Richard Wallace
@richardjwallace.bsky.social
Lecturer in Politics, IR, Peace & Conflict Studies | Focus on Politics, Religion, Violence in MENA & South Asia | Substack (The Old Quarter): https://bit.ly/46kjJ5X
Pinned
New Substack post on The Old Quarter.
In this piece, I examine the relationships between Syria’s religious minority communities and the state, during both the Assad era and under the transitional government.
open.substack.com/pub/theoldqu...
In this piece, I examine the relationships between Syria’s religious minority communities and the state, during both the Assad era and under the transitional government.
open.substack.com/pub/theoldqu...
“The mission-driven mentality fragments the destruction of a people and place into thousands of isolated acts, each justified on its own terms, none acknowledged as part of a larger campaign of genocide…
The logic that helped Israeli liberals commit genocide
By attaching a military goal to each act of killing, Israelis of all stripes could partake in the slaughter without questioning the morality of their actions.
www.972mag.com
October 27, 2025 at 10:16 AM
“The mission-driven mentality fragments the destruction of a people and place into thousands of isolated acts, each justified on its own terms, none acknowledged as part of a larger campaign of genocide…
The international community needs to ensure that “transitional” governance arrangements in Gaza are just that, transitional.
The last time transitional measures were put in place (Oslo), they became permanent due to Israel’s deliberate obstruction of any pathway towards Palestinian statehood.
The last time transitional measures were put in place (Oslo), they became permanent due to Israel’s deliberate obstruction of any pathway towards Palestinian statehood.
October 12, 2025 at 6:53 AM
The international community needs to ensure that “transitional” governance arrangements in Gaza are just that, transitional.
The last time transitional measures were put in place (Oslo), they became permanent due to Israel’s deliberate obstruction of any pathway towards Palestinian statehood.
The last time transitional measures were put in place (Oslo), they became permanent due to Israel’s deliberate obstruction of any pathway towards Palestinian statehood.
“[T]he Biden administration failed to impose serious costs on the Israeli government for allowing & even encouraging a widening campaign of settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. In this vacuum, Israel appropriated more West Bank land in 2024 than in the previous 20 years combined.”
The Gaza Deal Is Not Too Big to Fail
How Israel’s Military Dominance Could Undermine America’s Quest for Regional Peace
reader.foreignaffairs.com
October 10, 2025 at 3:27 PM
“[T]he Biden administration failed to impose serious costs on the Israeli government for allowing & even encouraging a widening campaign of settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. In this vacuum, Israel appropriated more West Bank land in 2024 than in the previous 20 years combined.”
“The story of poverty reversal in Bangladesh is a complex one, but it has one simple moral. Growth that leaves people behind is fundamentally fragile; stability that breeds injustice is ultimately wobbly, and data that does not reflect reality is ultimately unsustainable.”
The harsh truth behind Bangladesh's poverty reversal
Why have the earlier gains in poverty reduction proved to be so vulnerable?
www.thedailystar.net
October 9, 2025 at 4:05 PM
“The story of poverty reversal in Bangladesh is a complex one, but it has one simple moral. Growth that leaves people behind is fundamentally fragile; stability that breeds injustice is ultimately wobbly, and data that does not reflect reality is ultimately unsustainable.”
“[T]he U.S.-Israeli plan excludes [the PLO] from any governance role in Gaza until it has implemented certain ill-defined reforms [including] ones referenced in Trump’s 2020 peace plan, which requires the PA to terminate pursuit of legal accountability against Israelis for war crimes.”
Is the U.S.-Israel Gaza Peace Plan a Deal or a Distraction?
Regardless, it took the wind out of the sails of broader efforts grounded in international law.
carnegieendowment.org
October 8, 2025 at 11:30 AM
“[T]he U.S.-Israeli plan excludes [the PLO] from any governance role in Gaza until it has implemented certain ill-defined reforms [including] ones referenced in Trump’s 2020 peace plan, which requires the PA to terminate pursuit of legal accountability against Israelis for war crimes.”
Reposted by Richard Wallace
From Assad to today’s transitional government — how have Syria’s religious minorities interacted with the state?
Read more here:
🔗: theoldquarter.substack.com/p/syrias-fra...
Read more here:
🔗: theoldquarter.substack.com/p/syrias-fra...
October 4, 2025 at 7:59 AM
From Assad to today’s transitional government — how have Syria’s religious minorities interacted with the state?
