Marwan Bishara

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Marwan Bishara
Senior political analyst | Qatar
Biography

Marwan Bishara is Al Jazeera's senior political analyst.

He was previously a professor of International Relations at the American University of Paris. An author who writes extensively on global politics, he is widely regarded as a leading authority on the Middle East and international affairs.

Latest posts by Marwan Bishara

By Marwan Bishara in Imperium on January 10th, 2012

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The Invisible Arab: The Promise and Perils of the Arab Revolution will be published on January 31 by Nation Books.

From the book's front flap:

The Invisible Arab is a brilliant essay from Marwan Bishara,  one of the Arab world's leading public intellectuals, on how the Arabs broke their own psychological barrier of fear to kindle the greatest revolutionary transformation in recent memory. It explains why the West was completely surprised by this and will continue to be surprised by the Arabs as long as the West is captive to the age-old stereotypes about the region and its people.

By Marwan Bishara in Imperium on December 29th, 2011
In an interview Newt Gingrich said the Palestinians were 'invented people' and had a chance to go to many places [EPA]

The film "Mission Impossible 4" opened in US theatre in recent weeks, starring BMW, Apple and Tom Cruise. A two-hour-long commercial on steroids.

If you are unfamiliar with it, Paid Product Placement (PPP) is a big thing in the movie industry.

This is how it works: Hollywood places in its movies certain watches, cars, or a laptop brands; preferably worn by George Clooney, driven by Angelina Jolie, or placed in front of Meg Ryan. In "The Transformers", for example, GM’s Cameros lead with Megan Fox.

PPP is indirect marketing that targets oblivious movie viewers, gender notwithstanding, Catherine Banning or Will Smith could be drinking Pepsi.

The spirit and soul of a movie are sometimes compromised when its script and shooting are shaped by commercial, rather than artistic, considerations.

By Marwan Bishara in Imperium on November 22nd, 2011

 

'The people have spoken loud and clear. It's up to the generals to stand up and salute the steadfast of their people and save the nation unneeded delays and suffering.' [EPA]

Why has there been an escalation in protests in Egypt?

The earthquake that transformed Egypt in the beginning of the year hasn't reached far or deep enough because the military - the backbone of the Mubarak regime - sided with the revolutionaries in the hope of safeguarding its status and privileges.

Tags: Egypt
By Marwan Bishara in Imperium on November 15th, 2011

Why has Syria called for an emergency summit of the Arab League?

In strategic affairs, it is called escaping forward.

By Marwan Bishara in Imperium on September 29th, 2011
An ardent supporter of the Iraq war, Tony Blair is now tasked with brokering Middle East peace [AFP]

Tony Blair has been a political salesman since he first made his debut at the British Labour Party conference. And he is good, no doubt about that.

Not only because he speaks coherently; he is Scottish after all. Nor is it because he's often compared with George W Bush.

It's because Tony could peddle ideas and sell economic and military agendas better than most.

The question is: Would you buy a used car from Tony?

The Palestinians and the Arabs in general have concluded enough is enough.

Nabil Sha'ath, the Palestinian Authority's first ever foreign minister, told me last year: "Forget Tony Blair. I think Mr Blair is at the wrong time at the wrong place and he’s just making it easier for Mr Netanyahu to deceive us, really, in more ways than one."

By Marwan Bishara in Imperium on September 22nd, 2011
Barack Obama has become even more pro-Israel than George W Bush, analyst argues [GALLO/GETTY]

Obama is the "the first Jewish President". That's the title of New York magazine's lead article, written by John Heilemann and quoting a major Obama fundraiser.

Listening to Obama speak at the United Nations on Wednesday many would nod in agreement, not less in Palestine and the Arab world. 

The US president has embraced the rejectionist Israeli position on the question of international recognition of an independent Palestinian state.

But that's not a Jewish position. It's a radical Zionist position. Many Jews, including US and Israeli Jews, do not embrace such extremist views.

But the fact that Obama surpassed his predecessor George W Bush, the most radical supporter of Israel among all US Presidents, has left everyone in Israel dumbstruck. The latest Zionist US president sounded like Israel's own founding fathers.

Never have they heard a US president read straight from the papers of the Israeli government.

By Marwan Bishara in Imperium on September 21st, 2011
The United Nations General Assembly has adopted 690 different resolutions on matters dealing with Palestine [EPA]

Failure to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and Israel's 40-year occupation, in the words of UN former Secretary General Kofi Annan, would "continue to hurt the reputation of the United Nations and raise questions about its impartiality".

By Marwan Bishara in Imperium on August 29th, 2011
'Gaddafi is more of a nuisance, a security challenge; a background noise that will go away sooner rather than later' [Reuters]

In order for Libya to liberate itself from four decades of the Gaddafi rule, it must also free itself from his persona.

Gaddafi no longer presents a political or even a tribal weight in the country. He’s more of a nuisance, a security challenge; a background noise that will go away sooner rather than later.

A liberated Libya 2011 is no occupied Iraq 2003. Contrary to certain sensationalist estimates, Gaddafi cannot seriously fight back long-term with a gold- or dollars-financed insurgency. The old man is finished, and neither he nor his family will be able to mount any serious challenge to reborn Libya.

Tags: Libya
By Marwan Bishara in Imperium on August 21st, 2011
Libyans in the rebel stronghold, Benghazi, celebrated the rebel advance on Tripoli early on Monday [EPA]

A six month NATO-aided rebellion in Libya has advanced on the capital, Tripoli, in an effort to oust 42-year leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, comments on three key issues.

What's next for Libya and the national council?

It is time for the Libyan people to celebrate the end of a four-decade dictatorship. Once they sober up from the jubilations of their well-deserved victory, however, they will discover this is only the beginning.

Gaddafi has undermined, marginalised or obliterated many of the state institutions, including the military, and destroyed the political parties - indeed, political life in the country. There is much to restore and more to build from scratch.

By Marwan Bishara in Imperium on July 31st, 2011
Once people dare to rise in defiance against dictators, as in Syria, regimes lose much of their capacity to instill fear or comm

Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, answers questions about the current escalation - and what some see as setbacks - surrounding the uprisings in Libya, Syria, and Yemen. 

How do you explain the fact that since the upheavals erupted several months ago, the Libyan, Yemeni and Syrian regimes have continued their repression unabatedly - while in Egypt and Tunisia the regimes fell quickly?

The transformations in Egypt and Tunisia raised expectations of swift change elsewhere, but when the Arab Spring turned into a hot summer, it led to disappointment and doubt.

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