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Beaufort Castle became the symbol of the final weary chapter of Israel’s long stay in Lebanon in the First Lebanon War. Now, 26 years after Israel withdrew from the Crusader fortress – it regrettably returns.
While the castle was named bel fort or beau fort – old French for “beautiful fortress” – by the Crusaders, it is not similarly viewed by the Israeli soldiers who would prefer not be (seen here) patrolling its ridge. (Photo: IDF)
ARTICLES
Please note there is a facility to comment beneath each article should you wish to express an opinion on the subject addressed.
(1)
WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?
Any deal that leaves Iran’s Islamic Republic regime intact leaves the threat intact. By Marziyeh Amirizadeh
‘Dealing’ with Iran. With the US showing it wants the deal more than the Iranians, the writer says this emboldens a regime, smelling weakness. A former political prisoner that faced execution in Teheran’s notorious prison, the writer understands firsthand who the US is dealing with and warns – “ACT don’t DEAL”.
The ‘Palestine-Israel question’ has overshadowed the atrocities taking place across Africa. ByKenneth Kgwadi
Death on its Doorstep. Why do atrocities in Africa involving millions of victims across multiple concurrent conflicts – characterized by mass killings, ethnic cleansing, sexual violence, and state-sponsored repression – not receive the same level of global attention afforded to the Palestinian cause?
When international visitors disappear, nearly every segment of the local economy suffers. By Motti Verses
Petra under Pressure. Behind the postcard-perfect image of one of the world’s most celebrated heritage attractions lies one of the Middle East’s most dramatic tourism crises. With the war with Iran, the writer reveals how since his last visit to the ancient city carved into rock (above), the conversation has shifted from expansion to survival.
ONE OF THE SMALLEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD, ISRAEL CONSUMES THE BIGGEST CHUNK OF ARAB DAILY NEWS COVERAGE
Media Watch: Arab world is watching Israel like never before says Arab journalist. Introduced by David E. Kaplan
Israel Intrigues. Israeli correspondents and spokespeople are common sights today of Arab TV news networks. From what possibly began as “know your enemy”, Israel – “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly” – is today paraded and debated. An Arab journalist explains with warnings for Israel to head.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
01 June 2026 – Is South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice losing momentum? This and more on The Israel Brief.
02 June 2026 – “You’re f____ crazy!” Who said that and more on The Israel Brief?
03 June 2026 – “I started the Iran War, there would be no Israel without me” – this and more on The Israel Brief.
04 June 2026 – “You should hear some of our other conversations!” Interviews, ceasefires, mensches and morons on The Israel Brief.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
Media Watch: Arab world is watching Israel like never before says Arab journalist.
Explaining this phenomenon is veteran Arab journalist and author Nazir Majli, widely known for his extensive career as a political correspondent covering Israel and the Middle East for the London-based daily Asharq Al-Awsat. He has served as the publication’s Israel bureau chief, offering analysis and breaking news across both Arabic and international media. Reported in Ynet, Majli questions how Irael seems impervious to the negative impact many of its actions are having on Arabs in the region who were growing to the idea – once an anathema – of closer ties with Israel following the Abraham Accords. He characterizes Israel by its conduct as “a subcontractor for Hamas,” for the self-inflicted harm damage it is causing. Let Majli explain – it is well worth a read.
David E. Kaplan Editor, Lay of the Land
ARAB WORLD WATCHING ISRAELI MEDIA LIKE NEVER BEFORE, BUT ISRAEL IS FAILING TO UNDERSTAND WHY
By Nazir Majli
No country draws the attention of the Arab world more than Israel. Perhaps it began as “know your enemy,” but it did not remain only that. Many Arabs wanted knowledge and answers. For years, they learned about Israel mainly from hostile Arab sources, mobilized media, propaganda and incitement. Many believed that distorted picture until they encountered another truth.
Israel’s achievements in science, technology, security, high-tech and the economy raised more questions and increased the demand for reliable information.
When that demand became real hunger, Arab media faced a major challenge. Major newspapers such as Asharq Al-Awsat and Al-Hayat began employing Arab citizens of Israel as correspondents in the early 1990s. Al Jazeera later joined, followed by Al Arabiya. Today, there is no influential Arab channel or newspaper without a correspondent in Israel. Even Hezbollah-linked Al Mayadeen has commissioned reports from Arab Israeli journalists.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli voice has reached the Arab nation live and from the source. Netanyahu’s speeches and those of his ministers have been broadcast live with simultaneous Arabic translation and later quoted in news bulletins. Studio discussions were repeatedly interrupted for statements by Israeli leaders.
Even as Israeli planes bombed universities, schools, mosques and churches, even as thousands of women and children were killed and homes were destroyed in Gaza and in West Bank refugee camps, the voice and image of IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari appeared on screens in Palestinian and Arab homes. Every appearance was broadcast and translated reliably for Arab audiences.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, who before October 7, 2023 was an unfamiliar face in Saudi Arabia is seen here interviewed in June, 2024 by Al Arabiya. Al Arabiya, Saudi Arabia’s alternative to Al Jazeera and has no problem giving repeated airtime to Israel’s army spokesman.(Credit: Still from Al Arabiya IDF Spokesman)
At the same time, while Israel practiced military and self-censorship over IDF operations in Gaza and later Lebanon, and while broadcasters, reporters and commentators in Israeli studios often concealed the harsh consequences, Arab media made sure to carry the other voice — the Israeli one.
It was openness against opacity. Veteran Arab journalists remembered the 1960s, when Israel projected great self-confidence and often told the truth, while Arab media concealed it.
After 50 years of deeper and more authentic Arab familiarity with Israel, there is no longer one united Arab hostility toward Israel. There is an internal Arab conflict over Israel. The Abraham Accords were one of the clearest expressions of that change.
Hamas, inspired by Iran, attacked Israel in an effort to destroy that process. Israel’s harsh, unconventional and destructive response turned it, in effect, into a subcontractor for Hamas, helping it advance that goal and damaging the new Arab current that wanted normalization with Israel.
What had been seen as Israeli wisdom suffered a severe blow after Oct. 7.
The questions I now hear from Arab colleagues, influencers and policy figures have become much harder. Covering Israel for the Arab world has become more difficult. Israeli policy is seen as a gamble with everything on the table. Even those who hate Hamas, Iran and Hezbollah cannot digest Israel’s conduct throughout the war. Many believe this policy is helping the extremist axis.
Top Israeli journalists from Channel 2 are seen here on 3 June, 2026 on Iran’s PRESS TV.
Even friends of President Donald Trump, who strongly supports the Israeli government, do not understand how Netanyahu has placed everything in his hands.
They ask me:
“Don’t you think about the day after? Is there no responsible body analyzing reality, examining scenarios and drawing professional conclusions about the future? How is policy made in Israel? What are the considerations? How do Israelis understand the value of good neighbors? Even if there are military achievements, why not use them for a diplomatic horizon? The first rule of wars is to end them with political achievements. Is Israel waiting for Trump to do that work, too?”
A wealthy, educated woman from Gaza, now a refugee in Egypt and known for opposing Hamas, asked me in despair: “Don’t Israelis have children? Don’t they think about their future? Do you know that my grandson talks about revenge?”
A Syrian intellectual living in Canada, who celebrated the fall of the Assad family’s regime, canceled his plan to return to Syria with his family because of the uncertainty there.
Yonit Levi from Israel’s Channel 12 appears on UAE news channel. For decades, the appearance of Israeli speakers in Arab media was the stuff of science fiction. To the Arab mainstream press, Israel was a monolithic, distant entity, “the Zionist enemy”, whose voice was permitted only through the rigid filters of local propaganda and censorship. However, the last three decades have triggered a dramatic revolution, transforming Israelis from unseen adversaries into regular, and often fiery, participants in Arab public discourse.