Read more here:
🔗: theoldquarter.substack.com/p/syrias-fra...
Read more here:
🔗: theoldquarter.substack.com/p/syrias-fra...
From Assad to today’s transitional government — how have Syria’s religious minorities interacted with the state?
Read more here:
🔗: theoldquarter.substack.com/p/syrias-fra...
Read more here:
🔗: theoldquarter.substack.com/p/syrias-fra...
October 4, 2025 at 7:59 AM
From Assad to today’s transitional government — how have Syria’s religious minorities interacted with the state?
Read more here:
🔗: theoldquarter.substack.com/p/syrias-fra...
Read more here:
🔗: theoldquarter.substack.com/p/syrias-fra...
“Diplomatically, recognition inscribes the Palestinian narrative onto the international political map and restores the principle that Israeli occupation is not a permanent destiny and that the Palestinian people hold an inalienable right to self-determination.”
Palestine, the Wave of Western Recognition, and a Global System in Transformation
The moves neither end occupation nor halt the war in Gaza. But they do open a diplomatic window of hope and build on a new balance in the international arena.
carnegieendowment.org
October 3, 2025 at 12:51 PM
“Diplomatically, recognition inscribes the Palestinian narrative onto the international political map and restores the principle that Israeli occupation is not a permanent destiny and that the Palestinian people hold an inalienable right to self-determination.”
Reposted by Richard Wallace
New Substack post on The Old Quarter.
In this piece, I examine the relationships between Syria’s religious minority communities and the state, during both the Assad era and under the transitional government.
open.substack.com/pub/theoldqu...
In this piece, I examine the relationships between Syria’s religious minority communities and the state, during both the Assad era and under the transitional government.
open.substack.com/pub/theoldqu...
September 29, 2025 at 4:28 PM
New Substack post on The Old Quarter.
In this piece, I examine the relationships between Syria’s religious minority communities and the state, during both the Assad era and under the transitional government.
open.substack.com/pub/theoldqu...
In this piece, I examine the relationships between Syria’s religious minority communities and the state, during both the Assad era and under the transitional government.
open.substack.com/pub/theoldqu...
New Substack post on The Old Quarter.
In this piece, I examine the relationships between Syria’s religious minority communities and the state, during both the Assad era and under the transitional government.
open.substack.com/pub/theoldqu...
In this piece, I examine the relationships between Syria’s religious minority communities and the state, during both the Assad era and under the transitional government.
open.substack.com/pub/theoldqu...
September 29, 2025 at 4:28 PM
New Substack post on The Old Quarter.
In this piece, I examine the relationships between Syria’s religious minority communities and the state, during both the Assad era and under the transitional government.
open.substack.com/pub/theoldqu...
In this piece, I examine the relationships between Syria’s religious minority communities and the state, during both the Assad era and under the transitional government.
open.substack.com/pub/theoldqu...
“It is reasonable and just to reject any “security consensus” in any country that rests on apartheid and leads to genocide. Indeed, by deferring to Israel’s bipartisan commitment to crushing Palestinian rights, Western states have helped create the crisis we face today.”
Recognize Palestine, Then Put Real Pressure on Israel
Meaningful international support for Palestinian liberation remains necessary to defeat terrorism.
foreignpolicy.com
September 27, 2025 at 12:08 PM
“It is reasonable and just to reject any “security consensus” in any country that rests on apartheid and leads to genocide. Indeed, by deferring to Israel’s bipartisan commitment to crushing Palestinian rights, Western states have helped create the crisis we face today.”
“[I]n Bangladesh, despite the uprising led by students, Gen Z is often portrayed as leaning towards the far right..this image is misleading. A dysfunctional political culture and limited civic education pushed many young people towards reactionary views.”
www.thedailystar.net/opinion/view...
www.thedailystar.net/opinion/view...
Bangladesh must uphold its secular heritage
Far-right movements in Bangladesh have often been influenced or fueled by external forces.
www.thedailystar.net
September 25, 2025 at 11:43 AM
“[I]n Bangladesh, despite the uprising led by students, Gen Z is often portrayed as leaning towards the far right..this image is misleading. A dysfunctional political culture and limited civic education pushed many young people towards reactionary views.”
www.thedailystar.net/opinion/view...
www.thedailystar.net/opinion/view...
Reposted by Richard Wallace
What next for Iran-aligned armed groups in the Middle East?
