Inside the Middle East Quotes

“The Gaza Strip, with a population of 1.8 million people, is about twenty-five miles long and ranges from three to seven miles wide.”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“amās won, took over the Gaza Strip, and established its rule.”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“In June 2007, about a year and a half after the Israeli disengagement, amās conducted a violent coup in the Gaza Strip against the rule of the Palestinian Authority.”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“violent military rounds between Israel and Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip: Operation Cast Lead (December 2008–January 2009), Operation Pillar of Defense (November 2012), and Operation Protective Edge (July–August 2014).”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“In November 2005, shortly after the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, an agreement regarding the Rafah crossing, which connects the Gaza Strip with Egypt, was brokered by the United States and the European Union and signed by Israel and the Palestinian Authority.”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“Iran is moving full steam ahead in occupying Arab states, either directly or indirectly, through proxies.”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is Sunni,”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“They know this, but it remains to be seen if they’ll take preventive action.”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“The Iranian government needs to focus on things like restoring its crumbling economy, building its transportation and communication infrastructure, restoring and maintaining its oil industry, and providing employment opportunities, particularly to its young people.”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“Saudi message to amās is clear and simple: keep Gaza calm, do not allow Iran to spark another fire, and you will be rewarded financially.”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“Most know and publicly discuss the unfortunate truth: that militant Islam emerged because of the Arab and Muslim world’s failures.”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“there were three rounds of widespread military confrontations between Israel and amās: “Operation Cast Lead” in 2008, “Operation Pillar of Defense” in 2012, and “Operation Protective Edge” in 2014.”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“The tunnels were dug by amās from the Gaza side and by Bedouin smugglers from the Egyptian side.”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“On its northeast side, it has a short eight-mile border with the Gaza Strip. This tiny area has a massive network of tunnels that connect the northern Sinai to the Gaza Strip.”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“How Do You Produce an ISIS Member Before the Age of 20?”:”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“It takes years and resources to develop artists, doctors, scientists, and teachers—it takes minutes to teach a person to shoot and kill.”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“Militant Islam exploits chaos to grow, build momentum, and deepen its hold on its followers. It does this through violence and terror that brings anarchy, which in turn creates more violence and terror.”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“Arab Awakening is opposite theirs—it is one of a better life, a future, and hope.”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“The Arab Awakening symbolized the ideological defeat of Osama bin Laden”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“In 2008, Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi bade an angry farewell to President George W. Bush by throwing a shoe at him on his last visit to Iraq.30”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“it becomes clear that the constitutions in the Arab world do not reflect consensus and are not strong enough to secure their states’ integrity and social fabrics.”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“and other Arab states, like Egypt and Lebanon, which also have constitutions, are struggling with serious political violence and instability,”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

“When four Arab states that are violently disintegrating—Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Yemen—have constitutions,”
― Avi Melamed, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth