Arabic tops Israeli charts as Yemeni sisters take Tel Aviv by storm
All summer long, the streets and bars of Israel’s hippest city have been filled by what may be a bit of an unexpected tune: three women belting out the Yemeni dialect of Arabic with a heavy dabake beat behind them.
The surprise hit Habib Galbi - performed by a band of three Israeli sisters of Yemeni background named A-WA - managed to rise to the top of this country’s music charts, shattering records and all expectations. The song has also proven a major success abroad, with the music video amassing 1.2 million hits and attracting thousands of fans from across the Middle East.
Continue reading on Middle East Eye
Solving Amman's traffic bottlenecks
The summer season is a perfect time for understanding how Amman functions as a city. The temporary crowds coming into town increases the population density in the Capital, so much so that travel times skyrocket, and parking becomes even more scarce. These daily nuisances continue to pile up until the last flight carrying summer visitors back to their home countries departs. The problem, however, shouldn’t be taken lightly as it offers a glimpse into what Amman’s future will look like once its resident population outgrows itself, and what was once only a seasonal annoyance becomes a permanent reality.
Continue reading on The Black Iris
Jerusalem's sickness runs deeper than the occupation
When I was a kid, a family trip from Tira to Jerusalem was considered a special occasion. About twice a year we would drive straight to the Old City, eat shawarma and kunafeh at the same restaurant and sweet shop, and best of all, visit the Dome of the Rock (“al-Sakhra”) and al-Aqsa mosque.
Even though I wasn’t very religious, it was hard not to be enamored by the Old City and its religious sites, and to know that the Western Wall and the Holy Sepulchre, holy to Jews and Christians respectively, were only short walks away.
Continue reading on +972 Mag