“What do the Israelis want from Syria already?” he asked. “A country without an army, extending a hand for peace and ready to cooperate against terrorism — why is it met with such hostility from Israel?”
A senior Egyptian diplomat I met in Tel Aviv told me: “You know how much I hate Iran. But Israel has been exposed. For me, it is the second Iran in the region. What it did in Gaza conveys weakness more than strength. The arrogance of its leaders and the talk of turning Israel into the most powerful force in the region and the world express a sick internal weakness.”
Former Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on Al Arabiya
A senior official in Abu Dhabi, once an enthusiastic supporter of the Abraham Accords, spoke of deep shock.
“What Hamas did was not only carry out a cursed, murderous attack,” he said. “It also pulled Israelis out of judgment and strategic thinking, dragging them into sacrificing future generations to a dark future.”
He recalled Netanyahu’s 2015 comment at the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, when he was asked whether Israel would forever live by the sword and answered, “Yes.”
“Do Israelis understand what that means?” the Abu Dhabi official asked. “What leader promises his people wars for life?”
With pictures like this of Gaza-based Palestinian photographer Mahmud Hams documenting buildings destroyed in Israeli bombardment at the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on November 2, 2023, the writer questions if Israel realizes that such exposure in effect turns the Jewish state into “a subcontractor for Hamas,” damaging the “new Arab current that wanted normalization with Israel.” (Photo: AFP)
The Arab world is watching Israel more closely than ever. But attention is not support. Israel’s words are translated, its leaders are heard and its military briefings are broadcast. Yet everything Israel says is now weighed against what Arab audiences see.
The question is whether Israel understands what it is showing them.”
When international visitors disappear, nearly every segment of the local economy suffers.
By Motti Verses
There are places people want to see, and there are places people dream of seeing. Petra belongs firmly in the second category.
For decades, Jordan’s ancient Nabataean city has appeared on countless lists of destinations every traveler should visit at least once in a lifetime. I have been fortunate to visit Petra several times, and each visit left me equally mesmerized. Hidden beyond dramatic sandstone canyons, surrounded by rose-red cliffs and crowned by monuments carved directly into the rock, Petra offers an experience unlike almost anywhere else on Earth. A rare combination of history, mystery, and natural beauty that has made it one of the world’s most photographed and admired destinations.
Only three years ago, Petra appeared to be enjoying its golden age. In 2023, the UNESCO World Heritage Site welcomed a record-breaking 1.17 million visitors, nearly one million of them international tourists. During my last visit that year, over the Passover holiday, prosperity was visible everywhere. Hotels were full, restaurants were bustling, and the local economy was thriving on an unprecedented scale.
Enthralling Entrance. Tended by local Bedouin handlers, camels are an iconic fixture at the entrance of Petra, the ancient Nabaten capital famous for its magnificent rock-cut architecture. (Photo: Motti verses)
Today, however, behind the postcard-perfect image of one of the world’s most celebrated heritage attractions lies one of the Middle East’s most dramatic tourism crises.
Following the regional conflict and the war with Iran, conversations among hotel managers, business owners and government officials have shifted from growth and expansion to survival. The region’s instability triggered a wave of cancellations, empty hotel rooms, lost jobs and growing uncertainty about the future. Visitor numbers have reportedly fallen by more than 60 percent, transforming one of the Middle East’s greatest tourism success stories into a destination fighting for its economic life.
Petra, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, is far more than an archaeological treasure. Over the years, an entire tourism ecosystem has grown around it – hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, desert camps, transportation companies and thousands of jobs that depend almost entirely on foreign visitors.
Then the crisis arrived.
According to Adnan Al-Sawaeir, Chairman of the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority, March 2026 ended with an almost complete collapse of tourism bookings to the city. Reports later indicated that approximately 60 percent of April reservations and 45 percent of May reservations were canceled. By April, nearly 80 percent of hotel rooms in the region remained unsold, devastating an industry that had entered the year with high expectations.
