This past week, I delivered one of the opening addresses at a conference in Abu Dhabi dedicated to creating understanding and building relationships and mutual respect among the world's religious leaders.

We are off to the races; the 2020 presidential races, that is. Since the beginning of the year, at regular intervals, new candidates have been coming forward to announce their intention to compete for the presidency.

This past Sunday, The New York Times featured on the front page of its "Week in Review" section a major column by Michelle Alexander, "Time to Break the Silence on Palestine".

This week, a well-known Israeli journalist revealed what he said were "new details about the Trump administration's Israeli-Palestinian peace plan".

As this past week began with the shutdown of parts of the US government entering its third week, Republicans, desperate to force the Democrat's hand, decided to play the "Israel card".

I spent Thursday morning at the offices of two new members of Congress: Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. The scenes at both were just delightful. Throngs of Palestinian Americans jammed into Tlaib's offices, spilling out into the hall.

Many years ago, I came across a pre-Islamic Arabic poem describing a camel running across the desert. Suddenly, the camel freezes in mid-stride.

Eight years after the unfolding of the events of the "Arab Spring", Tunisians and Egyptians appear deeply displeased about the situations in their respective countries.

Because I have a long and complicated history with Temple University, I have closely followed the story of the backlash against Temple professor Marc Lamont Hill for the speech he delivered at the United Nations' "International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People".I hav