Ahead of Easter this year, I mourn Father Pierre al-Rahi, the Maronite Catholic parish priest of Qlayaa in Marjayoun (South Lebanon) who stayed behind to support his parishioners only to be killed by Israel on March 9 in a double tap attack. May his memory be a blessing.

Israeli officials are pressing Christian and Druze Lebanese civilians not to provide shelter for Shia Lebanese civilians as they target them (h/t @nytimes.com). A dark, dark repetition of history. For shame that we live in a world where we have not learned from its lessons.

Someone took "to the dustbin of history" quite literally.

🚨OPPORTUNITY ALERT!! 🚨 Are you a US citizen of MENA descent or one with demonstrated interest in MENA issues? Apply for @acmer.bsky.social's new program which places you into a paid internship on the Hill or at a DC-based NGO, and offers professional development and networking opportunities!

🚨 @smex.org is running a campaign to help ensure that: 📱 Displaced people in Lebanon have Internet access so that they can stay connected to aid agencies and receive the information and news they need to keep them safe. 📱 Displaced children have access to remote learning.

"We're gonna bring them back to the stone ages, where they belong," Trump says about Iran, a country that boasts one of the oldest and richest civilizations in the world. And there you have the promise of war crimes, mixed with a sprinkle of racism and a whole lot of ignorance.

Possible 2028 contender Rahm Emanuel says US taxpayers should not "foot the bill" for weapons to Israel. On the Iron Dome, he says "You're going to pay full price. You don't have special status." Comes as AOC says she opposes all military aid to Israel, including so-called defensive weapons.

In just a few weeks, we mark 3 years since the war in Sudan began. This year, @timep.bsky.social is hosting an event that delves into how women and girls have experienced this war and what needs to be done differently to advocate for them. Don't miss this conversation on April 13 ⤵️

I'm not sure "controversial" is how I'd describe a law that sets forth the penalty for one ethnic group, but not another. Here's what the UN had to say about this law: www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...

There’s a huge difference in sentiment between Jewish Americans and Jewish Israelis with regard to the Iran War. 78% of Jewish Israelis support the war (www.timesofisrael.com/78-of-jewish...).

في مقال جديد على منصة ميغافون، يطرح زميلنا غير المقيم جان قصير رؤيته للبنان كبلد متنوّع وديمقراطي وسط المشاريع التقسيميّة والشموليّة في المنطقة، بما يقتضي رفض احتلال الجنوب، وضمان عودة جميع الجنوبيين إلى بلداتهم، ورفض التقسيم، ورفض الهيمنة الإيرانية. megaphone.news/oped/%D9%87%...

Just need a buffer for our buffer's buffer

Today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the Israeli military to "further expand" the "existing security strip" in Lebanon. That's dressed up language for a violation of Lebanese sovereignty and what can become illegal annexation of Lebanese land.

Today, on Palm Sunday, "for the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented [by Israeli police] from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre." www.lpj.org/en/news/join... A historic, egregious violation by Israel.

In the midst of the lack of moral leadership we're seeing today, I seriously appreciate having an American pope that is clearly and consistently critiquing American war and immigration policies and the admin's instrumentalization of religion to back these policies.

Pope Leo XIV: “Jesus is the King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war...He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.” www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news... cc: Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, and friends.

peak bloom. some beauty in the midst of a world filled with too much ugliness. may we make it less so.

Since March 2, 49 paramedics have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon and the majority have been killed in direct or double-tap attacks. What are double-tap attacks? A strike happens, first responders rush in, and a second targets the same site to maximize casualties.

House Republicans just rejected the Senate deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security — which left out funding for ICE and CBP — meaning TSA workers remain unpaid.

Authorities have arrested 26 year old Alexander Heifler after he planned to target Palestinian activist Nerdeen Kiswani, co-founder of Within Our Lifetime, with Molotov cocktails. Nerdeen says that Betar has incited against her and her family for months: abc7ny.com/post/fbi-dis...

After Assad, a New Uncertainty in Syria’s South The same day Assad fell, Israel expanded its military activities into Syria. Since then, Israel’s military intervention has impacted the daily lives of residents in Quneitra and Daraa. — Kholoud Helmi for @timep.bsky.social timep.org/2026/03/26/a...

For Syrians, December 8, 2024 is the historic day marking the fall of the brutal Assad regime. But for those in southern Syria, it's also the day that Israel moved troops into the buffer zone, expanded strikes, and signaled a push to demilitarize the area. Don't miss Kholoud Helmi's latest.

Over the last 27 days, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed at least 121 children, says @unicef.org. At least 370,000 children have been displaced from their homes as the war has continued.

Update from Nour Khalil who was the subject of a transnational repression targeting his family earlier today. Nour's work with @rpegy.bsky.social is a legitimate exercise of freedom of association and expression. I hope this is the last incident of reprisal he experiences for his work.

Alarming news from Egypt where National Security officers are surrounding the family home of refugee advocate Nour Khalil (of Refugees Platform Egypt) and threatening to arrest his brother. This comes on the heels of online intimidation tactics targeting the org as reported by UNSR Mary Lawlor.

