Connect the Cultures

Understanding the Middle East through stories underreported by traditional media

For people who want to go beyond the headlines.

Gain a deeper understanding of the Middle East through nuanced analysis of complex topics, authentic local stories and insights drawn from nearly two decades of on-the-ground experience in the region.

New to the site? Start here.

Conflict on the Temple Mount

Why is the Middle East always at war?

Is it safe to travel to Israel now?

Middle East Cultures

Kibbutz Beit Zera - artist and peace activist Eitan Arnon

Talking Art and Peace Activism on Kibbutz Beit Zera in Northern Israel

Three Bedul Bedouins - one woman with a rug, one child on a donkey and one man outside their Petra caves

Do People Still Live Inside the Petra, Jordan Caves?

Bedouin man Hemaid of the Muzeina Tribe in Sinai welcoming viewers to a tour of his enclave

Come, I Will Show You My Neighborhood (Video)

Jordanian women make mosaics in Madaba, Jordan in this Middle East short story

Meet the Jordanian Women Who Create the Mosaics in Madaba

Syria's Arab Spring - Yahia Hakoum

Pre-War Protest in Syria – Interview with Yahia Hakoum

Man from Idlib – A Syrian in Jordan Talks about the War

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Experiences in the Middle East

Question of is Israel safe to travel to during wartime as illustrated by Banksy graffiti painting of a dove in a bullet proof vest on the wall between Jerusalem and the West Bank

Is Israel Safe to Travel to During Regional War and Conflict?

Wedding celebration shows what is life like in Israel today, with people holding sparkling fireworks in their hands.

What is Life Like in Israel Today? My Personal Experience.

Three Months in Egypt, Jordan and Israel – Month Four

Middle East Cultural Insights

Revenge killings - Man in a jellabeya (long robe) walking down a sandy street in front of an orange metal wall with black writing on it

The Tradition of Family Revenge Killings in Upper Egypt

Making Koshary in Dahab, Egypt with Ali

What Travelers Need to Know About Jordanian Culture

7 Misconceptions About The Middle East

Cultures of Israel - a Jewish woman and a Muslim woman

The Cultures of Israel – 10 Insights Every Traveler Should Know

What an Arab in Israel Thinks about Arabs in Israel

Middle East Opinion

Why is the Middle East Always at War?

Green, white and red Iranian flag in the foreground flying over Tehran

Is Iran About to Fall?

Middle Eastern cultures represented by Palestinian Muslims with an Israeli Jew and an American Christian inside a Palestinian home

Can You Be Pro-Palestinian and Pro-Israel Too?

Religion and Holidays

Christian persecution in Israel with police barricades blocking a street near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Restaurant tables are in front of the barricades and Christians are behind the barricades.

Barricaded Outside Jerusalem’s Holy Fire Ceremony: The Troubling Treatment of Christian Tourists in Israel

Distant view of Temple Mount in Jerusalem with gold Dome of the Rock in the middle

Why is the Temple Mount in Jerusalem So Important?

Shabbat Shalom from Israel!

People during the Holy Fire on a street in the Old City of Jerusalem smiling and lighting each others' group of 33 candles

My Experience at the Last Holy Fire Before the Israel-Hamas War

ancient brown and beige buildings on a hill during Eid al Fitr in Yemen

How Do They Celebrate Eid al-Fitr in Yemen?

Santa Claus in Cairo for Christmas in Egypt

Celebrating Christmas in Egypt

Connect

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