built or the strength of its drones, radar and advanced electronic warfare capabilities, the analysis notes, but also Ankara’s expanding diplomatic and military footprint across the Eastern Mediterranean, the Caucasus, Africa, the Balkans, and the Middle East. Another Israeli minister, Gila Gamliel, has said that Israel was preparing to confront “the Ottoman Empire”. Shifting mood Turkey’s reaction to Israel’s moves has been cautious, some would say too much so. Put Erdogan’s rhetoric to one side, and consider what Turkey actually did when Israel invaded Syria and bombed its air force and navy.  Turkey and Israel held talks on a deconfliction line after Israel attacked military sites in Syria, including the Hama and Tiyas air bases, where Turkey had been planning to deploy. Throughout the assault on Gaza, Turkey kept oil from Azerbaijan flowing to Israel via its port of Ceyhan - most likely one of the “things” Trump asked Erdogan to do. Activists with the Stop Fuelling Genocide campaign released evidence suggesting that the “Seavigour” tanker had shipped crude oil from Turkey’s Ceyhan Port to a pipeline near Ashkelon in Israel at least eight times

Palestinian Authority warns against Israeli settlement plans in E1 area The Palestinian Authority's Cabinet has warned against Israeli preparations to issue a tender for the construction of more than 3,400 settlement units in the E1 area, according to the Government Media Office. It called for effective international pressure to halt what it described as Israeli aggression, and to accelerate relief and recovery efforts in Gaza. The E1 area, located between occupied East Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement in the occupied West Bank, has long been one of Israel's most contentious settlement projects. Critics, including past US administrations and European governments, have warned that construction there would effectively cut the West Bank in two and undermine the territorial contiguity needed for a future Palestinian state.

US Supreme Court rejects Trump's effort to limit birthright citizenship Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Tue, 06/30/2026 - 18:24 The president signed the executive order on his very first day in office as part of a wide-ranging immigration crackdown Demonstrators gather outside the US Supreme Court building as the court begins hearing arguments on the legality of the Trump administration’s effort to limit birthright citizenship, in Washington, DC, on 1 April 2026 (Kylie Cooper/Reuters) Off In a long-awaited decision by a mostly conservative Supreme Court stacked by President Donald Trump, birthright citizenship will continue to be the law of the land in the US, a majority of the justices decided on Tuesday.  The decision came down to a tight 5-4 ruling, although one justice who disagreed - Brett Kavanaugh - still said that longstanding federal law would have upheld birthright citizenship anyway.  "Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights - to freely participate in our political community. The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to 'every free-born person in this land',” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. "We keep that promise today." Under the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, with limited exceptions including diplomats on assignment and foreign militaries, all children born in the US automatically become US citizens. But the Trump administration took the unprecedented step last year of seeking to abolish that right, particularly for undocumented immigrants, as well as visitors who engage in so-called "birth tourism".  There are an estimated 12-14 million undocumented people in the US, according to the Immigration Research Initiative. There is no known government data for how many people come to the US just to have citizen children, but at last count, in 2020, according to the Center for Immigration Studies, between 20,000 and 26,000 are estimated to have done exactly that. The US has a population of 349 million.  'Not a privilege' The Trump administration has positioned itself as the most anti-immigrant government yet, having so far revoked at least 100,000 visas, deported some half a million immigrants, and put some 70,000 others in immigration detention centres that have been criticised for overcrowding, lack of hygiene, and poisoned food.  The US asylum programme has effectively been terminated, and temporary protected status (TPS) for those unable to return to unsafe countries has been cancelled for Afghans, Syrians, and Haitians.   'Devastated': Previously protected Syrians in US face upheaval as legal protections end Read More » Immigrant advocacy groups were jubilant in their reactions to Tuesday's ruling, but also cautioned that the White House will likely try to chip away at other lawful immigrant protections over the next three years of Trump's term. "While we welcome this decision, our work is far from over. We will continue to stand with our communities to ensure that every person's constitutional rights are respected and that no administration can undermine the protections guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment," Fernando Garcia, executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights, said in a statement. "Today's ruling reminds us that the Constitution belongs to all of us, and it is strongest when it protects everyone equally." Shawn VanDiver, the president of #AfghanEvac, said the court's decision "should not have been a close question".  "For thousands of Afghan families rebuilding their lives in America, this ruling provides important certainty. Whether their parents are Special Immigrant Visa holders or applicants, refugees, asylees, humanitarian parolees, Temporary Protected Status holders, or navigating other immigration pathways, children born in the United States remain protected by the Constitution."  Jenin Younes, the president of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, called birthright citizenship "a constitutional guarantee, not a privilege to be granted or withdrawn by executive order".  But with his executive order voided, the president took to his social media platform Truth Social shortly after the decision was announced to say he would now push Congress to overturn birthright citizenship protections by writing it into law. "No long and unwieldy Constitutional Amendment is necessary! Congress should start TODAY to work on ending expensive and unfair to our Country, Birthright Citizenship. They will have my Complete and Total Support!" Trump wrote.  "The most conservative and, frankly, anti-immigrant Supreme Court just told Trump 'don't mess with birthright citizenship'. I think it's safe for now," Hassan M Ahmed, managing partner with The HMA Law Firm just outside of Washington, DC, told Middle East Eye on Tuesday. "I don't expect this to have any serious traction" among a broad swathe of lawmakers, he added.  The White House has insisted that birthright citizenship "was meant for the babies of slaves" and not "for people trying to scam the system and come into the country".  The vast majority of the world grants citizenship by descent, and not by birthplace, barring a few dozen countries that grant birthright citizenship. But the concept is deeply entwined with American history. So, across North and South America, where a person is born matters a great deal. Ahmed told MEE that birthright citizenship is "sacrosanct" precisely because "it is the beginning of a reckoning of a shameful legacy" in which enslaved people were considered three-fifths of a person in the US. The 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868, after the Civil War, and extended birthright protections to all those born here.  US Politics Washington News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Iran says final talks depend on implementation of US-Iran MoU clauses Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says Tehran will not begin negotiations on a final agreement before key clauses of its memorandum of understanding with the United States are implemented. Ghalibaf said Iran is waiting for the implementation of clauses 1, 4, 5, 10 and 11 of the MoU. Those clauses relate to the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon, the removal of the US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, and safe passage for commercial vessels without charge for 60 days. They also include waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and derivatives, as well as the release of frozen Iranian funds.

