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Martin Kear

Martin Kear

Pearls and Irritations

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Netanyahu has pledged to ‘finish the job’ against Hezbollah. It’s a promise he can’t deliver on

Netanyahu has pledged to ‘finish the job’ against Hezbollah. It’s a promise he can’t deliver on

The Israeli prime minister is using the ‘Gaza playbook’ to decimate southern Lebanon, but it won’t eliminate the threat from the militant group.

previous day 10

The Conversation

Martin Kear

Francesca Albanese’s When the World Sleeps humanises Palestinian lives

Francesca Albanese’s When the World Sleeps humanises Palestinian lives
sunday 10

Pearls and Irritations

Martin Kear

Dignity and resolve: Francesca Albanese’s When the World Sleeps humanises Palestinian lives

Dignity and resolve: Francesca Albanese’s When the World Sleeps humanises Palestinian lives

In her new book, Francesca Albanese challenges the dominant perception of the Israel-Palestine conflict

30.04.2026 10

The Conversation

Martin Kear

What is Benjamin Netanyahu’s end game in the Iran war?

The war in the Middle East is a huge political book for the Israeli prime minister in an election year – but it may come at a great cost.

02.04.2026 10

The Conversation

Martin Kear

Why are the phrases ‘globalise the intifada’ and ‘from the river to the sea’ so contested?

Central to the debate is whether the phrases are expressions of Palestinian self-determination, or a threat of violence against Jews.

23.02.2026 200

The Conversation

Martin Kear

Hamas battles powerful clans for control in Gaza

16.10.2025 20

The New Daily

Martin Kear

Hamas is battling powerful clans for control in Gaza – who are these groups and what threat do they pose?

Many clans and gangs are taking advantage of a security vacuum in Gaza to reassert their authority – some backed by Israel.

15.10.2025 10

The Conversation

Martin Kear

A short history of the Gaza Strip takes a long view of today’s conflict

Anne Irfan’s history explains the complex background to Palestinian resistance in Gaza, allowing those who live there to tell their own stories.

08.10.2025 20

The Conversation

Martin Kear

Hamas and Israel are on the verge of a ceasefire. What’s being left unsaid, though, could scupper the deal

The political process described in Trump’s peace plan is open to differing interpretations and many fear it would take power out of the hands of...

05.10.2025 20

The Conversation

Martin Kear

The Palestinian Authority is facing a legitimacy crisis. Can it be reformed to govern a Palestinian state?

After decades of accusations of corruption and misrule, the Palestinian Authority is deeply unpopular among Palestinians.

29.09.2025 30

The Conversation

Martin Kear

The challenges of creating a new Palestinian state are so formidable, is it even possible?

12.08.2025 20

The Examiner

Martin Kear

The challenges of creating a new Palestinian state are so formidable, is it even possible?

12.08.2025 10

Canberra Times

Martin Kear

Why a Palestinian state may not even be possible

12.08.2025 20

The New Daily

Martin Kear

Beyond recognition: the challenges of creating a new Palestinian state are so formidable, is it even possible?

A future state is complicated by the sheer number of Israeli settlers in the occupied territories and the barriers Israel has constructed to separate...

11.08.2025 20

The Conversation

Martin Kear