Middle East Research and Information Project

Critical Coverage of the Middle East Since 1971

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Solidarity

Iran, Palestine and the Axis of Resistance
In Tehran’s Palestine Square the far mural on the tall building displays slogans on a map pointing at Israeli cities that read in Hebrew: “All targets are within reach, we choose” (top) and in Farsi: “All the targets are available, we will choose” on December 4, 2024. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images
MER Article

Iran, Palestine and the Axis of Resistance

Tehran's meydan-e Felestin—Palestine Square—is a historic site when it comes to the country's relations with Israel and Palestine. Before the 1979 revolution, it hosted Israel’s embassy and went by a different name: Kakh (Palace) Square. In February of 1979, days after the revolution&
Maryam Alemzadeh • 10 min read
Palestine, Popular Will and Political Repression in Britain
Marchers on Vauxhall bridge road on November 11, 2023 in London, England. Guy Smallman/Getty Images
MER Article

Palestine, Popular Will and Political Repression in Britain

On November 11, 2023, the largest demonstration in support of Palestinian rights in Britain’s history took place in London. People of all genders, ages, ethnicities and religions marched together from Hyde Park to the US Embassy in Vauxhall demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. Banners and placards were colorful and
Mandy Turner • 5 min read
The Houthis’ ‘Sovereign Solidarity’ with Palestine
Yemenis drive past a large billboard with a picture depicting the navy destroyers of foreign countries including the US and UK, and the words “Navy coalition will be defeated,” December 31, 2023, in Sana’a, Yemen. Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images
MER Article

The Houthis’ ‘Sovereign Solidarity’ with Palestine

Since October 7, Yemen has made an unexpected return from the margins of global attention. The Houthi movement’s seemingly ad hoc seizure of shipping vessels in the Red Sea, which began in early November in response to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, quickly became a concerted campaign to disrupt
Stacey Philbrick Yadav • 5 min read
From the Oil Weapon to Boycott, Mobilizing in Support of Palestine in the Gulf
Protesters during a solidarity sit-in with the Gaza Strip, in Manama, Bahrain, on November 17, 2023. Mazen Mahdi/AFP via Getty ImagesAn Instagram post by BDS Kuwait calling on people in the region to use the “weapon of boycott” against global companies enabling Israel’s war on Gaza.
MER Article

From the Oil Weapon to Boycott, Mobilizing in Support of Palestine in the Gulf

50 years after the 1973 oil embargo, some Gulf citizens oppose normalization with their wallets.
Samar Alwan • 5 min read
Reflections from the Present on the Future of Political Action for Palestine
Activists protesting against the bombing of Gaza blockade the entrance to the Instro Precision factory, a subsidiary of the Israeli military contractor Elbit systems, on October 26, 2023, in Sandwich, England. Guy Smallman/Getty Images
MER Article

Reflections from the Present on the Future of Political Action for Palestine

Following October 7, 2023, the world has witnessed an unprecedented assault on Gaza and across historic Palestine. At the same time, these months have given rise to an unprecedented surge of global solidarity. New meanings and modes of struggle are animating public protest and political action, from Kuala Lumpur to
(Author not identified) • 9 min read
Balancing Ideology and Responsibility in Iran’s Battle Against COVID-19
An Iranian man takes a selfie with his vaccination card at a vaccination center in Tehran, Iran September 20, 2021. Majid Asgaripour/WANA/ReutersFig. 1 Health advocates confronting COVID-19 juxtaposed with Iranian soldiers. ISNAFig. 2 “For protecting our health, spend this year’s holiday at home.” Tasnim News Fig. 3 The difference between Islamic-Iranian culture and the materialism of the West. Office of the Supreme LeaderFig. 4 “Cowboy Trump” stealing masks. Office of the Supreme Leader Fig. 5 The winding road of technological achievements. Office of the Supreme Leader Fig. 6 “Heroic Nation.” Khattmedia Telegram channel
Covid-19 Coverage

Balancing Ideology and Responsibility in Iran’s Battle Against COVID-19

Like all governments, Iran’s response to the coronavirus pandemic combines public health measures with ideological messaging. Schwartz and Gölz analyze Iran’s visual iconography and the politics of the state’s early narratives of self-reliance and resistance and why these shifted when vaccines becam
Kevin Schwartz, Olmo Gölz • 11 min read