My Substack article:
theoldquarter.substack.com/p/the-axis-o...
My Substack article:
theoldquarter.substack.com/p/the-axis-o...
The “Axis of Resistance” at a Crossroads
Israel has inflicted heavy losses on Iran-aligned armed groups, but regional conflict drivers persist. As long as political grievances remain unaddressed, peace in the region will remain elusive.
theoldquarter.substack.com
August 23, 2025 at 11:18 AM
What next for Iran-aligned armed groups in the Middle East?
My Substack article:
theoldquarter.substack.com/p/the-axis-o...
My Substack article:
theoldquarter.substack.com/p/the-axis-o...
Reposted by Richard Wallace
Civilians made up 15 of every 16 people killed by Israel in Gaza since March, data suggests. That's 94%! Internal data from the IDF indicated a civilian death toll of 83% between the outbreak of war in October 2023 and May of this year.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...
Civilians made up 15 of every 16 people killed by Israel in Gaza since March, data suggests
Report from independent conflict tracker Acled indicates one of the highest civilian death rates since start of war
www.theguardian.com
September 19, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Civilians made up 15 of every 16 people killed by Israel in Gaza since March, data suggests. That's 94%! Internal data from the IDF indicated a civilian death toll of 83% between the outbreak of war in October 2023 and May of this year.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...
“Israel’s Gaza disengagement was never about pursuing a two-state solution..It was an exercise in conflict management that sought to indefinitely freeze the conflict & torpedo pressure to negotiate with the Palestinians.The disengagement’s flaw wasn’t that it failed, but that it was too successful.”
Israel’s Gaza Disengagement Worked Far Too Well
Leaving Gaza in 2005 wasn’t a failed bid for peace but a catastrophically successful effort to freeze the peace process.
foreignpolicy.com
September 19, 2025 at 10:18 AM
“Israel’s Gaza disengagement was never about pursuing a two-state solution..It was an exercise in conflict management that sought to indefinitely freeze the conflict & torpedo pressure to negotiate with the Palestinians.The disengagement’s flaw wasn’t that it failed, but that it was too successful.”
Reposted by Richard Wallace
The failed effort by a handful of London Awami Leaguers to disrupt a talk @soasuni.bsky.social last Friday triggered further thoughts about the poor state of Bangladesh Studies more generally. 🇧🇩
en.prothomalo.com/opinion/w6ke...
en.prothomalo.com/opinion/w6ke...
We need Bangladesh Studies more than ever
Amid political pressures and restricted scholarship, independent Bangladesh Studies are more vital than ever. Exploring history, politics, and culture freely is key to nurturing intellectual growth an...
en.prothomalo.com
September 16, 2025 at 9:57 AM
The failed effort by a handful of London Awami Leaguers to disrupt a talk @soasuni.bsky.social last Friday triggered further thoughts about the poor state of Bangladesh Studies more generally. 🇧🇩
en.prothomalo.com/opinion/w6ke...
en.prothomalo.com/opinion/w6ke...
“Doha hosted Hamas at [the US’] urging, funded it with Israeli facilitation & mediated talks with everyone’s approval. For Qatar, these moves were meant to amount to an implicit security guarantee. Cultivating the US & hosting its biggest base in the [region] was supposed to deliver an explicit one”
Israel’s attack on Qatar has shaken the Gulf
Netanyahu’s preference for endless war over diplomacy is making Saudis and Emiratis reconsider their alliances
www.ft.com
September 13, 2025 at 12:24 PM
“Doha hosted Hamas at [the US’] urging, funded it with Israeli facilitation & mediated talks with everyone’s approval. For Qatar, these moves were meant to amount to an implicit security guarantee. Cultivating the US & hosting its biggest base in the [region] was supposed to deliver an explicit one”
“We will likely see more investment in air defence, a greater push for a GCC security umbrella, and a diversification of strategic partnerships beyond the United States.”
- Dr Andreas Krieg, King’s College London
- Dr Andreas Krieg, King’s College London
How will Qatar and the Gulf respond to Israeli strike on Doha?
Qatar considers legal and military response as GCC states draw closer and US alliance comes under scrutiny
www.middleeasteye.net
September 11, 2025 at 1:04 PM
“We will likely see more investment in air defence, a greater push for a GCC security umbrella, and a diversification of strategic partnerships beyond the United States.”