Pressures on Petra. Adnan Al-Sawaeir, Chairman of the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority has raised severe concerns of Middle East tensions causing a devastating downturn in Jordanian tourism specifically effecting Petra.(Photo: Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority’s Post)
The statistic that shocked Jordan emerged during last month emergency session of the Jordan Economic Forum in Amman titled “Petra: A Roadmap for Resilience and Adaptation.” During the discussion, Al-Sawaeir revealed that hotel occupancy during the March Eid al-Fitr holiday stood at only about 6 percent. He described Petra as “the tourist destination most affected in Jordan.”
For a city whose economy lives and breathes tourism, the figure was almost unimaginable.
Abdullah Husanat, President of the Petra Hotels Association, summarized the situation in a sentence that quickly became symbolic of the crisis:
“All investments in Petra are currently in intensive care.”
Behind that statement lies a stark reality. According to figures presented at the forum, roughly 83 percent of foreign tourism to the region arrives specifically because of Petra. When international visitors disappear, nearly every segment of the local economy suffers.
The region offers thousands of hotel rooms despite being primarily a one-night destination for many travelers. Among the most prominent properties is the 183-room Mövenpick Resort Petra, widely considered one of the area’s flagship hotels. Other internationally branded properties include Mercure, Marriott and Crowne Plaza, alongside dozens of regional and locally owned hotels.
Desert Delights. Waiting the return of tourists is the idyllic roof-top terrace restaurant at the Mövenpick Resort Petra. (Photo: Movenpick Resort Petra website)
Hotels built to accommodate hundreds of guests each day suddenly found themselves with silent corridors, nearly empty dining rooms and staff waiting for visitors who never arrived. Industry sources report that approximately 32 hotels have closed while around 1,000 tourism workers have lost their jobs.
The irony is that Petra itself has not become dangerous.
International tourism organizations continue to regard the destination as relatively safe, with dedicated tourist police, established visitor infrastructure and well-managed attractions. The problem is perception. For many travelers in Europe, North America and Asia, Jordan has become part of a broader regional narrative associated with instability. When the entire region is perceived as unsafe, organized tour groups cancel, airlines adjust schedules and independent travelers simply choose alternative destinations.
Beauty in the Bottle. During a busy tourism year, up to 1 million of Petra’s famous sand-art bottles – a craft using vibrant colored sands that combines history, creativity, and storytelling – are sold. (Photo: Motti verses)
Jordanian officials increasingly recognize that waiting for international tourists to return cannot be the sole strategy. During recent economic discussions in Amman, two words repeatedly surfaced: resilience and adaptation.
The goal is to create a more sustainable model in which Petra is less dependent on international tourism alone. Proposed solutions include strengthening domestic tourism, attracting new investment, developing alternative sources of income and creating stronger tourism links between Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba and the Dead Sea.
Yet everyone involved in the industry understands that the ultimate solution cannot be found in a new marketing campaign or the opening of another hotel.
The real challenge is restoring confidence.
Petra has survived earthquakes, the collapse of empires and centuries of abandonment. Its magnificent rose-colored monuments still stand proudly among the desert cliffs, just as they have for centuries.
Tantalizing Tourists. Using vibrant colored sands, skilled artisans layer patterns to create stunning miniature landscapes inspired by the deserts of Wadi Rum and beyond. Each bottle is a unique piece of Jordanian heritage, perfect as a souvenir. (Photo: JordanCrafts)
The great question of 2026 is not whether Petra will survive. It is how long it will take for the world to feel confident enough to return and walk once again through the red sandstone canyons of one of the most breathtaking and inspiring destinations on the planet.
Paintings at Petra. One of thousands of tourist paintings of the Nabateans, the industrious ancient Arab civilization, sold in Petra’s many shops that stock more than souvenirs – they stock pieces of history. (Photo: Motti verses)
*Feature photo: Pulsating Petra. Rife with tourists from all over the world, the writer in Petra a few years ago. (Photo: Liat Valter)
About the writer:
The author is a seasoned hotel expert, traveler, writer, and videographer, and formerly served as Head of Public Relations for Hilton Hotels & Resorts in Israel. Today, as a travel writer and hospitality trends analyst, his insights and experiences are regularly featured in leading Israeli media outlets.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
The ‘Palestine-Israel question’ has overshadowed the atrocities taking place across Africa.
