The demise of ‘Iraq’s Sesame Street’ and a sea change in US soft power 

Analysis Ahlan Simsim Iraq was an educational project based on the Arabic version of Sesame Street, watched by millions of children in the Middle East. (Sesame Workshop)
Ahlan Simsim Iraq was an educational project based on the Arabic version of Sesame Street, watched by millions of children in the Middle East. (Sesame Workshop)
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Updated 13 March 2025
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The demise of ‘Iraq’s Sesame Street’ and a sea change in US soft power 

 The demise of ‘Iraq’s Sesame Street’ and a sea change in US soft power 
  • The Ahlan Simsim Iraq education project was terminated along with thousands of others as part of America’s retreat from decades of foreign spending.
  • As America’s soft-power diminishes in the Middle East, will China fill the vacuum?

LONDON: Among the recent victims of the slashing of US foreign spending was an education project in Iraq developed by the people behind the famed American children’s TV show, “Sesame Street.”

The Trump administration used the $20 million grant awarded for the scheme as a prime example of what it claimed was the wastefulness and liberal agenda at the US Agency for International Development.

Yet the demise of the project poignantly illustrates the widespread damage being done to America’s formidable soft power machine, both in the Middle East and around the world.

It also raises questions over whether China will move to fill the soft-power vacuum left behind and increase spending in the region.

Soon after his inauguration, President Donald Trump made it clear he was going to upend one of the core pillars of US foreign policy by dramatically shrinking foreign aid spending.

The full extent was revealed late last month when the administration announced aid funding cuts of $60 billion, including the cancellation of 90 percent of contracts by USAID.

The agency, which was the world’s largest provider of foreign assistance, including lifesaving humanitarian relief for millions, was also considered America’s most important soft-power weapon.

Speaking about the cuts on Feb. 5, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the grant for a “new ‘Sesame Street’ show in Iraq” was part of a “long list of crap” in wasteful federal spending.

What she was referring to was not a new TV show but a USAID-funded education project known as Ahlan Simsim Iraq, which was run by Sesame Workshop, the non-profit behind “Sesame Street.”

The project used the characters and stories from the existing “Ahlan Simsim” show, an Arabic version of “Sesame Street” watched by millions of children across the Middle East and North Africa.

“Ahlan Simsim,” meaning “welcome sesame,” premiered in 2020 funded by a $100 million grant from the MacArthur Foundation.

Ahlan Simsim Iraq was a spin-off project in 2021 in partnership with Save the Children and Mercy Corps “to support communities in Iraq impacted by conflict and violence,” a Sesame Workshop spokesperson told Arab News.

The project created content and materials “to reach children at scale,” the spokesperson said. It also provided learning materials such as storybooks, activity books, training and guides for teachers for early childhood development and training to teachers.

USAID documents show that the grant of $20 million was to be awarded over six years. Almost $11 million had been paid out to Ahlan Simsim Iraq before the project was terminated last month, according to US government data.

The project is one of thousands funded by USAID that helped the US maintain its position as the world’s leader in soft power but have been stopped in recent weeks.

“Supporting Sesame Street projects is a good investment in soft power, the ability to attract,” Joseph Nye, professor emeritus at Harvard University, who coined the term “soft power,” told Arab News.

“The change in government policy damages US soft power,” he added.

Nye describes soft power as the ability to obtain preferred outcomes by attraction rather than coercion or payment.

USAID was set up at the height of the Cold War by President John F. Kennedy to make the US more attractive than the Soviet Union by helping poorer countries with development.

The agency evolved through the decades into a vast provider of foreign assistance to more than 100 countries, bolstering the image of the US around the world.

While it may be difficult to quantify the damage done to US soft power by the recent foreign assistance cuts, recent interviews with humanitarians and grant recipients in the Middle East suggest there could be a significant dent.

One USAID worker focused on Iraq described the retreat from providing aid to large numbers of displaced people as “unconscionable,” particularly given the 2003 US-led invasion of the country and its aftermath.

An NGO coordinator for Syria said the dropping of aid programs, just after the fall of Bashar Al Assad, was a “betrayal of Syrian people.”

Rana Sweis, owner of a media company in Jordan, which had a USAID grant terminated, said a debate was now taking place about why her country, one of America’s main allies in the region, had relied so heavily on the agency and what values does the US now stand for.

“USAID was supporting the values they (the US) talk about like women’s rights and human rights and freedom of speech,” Sweis said. “I don't want to say it was a lie, but how can you suddenly stop this and say ‘we no longer believe in this, it's no longer part of our values.’”

A big question now is whether China will step in to the soft-power vacuum in the Middle East and elsewhere.

For more than a decade China has tried to boost its soft-power influence, particularly in the Global South with projects under the Belt and Road Initiative.

But its foreign aid was a fraction of what the US was spending between 2013 and 2018 at just $7 billion a year compared with Washington’s $48 billion, according to commentary published this week by the Brookings Institution.

The article’s author, Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, told Arab News that Chinese aid is unable to compare with US aid in terms of size and purpose, “but soft power is a different issue.”

