BARRY RUBIN, RIP

The veteran professor passed away from cancer at age 64:

Veteran Middle East scholar and commentator Barry Rubin died on Monday, his family announced.

A longtime columnist for The Jerusalem Post, Barry was director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA), and a professor at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya.

Rubin was also the author of several books including Israel: An Introduction, The Israel-Arab Reader, The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East and The Truth About Syria.

I have a copy of the Israel-Arab Reader he sent me in the mail, following a conversation we once had via email several years ago, which was co-written with Walter LaQueur. His passing is a very sad thing, since he was one of the best voices on middle eastern affairs, and understood many issues a lot better than most. He was a very honest man. My condolences to his family.