Reuters,Getty, Gerald Du
Weekend Essay: Israel must acknowledge the true story of how it came into being

There is no denying the legitimacy of Israel's existence in international law but the state still has a responsibility towards those who were adversely affected by its creation

March 29, 2024
British troops leaving Palestine on June 30, 1948. Alamy Stock Photo
Britain's Palestine problem

Refusing to recognise Palestine as a state alongside Israel shows it hasn't come to terms with its own past

August 14, 2021
The Umayyads ruled in Spain's Andalusia. Getty Images
'Weak states and foreign meddling are to blame for Muslim sectarianism'

Events pegged to Islam are extensive and, like any religion, tumultuous at times, but this does not mean yesterday's labels belong into today's world

September 15, 2017
Sykes-Picot at 100: end sectarian strife

It is far too late to redraw the borders we now call the Sykes-Picot boundaries - we must build on the imperfect map we have inherited, acknowledging the grievances that ISIL have been able to exploit.

May 12, 2016
French soldiers arrive in Beirut after the Sykes-Picot Agreement that placed Lebanon under French rule. Keystone-France / Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images.
One hundred years on: the Sykes-Picot Agreement and a legacy of bloodshed

In May 1916, Britain and France signed a secret treaty known as the Sykes-Picot Agreement to carve up the Levant and Middle East. This not only took self-determination away from Arabs but left a legacy of sectarianism, instability and violence that continues to inflame the region. Historian John McHugo argues that past lessons must be learnt.

May 12, 2016