On Sunday, Defense Minister Katz said Israel would use the "Rafah" model in Lebanon. Earlier this month, the Trump Admin rushed a sale of over 20,000 bombs to the Netanyahu gov. Today, I asked the official who signed off on the transfer if it complies with US policy & intl law. He wouldn't answer.

For context, when Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich says, "The Litani must be our new border with the state of Lebanon," he is a sitting member of the Israeli Cabinet talking about the illegal takeover of sovereign Lebanese land. That is 30 km north of the current border.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has made explicit comments today on seizing sovereign Lebanese land: "the new Israeli border must be the Litani." In any other context, a sitting Cabinet member's declaration of annexation would make headline news www.newarab.com/news/israeli...

"Having endured +2 years of relentless physical, political and legal attacks, most fiercely in Palestine, UNRWA has reached breaking point. The risks to Palestinians’ rights and the stability of the region are immense." -Philippe Lazzarini's outgoing message www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

🚨 Attention law students and recent law graduates!! @timep.bsky.social's legal unit is looking for a full-time summer intern to start in the second half of May 2026. Candidates can be based anywhere so long as a significant portion of their hours overlap with 9 am-5 pm GMT.

What has the US-Israeli war with Iran meant for Syria and what does the risk of spillover into Syria look like? In a new piece for @timep.bsky.social, nonresident fellow Samy Akil answers these questions and others.

"Forcible displacement, wanton destruction and attacks deliberately targeting civilians are war crimes. Countries that continue to provide Israel with arms and military aid risk complicity in the Israeli government’s serious violations in Lebanon." - @hrw.org www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...

The systematic or widespread destruction of civilian housing is a war crime. And here, Israel is clearly announcing its intent.

Today, on Arab Mother's Day, my heart shatters for the new mom who gave birth on the side of the road in Lebanon, the Palestinian mother who risked her life daily to search for food for her babies, the mom in Sudan who was raped in front of her daughter. Our moms deserve so much better.

For the first time since 1967, the third holiest site in Islam, al-Aqsa Mosque, was closed for Eid prayers. Israeli soldiers closed checkpoints into the city, used sound bombs on and chased and forcibly dispersed worshippers trying to get as close as they could www.newarab.com/news/israel-...

May the next Eid we celebrate be one in which those being bombarded have found safety, those displaced from their homes have returned to them, and those separated from their loved ones have been reunited. May it be a Eid in a world that is more peaceful, more just, and more kind. 🤍

Today, the death toll in Lebanon officially crossed over the 1,000 mark. A dark, dark milestone.

More than 20% of Lebanon's population has been displaced from their homes. For many of them, this is not the first time they've been displaced in the last few years. In the midst of a harrowing war, Jasmin L. Diab brings us stories from the residents of south Lebanon. Don't skip this one.

Whether or not this factual account is accurate, it seems POTUS is trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube to some extent and forestall further attacks against energy infrastructure. (Obviously makes him look weak if Israel did this without his knowledge. And foolish if he approved of it.)

Happy Eid they tell us as they bomb schoolgirls with impunity and without apology. Happy Eid they tell us as they feed into a cycle of violence that leaves our loved ones unsafe. Happy Eid they tell us as they send money and weapons to fund the displacement of our people.

The Trump administration is considering sending thousands of troops to the Middle East (h/t @phildstewart.bsky.social) and the Pentagon has asked for +$200 billion for the Iran war supplemental (h/t Jeff Stein). While Americans starve and go without healthcare.

Refreshing to read the words of Minister Badr Albusaidi who was a key mediator in US-Iran talks and who is now a lone voice for reason. In this clear-eyed piece for The Economist, he lays out what friends of America can do to help extricate it from the war on Iran www.economist.com/by-invitatio...

A powerful show of leadership by Representative Rashida Tlaib on Lebanon, which is receiving all too little attention on the Hill: "As we approach the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, thousands of our families with strong ties to Lebanon are struggling right now."

A pleasure to participate in the inaugural cohort of this Impact Cener program. At a time in which the world is topsy-turvy, grateful for the space to learn from leaders committed to making this world better, serving their org's missions, and showing up for their teams with empathy and authenticity.

An American hero who provided medical care to the Boston Marathon bombing victims had his home destroyed by Israel today in an attack on a civilian area. In any world, that should be headline news here in the United States. Journalists and editors, where you at?

Promising news from Egypt, where blogger Mohamed Oxygen, who was prosecuted and sentenced alongside lawyer Mohamed el-Baqer and activist Alaa Abdel Fattah has FINALLY been ordered released (with his place of residence as a guarantee)! May he be physically released and home soon.

Six people dead and 24 injured in initial toll of the two strikes in central Beirut 🇱🇧 Ministry of health says it will start DNA testing the remains, as some remains found are not recognizable

It's actually a mausoleum of course but if we can get the crowd chanting "Laura thinks a mosque is beautiful" I think we can get her to crash out hard

Please somebody tell her that's like the archetype of Islamic architecture and report back