Alain Gresh

Publication director of Orient XXI. A specialist in the Near East, he is the author of several books, including De quoi la Palestine est-elle le nom ?, Les Liens qui libèrent, 2010 and et Un chant d’amour. Israël-Palestine, une histoire française, with Hélène Aldeguer, éditions La Découverte, 2017.

French Law on Separation of Church and State. Diverting Secularism to War against Islam Alain Gresh · December 2020 On December 9, the anniversary of the 1905 law separating Church and State, the French Council of Ministers will propose a text “reinforcing republican principles.” Under the pretext of defending secularism, it goes against the letter and the spirit of the 1905 law, marked by a liberalism (...)
Islam: A One-Sided Debate Alain Gresh · November 2020 Emmanuel Macron took advantage of the columns of The Financial Times on Thursday 5 November to reply to an article which that newspaper published on Franco-Algerian relationships. What could be more normal? But what is less so is that the article, written by one of its regular journalists, (...)
The Arab Revolutions in Historical Perspective Alain Gresh, Jean-Pierre Sereni · November 2019 Once again, from Algeria to Iraq, the peoples of the Arab world are in open rebellion. What are the stumbling blocks that stand in the way of their aspirations? How does history shed light on the present situation?
We are witnessing the second wave of protest and rebellion in the Arab word. (...)
Interview Justice for Jamal Khashoggi Agnès Callamard, Alain Gresh · October 2019 Just one year ago, on 2 October 2018, the journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered on the premises of the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, in particularly horrible circumstances. Last June, Agnès Callamard, special rapporteur for the United Nations on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, (...)
Interview “Mohammad Bin Salman Should Be the Object of an International Criminal Investigation” Agnès Callamard, Alain Gresh · June 2019 Interview with Agnès Callamard, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. She investigated the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi for six months.
On 2 October 2018, the journalist Jamal Khashoggi went into the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul to obtain (...)
Down with the Muslim Brotherhood ! Alain Gresh · May 2019 Pure coincidence? Almost at the same moment, the French and American presidents have come out strongly against political Islam. While Donald Trump and his administration are examining the possibility of branding the Muslim Brotherbood as a “terrorist organisation”, Emmanuel Macron has denounced (...)
Barack Obama, “lackey” of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood Alain Gresh · September 2018 As a correspondent for the New York Times in Cairo since 2010, David Kirkpatrick covered the Egyptian Spring and Winter and the account in his new book of the different episodes, the various twists and turns, displays considerable talent. If only for this reason, his book is well worth reading, (...)
How Israel Spies on US Citizens Alain Gresh · August 2018 A never-shown Al Jazeera documentary on the pro-Israel lobby in the US reveals possibly illegal Israeli spying on US citizens, and the lobby’s fear of a changing political mood. (This article has been published in French in Le Monde diplomatique, and translated by Le Monde diplomatique, English (...)
Interview Is Islamism the Muslim Form of Liberation Theology? Alain Gresh, Asef Bayat · June 2018 There is no doubt that Islamism, in its various forms, plays a major role in the evolution of Muslim societies, in the struggles that are developing there. What explains this centrality? Can we draw a parallel between Islamism and Christian liberation theology? Interview.
Alain Gresh. — Why is (...)
Books Understanding the Arab Spring Alain Gresh · May 2018 What really happened? How did it come to that? Seven years later, what is left of the Arab revolutions? These are some of the questions raised by sociologist Asef Bayet and to which he provides original answers in a book which, though sometimes a bit disjointed, is certainly one of the most (...)
Editorial Electoral Farce in Egypt Alain Gresh · March 2018 Seven years after the revolution that brought down President Hosni Mubarak, a lead weight fell on Egypt. And the elections are nothing more than a farce.
On March 26 and 28 Egyptians will be called to the polls to choose the President of the Republic. If we had to describe in one word a (...)
Who is Losing the Nile? Alain Gresh · February 2018 The construction by Ethiopia of the Grand Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile has exacerbated tensions between the riverside countries. Egypt is worried for fear its share of the river waters may be seriously diminished but seems incapable of standing in the way of Addis-Abeba’s project which has (...)
De Gaulle : “The Jews, a People Sure of Itself and Domineering” Alain Gresh · September 2017 From the very start of the June 1967 war, French President General Charles de Gaulle condemned Israel for having started it. This position, in contradiction with that of most political leaders, the media and public opinion earned de Gaulle many criticisms, including that of antisemitism.
A (...)
[Reporting Moscow Capital of the Middle East Alain Gresh · March 2017 Russia now occupies a pivotal position in the Middle Eastern political chessboard. Its military presence in Syria, the axis created with Iran and Turkey have made the Russians a required partner for all sides in the ongoing war. But Russia is also caught up in the conflicts between its allies (...)
Saudi Arabia mired in the quicksand of the Middle East Alain Gresh · January 2017 Two years after his accession to the throne, King Salman faces many challenges. The intervention in Yemen is bogged down and Saudi Arabia suffers setbacks in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. While the economic reforms initiated are much criticized, the questions on his succession remain unanswered.
If (...)
[Reporting A Turbulent Time in Saudi-Egyptian Relations Alain Gresh · December 2016 The failed attempts to mediate between Egypt and Saudi Arabia by several Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, have confirmed the extent to which the two countries distrust one another. And yet only a few months ago they appeared bound by a strategic alliance. What has happened? (...)