Over the last century or so, Israelis have worked to make Israel a part of the Middle East. Israeli sabras (native born Israelis) with their argumentative attitudes; take no prisoners mentality; love for hummus, falafel and “Israeli” salad; tan skin; the yalla (let’s go) and no-translation needed ‘tseh (tongue hiss) live up to the Middle Eastern stereotypes and fit in with regional commonalities.

The only surprise about the Egyptian revolution is that it took so long. Demonstrations have been increasing in the past few years, despite the brutality of the regime, and with them deep distrust and hatred for President Hosni Mubarak and his government.

Over the last century or so, Israelis have worked to make Israel a part of the Middle East. Israeli sabras (native born Israelis) with their argumentative attitudes; take no prisoners mentality; love for hummus, falafel and “Israeli” salad; tan skin; the yalla (let’s go) and no-translation needed ‘tseh (tongue hiss) live up to the Middle Eastern stereotypes and fit in with regional commonalities. If a tourist was dropped off in a nightclub or beach in Beirut or Tel Aviv, the only notable difference between the patrons would be the spoken language.

Earlier today, the Egyptian military announced that it had taken "necessary measures to protect the nation and support the legitimate demands of the people."...CNN at the moment is quoting a senior military official denying the characterization, but one thing is definitely for sure: you're unlikely to hear the word coup from President Obama or any other senior administration official.

Crises have always existed in diplomacy and will always come upon us, and as a result, there are several traditional mechanisms for crisis management and crisis prevention that are more relevant than ever.

Glued to television sets in Ramallah’s shisha cafes, Palestinians have been watching al-Jazeera television attentively as Egyptian people rise up from Alexandria to Cairo. Looking on with admiration as tens of thousands fill the streets during the January 28th “Day of Rage”, cheers erupt through the cafes with every police retreat and every Molotov cocktail that lands on security vehicles.

Tech-savvy young Egyptians wanted to spread the word about widespread discontent in their country, but they didn't expect the massive uprising that would paralyze the country and draw the world's attention. The Mubarak regime recognized the role the Internet was playing in stirring resentment of the government and shut down access in the country.

The Study Abroad Office announced in an e-mail today that applications for fall programs in Egypt will not be approved. The decision, which will affect the fall 2011 study abroad plans of eight students, including this reporter, came in response to a travel warning posted by the U.S. Department of State in light of the political unrest in Egypt. University policy prohibits processing applications for study in countries with travel warnings.