Iran’s foreign minister criticises US official over reported World Cup ‘happy dance’ Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has criticised US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin after a report said he had done a "happy dance" over Iran's elimination from the World Cup. "'Mission Accomplished,' Mr Mullin," Araghchi wrote. "You also accomplished something else: proving to the world that you have no business hosting an international tournament," he added, describing Mullin's conduct as "a masterclass for how to squander the dignity that comes with being a host". A US media report shared by Araghchi cited Mullin telling reporters that he was relieved by Iran's exit from the tournament. "I'm just glad they're done, and they're not coming back," Mullin reportedly said, adding that he "might've sung a song or two or maybe even danced a happy dance". Iran was eliminated from the group stage following a 1-1 draw with Egypt. Throughout the tournament, Iran's delegation operated under strict US visa restrictions. The team's training base was relocated from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, and players were required to leave the United States immediately after each match.

Israeli drone attack kills two north of Khan Younis Two people have been killed and several others wounded in an Israeli drone attack north of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, according to the Wafa news agency. In the past 24 hours, at least eight people have been killed and 24 wounded in Israeli attacks.

US and Gulf states sanction entities accused of financial links to Hezbollah The US Department of the Treasury has announced joint sanctions by the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center against five entities and 16 individuals it claims are linked to Hezbollah's financial network. The TFTC is a multilateral body co-chaired by the United States and Saudi Arabia and includes member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The coordinated measures target the Al-Qard al-Hasan Association, translated as "the benevolent loan association", which the Treasury alleges presents itself as a non-governmental organisation while providing financial services similar to an unlicensed bank. The sanctions also target Bayt al-Mal, which US officials describe as Hezbollah's unofficial treasury and investment arm.

Syria's president condemns Israeli attacks near Golan Heights Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa says Syria "is neither a testing ground for foreign conspiracies nor a venue for carrying out the ambitions of others", according to Al Mayadeen. He also condemned Israeli attacks as incursions continue in southern parts of the country. On Monday, residents near the occupied Golan Heights were forced to flee their homes, while Syria's Foreign Ministry condemned "the Israeli aggressions", calling them "a flagrant violation of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity". Al-Sharaa added that Syria remains committed to its "territorial integrity and stability".

Israeli forces order closure of Nablus charity for one year Israeli forces have raided the headquarters of the al-Tadamon Charitable Society in Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, and ordered its closure for one year, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Security and local sources told Wafa that several Israeli military vehicles entered Sufian Street and al-Adl Street before raiding the association's headquarters. Israeli forces also raided the Balata and Askar refugee camps east of Nablus.

Israel delays withdrawal from two southern Lebanon villages, report says Israeli officials say the planned withdrawal of Israeli forces from two villages in southern Lebanon will be delayed pending agreement on a US oversight mechanism, Israel's public broadcaster Kan News reports. "There are currently no timelines. The withdrawal will take place but it must be done properly," Israeli security officials told Kan News. They said the pullback would only proceed once clear criteria are set requiring the Lebanese army to act immediately against Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure.

Trump-backed Gaza security force says tactical vehicles have arrived near Strip Trump's so-called Board of Peace says the first "tactical vehicles" have arrived at the base of the International Security Force near Gaza, as logistical preparations continue for the deployment of a multinational force in the enclave. "Tactical vehicles arrive at Logistics Support Area: Endurance," the board wrote on X, alongside photographs showing the arrival. Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesperson, said the group hoped the move would mark "the beginning of implementing the tasks assigned to them", including separating Palestinians in Gaza from Israeli forces and working to halt Israeli violations. "We call on the Board of Peace to begin the actual implementation of the provisions of the plan to end the war on Gaza," Qassem said. The Board of Peace was established in January at Trump's initiative as part of efforts to reach a settlement in Gaza.

Vance says oil traffic through Strait of Hormuz has returned to pre-war levels US Vice President JD Vance says oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has "reached its pre-war height". "The Strait is open in the sense that we're seeing more oil come out," Vance said. "Some days there's actually more oil coming out of the Strait than before the war even started, so there's this element that the world economy is coming back into gear. That will take time, but we've already seen prices go way down." Vance also said that the Lebanon-Israel peace deal and the memorandum of understanding signed between the United States and Iran both affirm that Lebanon's territorial integrity will be respected. "If you harmonise the Lebanon-Israel peace deal with the MoU signed between the US and Iran, what both of those documents fundamentally say is that Lebanon's territorial integrity will be respected," he said.