Global Voices Online

“Do you take your friends for granted?” asks Bakkouz, from Jordan. “It seems that in this digital age, with the means and ways of communication a plenty, and much better and faster than they used to be, The social ties between people are getting weaker, friends seem to take each other for granted,” he explains.

Posted by Amira Al Hussaini

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Recent Links also in Middle East & North Africa

The king of Bahrain has invited Jews to return to his country. “This sounds like the man really likes the Jews, and it sounds as if he is so magnanimous!” Michelle Nevada of Israel Jewish News blogs. “The truth couldn't be farther from what you think.”

There is a “double barrier facing Arab women - both gender and coming from a minority,” Ruth Ludlam of Reality and Fiction writes. “Thus, Arab women seeking employment are held back first by their own society's traditional attitudes and later by the discrimination against Arabs in Israeli society. However, there seems to be some progress, with half of the Arab university students in Israel now being female.”

The Patriot Missive blog advises how to live with terrorism. “So take note from Israelis who are surrounded by enemies on three corners… Do you know what they do? They go eat at a nice restaurant. Or have coffee with friends… In all honesty, Israelis have it a lot worse than we do but they’ve learned an important lesson about fighting terrorism: Don’t be afraid to live.”