By Kenneth Kgwadi
Most African countries reclaimed their political independence in the late 1950s, with Ghana becoming the first sub-Saharan African country to attain independence, paving the way for several others to follow suit. This ushered in not only joy and euphoria, but also the hope that black self-rule would prioritise the interests of their respective countries, their people, and the broader African continent. However, too many countries have fallen short of this aspiration.
It still does not make sense that the profound and visible atrocities taking place across Africa do not receive the same level of global attention afforded to the Palestinian cause. The suffering on the continent stretches back centuries, from the era of slavery to the present day. Many African countries continue to endure repression at the hands of those who were once regarded as liberators during the struggle for independence.
Pan-African Optimism. Ghana’s independence in 1957 proved a pivotal event signaling the shift away from colonialism on the African continent. Two years after Nkrumah in 1964 pushed a constitutional amendment that makinge Ghana a one-party state and himself the life president, he was overthrown in a military coup.
Thousands of Africans continue to lose their lives to radical Islamist extremism, poverty, crime, poorly managed health outbreaks, civil wars, and state persecution. Yet, despite the scale and persistence of these challenges, such injustices often fail to attract adequate international attention and sustained global concern.
A silent war is taking place on our doorstep in the province of Cabo Delgado, where people from all 17 districts have been displaced out of fear for their lives following the brutal killings perpetrated by Islamic State Mozambique. The group has been terrorising the country since 2017, leaving thousands dead and many more displaced.
Horrendous Hypocrisy. While South Africa feigns concern for the Palestinians in Gaza, it ignores virtually on its doorstep where Islamic State Mozambique (ISM) is responsible for a significant portion of the over 6,500 total fatalities recorded since the Cabo Delgado insurgency began in 2017. Monitoring groups estimate that the group has killed thousands — including at least 2,800 civilians — while displacing over 400,000 people across the region.
Yet the South African public remains largely detached from what is unfolding in Mozambique. At the same time, many complain about the growing influx of Mozambicans into South Africa, despite the fact that many of these migrants are fleeing violence and insecurity while seeking safety and economic opportunities to sustain themselves and their families. The humanitarian crisis in Cabo Delgado serves as a reminder that migration is often a consequence of conflict, instability, and the failure to address the root causes of human suffering in the region.
There is a compelling need to invest in political, strategic, and military interventions to address the crisis in Mozambique, as it directly affects South Africa in several ways. Mozambique is one of Africa’s countries with significant economic potential, yet it remains unable to fully realise that potential because of the ongoing conflict. With its relatively advanced defense capabilities and larger economy, South Africa is well positioned to play a meaningful role in helping to resolve the current tragedy in Mozambique. Such efforts would contribute to creating a more stable and conducive environment for economic development, which could in turn reduce migration pressures between the two countries. A prosperous Mozambique would also become a stronger economic partner, helping to stimulate regional growth and create much-needed employment opportunities.
Playing Politics. Mounting pressures and tensions closer to home, South Africa’s ANC leadership prefers to focus on falsely accusing Israel at international courts.
It remains concerning that South Africa often expends substantial political capital on issues and conflicts taking place thousands of kilometres away, while opportunities exist to use that same influence to improve the socio-political and security conditions of people on the African continent. Greater investment should be directed towards helping to rebuild, industrialise, and develop African countries in order to create a more prosperous and stable continent. Such an approach would contribute more directly to the advancement of African societies than engaging in avoidable diplomatic confrontations with Western nations, which offer limited tangible benefits to the socio-economic development of the continent.
About the writer:
Kenneth Kgwadi is a political scientist, columnist and research fellow at the Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI).
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