“US withdrawals leave space that China’s soft-power influence will naturally extend and expand into,” she said.

Nye said there is a further reason why China may not replace the US as the main soft-power influence in the region.

“Soft power emanates from a country’s civil society as well as government policy, and China is less well placed because if its tight Communist Party control over its civil society,” he said.

For now, NGOs, governments and businesses throughout the region are recalibrating to account for the loss of a major source of external funding. Time will tell how much the US will miss the soft-power returns on its investments.

 


UK demands transparent probe of Israel strike on Gaza UN building

UK demands transparent probe of Israel strike on Gaza UN building
Updated 11 sec ago
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UK demands transparent probe of Israel strike on Gaza UN building

UK demands transparent probe of Israel strike on Gaza UN building

LONDON: Britain’s foreign minister David Lammy on Wednesday called for a transparent investigation into an Israeli air strike on a UN building in Gaza.
“Appalled a UN compound in Gaza was hit this morning,” Lammy wrote on X. “This incident must be investigated transparently and those responsible held to account.”


Thousands join anti-government rally in Jerusalem

Thousands join anti-government rally in Jerusalem
Updated 19 March 2025
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Thousands join anti-government rally in Jerusalem

Thousands join anti-government rally in Jerusalem
  • Relatives of the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza joined the rally outside the parliament in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM: Thousands of protesters massed in Jerusalem on Wednesday, chanting slogans against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who they accuse of undermining democracy and resuming Gaza strikes without regard for hostages.
Protesters shouted “You are the head, and you’re to blame” as well as “The blood is on your hands” at the demonstration near parliament, the largest to take place in Jerusalem for months.
The demonstration was organized by anti-Netanyahu opposition groups protesting the premier’s move to sack Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet internal security agency.
Following Netanyahu’s announcement to dismiss Bar, which threatened to trigger political crisis, Israel launched a wave of overnight strikes on Gaza, by far the deadliest since the start of a fragile ceasefire in January.
Relatives of the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza joined the rally outside the parliament in Jerusalem.
“We hope all people from Israel will join this movement and we will not stop until we restore democracy and freedom for the hostages,” said Zeev Berar, 68, from Tel Aviv.
“At this rate we won’t have a country left, not a democratic one. It will be a dictatorship,” student Roni Sharon, 18, told AFP.
Some in the crowd brandished banners reading: “We are all hostages.”
Relatives of the hostages in the Gaza Strip have said the decision to resume strikes could “sacrifice” their loved ones.
Of the 251 hostages seized during the unprecedented October 2023 Hamas attack that sparked the war, 58 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
The demonstrators in Jerusalem also accuse Netanyahu of using the war against Hamas to distract from domestic political concerns.
The prime minister has so far refused to set up a national commission of inquiry into Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, while his bid to dismiss Bar threatened to plunge Israel back into deep political crisis.
Netanyahu’s government recently also moved to oust Israel’s attorney general and government judiciary adviser, Gali Baharav-Miara, a fierce defendant of the judiciary’s independence.
A 2023 judicial reform project aimed at curbing the supreme court’s powers fractured the country and sparked major protests — before coming to an abrupt halt with Hamas’s October 7 attack.
“The last two years have been a nightmare for us,” said Yael Baron, 55, from the city of Modiin.
“I feel as though we are in the 99th minute and time is running out to save the country, the oxygen is running out for us, like democracy is running out.”


Hostages’ kin are terrified they won’t return after Israel resumes fighting

Hostages’ kin are terrified they won’t return after Israel resumes fighting
Updated 19 March 2025
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Hostages’ kin are terrified they won’t return after Israel resumes fighting

Hostages’ kin are terrified they won’t return after Israel resumes fighting
  • Nearly 60 families have relatives still held in Gaza
  • About two dozen of them are believed to be alive

TEL AVIV: When a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began two months ago, Herut Nimrodi knew it would take time before her son was released from captivity in Gaza. The 20-year-old soldier was meant to be part of the second phase of the deal winding down the war.

But with Israel’s surprise bombardment of Gaza, she fears he might not come home at all.

“I really wanted to believe that there is still a chance to reach a second stage without renewing this war. But it feels like my building of hope has collapsed, and I have no idea what to do next,” Nimrodi said.

Nearly 60 families have relatives still held in Gaza. About two dozen hostages are believed to be alive.

During the ceasefire’s first phase, which began in January, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight others in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. But since that phase ended early this month, the sides have not been able to agree on a way forward.

Israel’s renewed airstrikes threaten to end the fragile deal.

Nimrodi’s son, Tamir, was abducted from his army base when Hamas stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostage. She’s had no sign of life. He hasn’t been declared dead by Israel.

“It’s so sad that this is the only solution that they could find,” she said, lamenting the government’s decision.

The strikes have Tuesday killed hundreds and shattered a relative calm — along with hopes of ending the war that has killed over 48,000 Palestinians.

The return to fighting could deepen the painful debate in Israel over the fate of the remaining hostages.

