Middle East Blog - Connect the Cultures

Gain insight into the Middle East through my personal experiences, insights and interviews with the region's people.

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?

Why is the Middle East Always at War?

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

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

Is Iran About to Fall?

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.

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?

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?

How Will the Israel-Gaza War End?

Israel flag and Iranian flag each in a circular shape overlaying a black and white image of the Middle East indicating Israel attacked Iran

Why did Israel Attack Iran in 2025?

The Israel flag and the Iran flag flying on flagpoles

What Happens if Israel Attacks Iran in 2025?

Hands of a Jordanian woman making a mosaic with the reflection of her face seen in her phone on the table

Beautiful Jordanian Woman Creating a Mosaic

View of the hilly, rocky countryside with buildings in the background near the border of Syria

Why Were the Alawites in Syria Killed? The Answer and a Look into the Future of Syria.

Red and white Bahrain flag in the foreground and the scattered buildings of the city of Bahrain in the background

Why Bahrain is My Least Favorite Country in the Middle East

Kibbutz Beit Zera - artist and peace activist Eitan Arnon

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

Exterior shot of the Blue Souq (also called the Central Souq) in Sharjah, U.A.E., a large three-story tan building with blue and white tile designs, two of them with Arabic calligraphy

Quiet Friday Afternoon at the Blue Souk in Sharjah, U.A.E.

In this Jerusalem photo, shakshuka is in a round iron serving dish with pita bread partially visible in a wooden basket behind it.

The Popular Meal Shakshuka Crosses Cultures in Israel

Nubian art painted on a wall of a house in a village in upper Egypt. Four men holding what appear to be tambourines stand in front of four buildings painted either grey or white, with with two women carrying jugs on their heads and two children flying kites while birds fly in the sky.

The Colorful Art of Nubia in Egypt

Eight brightly colored frankincense burners in Oman, stacked on glass shelves. They're shaped sort of like coffee cups, with a handle on the side and jagged tops.

The Curious Frankincense Burners of Salalah, Oman

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