- Dr Andreas Krieg, King’s College London
- Dr Andreas Krieg, King’s College London
Reposted by Richard Wallace
The strike "will also put further strain on US-Qatar relations, which is exactly what Israel wants to do", said
@andreaskrieg.bsky.social
"It wants to drive a wedge between Qatar and the United States."
www.france24.com/en/live-news...
@andreaskrieg.bsky.social
"It wants to drive a wedge between Qatar and the United States."
www.france24.com/en/live-news...
Israeli strikes shake quiet Qatar, strain US ties
Ahmed was in a university lecture when he heard the bangs: loud explosions from unprecedented Israeli air strikes targeting Hamas that shattered Qatar's peace and put the wealthy Gulf region on edge.
www.france24.com
September 10, 2025 at 4:48 PM
The strike "will also put further strain on US-Qatar relations, which is exactly what Israel wants to do", said
@andreaskrieg.bsky.social
"It wants to drive a wedge between Qatar and the United States."
www.france24.com/en/live-news...
@andreaskrieg.bsky.social
"It wants to drive a wedge between Qatar and the United States."
www.france24.com/en/live-news...
Reposted by Richard Wallace
History will remember that this picture of a warm embrace between the leaders of the UK and Israel was taken two years into Israel's genocide.
September 10, 2025 at 5:31 PM
History will remember that this picture of a warm embrace between the leaders of the UK and Israel was taken two years into Israel's genocide.
Short photo essay on #Petra, #Jordan.
This is part of the newly-launched Passages series on The Old Quarter, on Substack here👇
theoldquarter.substack.com/p/petra-the-...
This is part of the newly-launched Passages series on The Old Quarter, on Substack here👇
theoldquarter.substack.com/p/petra-the-...
September 10, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Short photo essay on #Petra, #Jordan.
This is part of the newly-launched Passages series on The Old Quarter, on Substack here👇
theoldquarter.substack.com/p/petra-the-...
This is part of the newly-launched Passages series on The Old Quarter, on Substack here👇
theoldquarter.substack.com/p/petra-the-...
“One of the UAE’s key demands when negotiating the Abraham Accords was that…Netanyahu rescind his threat to annex the West Bank. Israeli officials have revived the threat…in response to several European countries’ recent pledges to recognise Palestine.”
Will the UAE withdraw from the Accords then?
Will the UAE withdraw from the Accords then?
Israeli annexation of the West Bank would be ‘red line’ for UAE
Emirati foreign ministry’s warning is strongest sign of frustration with Israel since accords signed in 2020
www.ft.com
September 4, 2025 at 9:05 AM
“One of the UAE’s key demands when negotiating the Abraham Accords was that…Netanyahu rescind his threat to annex the West Bank. Israeli officials have revived the threat…in response to several European countries’ recent pledges to recognise Palestine.”
Will the UAE withdraw from the Accords then?
Will the UAE withdraw from the Accords then?
What next for Iran-aligned armed groups in the Middle East?
My Substack article:
theoldquarter.substack.com/p/the-axis-o...
My Substack article:
theoldquarter.substack.com/p/the-axis-o...
The “Axis of Resistance” at a Crossroads
Israel has inflicted heavy losses on Iran-aligned armed groups, but regional conflict drivers persist. As long as political grievances remain unaddressed, peace in the region will remain elusive.
theoldquarter.substack.com
August 23, 2025 at 11:18 AM
What next for Iran-aligned armed groups in the Middle East?
My Substack article:
theoldquarter.substack.com/p/the-axis-o...
My Substack article:
theoldquarter.substack.com/p/the-axis-o...
UN’s emergency relief co-ordinator, Tom Fletcher:
“[F]ood stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel. It is a famine within a few hundred metres of food, in a fertile land…It is a famine openly promoted by some Israeli leaders as a weapon of war.”
“[F]ood stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel. It is a famine within a few hundred metres of food, in a fertile land…It is a famine openly promoted by some Israeli leaders as a weapon of war.”
Global hunger monitor declares famine in Gaza
Starvation is ‘entirely man-made’, says UN-backed IPC
www.ft.com
August 23, 2025 at 11:15 AM
UN’s emergency relief co-ordinator, Tom Fletcher:
“[F]ood stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel. It is a famine within a few hundred metres of food, in a fertile land…It is a famine openly promoted by some Israeli leaders as a weapon of war.”
“[F]ood stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel. It is a famine within a few hundred metres of food, in a fertile land…It is a famine openly promoted by some Israeli leaders as a weapon of war.”