Netanyahu and his hard-line governing partners believe renewing the war will put pressure on Hamas to free them and move Israel closer to its goal of destroying Hamas’ military and governing capabilities.

But most hostage families, and large parts of the Israeli public, believe such goals are unrealistic. They say time is running out, particularly after the recent releases of emaciated-looking hostages who later described harsh conditions in captivity.

Hamas accused Netanyahu of upending the ceasefire and exposing the hostages “to an unknown fate.”

Families of hostages called on supporters to protest with them outside Israel’s parliament.

Some families who already know their relatives in Gaza are dead called the government’s decision unacceptable.

“This is not only a disaster in every way, shape or form on how the hostages keep suffering, being chained to walls, starved, abused, but also the death toll that keeps rising on the Gazan side,” Udi Goren said.

His cousin Tal Haimi was killed on Oct. 7 and his body was taken into Gaza. Goren said the international community must pressure Hamas, Israel and the mediators — the US, Egypt and Qatar — to end the war.

“Returning to fighting? Did you listen to a word of what we, the returnees released in the last deal, have been saying to you?” former hostage Omer Wenkert wrote on Instagram.

Romi Gonen, among the first hostages to be freed in the ceasefire’s first phase, said she would never forget what it felt like in captivity to hear the bombs after previous ceasefire talks collapsed and realize she wouldn’t be freed any time soon.

“I beg you, the people of Israel, we must continue to fight for them,” she said on Instagram.

Sylvia Cunio, whose two sons are held hostage, accused Israel’s leaders of not having a heart.

“It isn’t right to continue the fighting. I want my children back home already. If he wants to kill me, the prime minister, let him do that already because I won’t get through this,” she said on local radio.

Nimrodi said she’s worried the airstrikes might not only harm her son and the other hostages but also make their living conditions worse.

The last time she saw Tamir, he was a funny teenager who rode horses and loved learning about geology and astronomy, she said. The two had a similar humor and used to talk about everything.

While she’s terrified of what’s to come, she said she won’t stop fighting to see him again.

“Please, keep strong, survive,” she said, addressing him. “So there’s a chance for us to meet once more.”


Iran celebrates ancient fire festival ahead of Persian New Year

Iran celebrates ancient fire festival ahead of Persian New Year
Updated 19 March 2025
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Iran celebrates ancient fire festival ahead of Persian New Year

Iran celebrates ancient fire festival ahead of Persian New Year
  • To celebrate, people light bonfires, set off fireworks and send wish lanterns floating off into the night sky

TEHRAN: Iran’s fire festival offers a great opportunity to show the world what life looks like in the country.

Known as “Chaharshanbe Souri” in Farsi, the festival comes in the hours just before the Wednesday before Nowruz, which is the Persian New Year.

To celebrate, people light bonfires, set off fireworks and send wish lanterns floating off into the night sky. 

Others jump over and around fires, chanting “My yellow is yours, your red is mine,” invoking the replacement of ills with warmth and energy.

The fire festival also features an Iranian version of trick-or-treating, with people going door to door and being given a holiday mix of nuts and berries, as well as buckets of water. It’s not necessarily an easy assignment though. 

Here in Iran, some people remain sensitive about having their photograph taken, particularly women who aren’t wearing Iran’s mandatory headscarf.

The joy sometimes overcomes safety concerns as smoke fills the air and fireworks explode at random overhead. There are injuries every year and sometimes deaths. Being careful is necessary as a piece of a burning firecracker might injure one in a crowd. 

Nowruz marks the start of spring. Soon, leaves will sprout again.


US says ‘bridge proposal’ on table for Gaza ceasefire but window ‘closing fast’

US says ‘bridge proposal’ on table for Gaza ceasefire but window ‘closing fast’
Updated 19 March 2025
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US says ‘bridge proposal’ on table for Gaza ceasefire but window ‘closing fast’

US says ‘bridge proposal’ on table for Gaza ceasefire but window ‘closing fast’
  • A State Department spokesperson said the proposal would also “see the release of five live hostages, including American Edan Alexander”
  • “The opportunity is still there, but it’s closing fast“

WASHINGTON: The US State Department said on Wednesday there was still a bridge proposal that would extend the ceasefire” in Gaza but the opportunity for it was “closing fast.”
A State Department spokesperson said the proposal would also “see the release of five live hostages, including American Edan Alexander. It would also see the release of a substantial number of Palestinians held in Israeli jails.”
“The opportunity is still there, but it’s closing fast.”
The Israeli military said on Wednesday its forces have resumed ground operations in Gaza as a second day of airstrikes killed at least 48 Palestinians, according to local health workers. A day earlier, more than 400 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes in one of the deadliest episodes since the beginning of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023.
This shattered nearly two months of relative calm since a ceasefire went into effect between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza.
The State Department spokesperson said the proposal was “compelling” and that Washington stood with Israel.
The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli allies.
Israel’s subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed over 49,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry, while also triggering accusations of genocide and war crimes that Israel denies. The assault has internally displaced nearly Gaza’s entire 2.3 million population and caused a hunger crisis.