Kerry’s Financial Plan for Palestine Unlikely to work
By Daoud Kuttab During the Israeli reoccupation of major Palestinian cities in 2002, the Israeli army took over the building that was housing Al Quds University’s Educational Television station, of which I was the director at the time. After 19 days, Israeli soldiers withdrew from Ramallah, leaving behind destroyed equipment. Some of the equipment destroyed had […]
WEF Dreams And Palestinian Realities
By Daoud Kuttab On the same day as the World Economic Forum was holding its dramatic closing session with back-to-back speeches from President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli President Shimon Peres and US Secretary of State John Kerry, I was mourning the passing of a dear friend’s mom. Abbas reiterated the Palestinian government’s total commitment to peace and security, […]
Kerry’s ‘Shawarma Diplomacy’ Wins Mixed Palestinian Response
By Daoud Kuttab After Nixon’s ping-pong diplomacy and Kissinger’s shuttle diplomacy, the Middle East seems to be getting to know John Kerry’s “shawarma diplomacy.” The US secretary of state stepped out of the usually scripted diplomatic itinerary and walked the streets of the Palestinian town of al-Bireh to enjoy a quick shawarma sandwich and […]
Report Notes Restrictions On Israeli, Palestinian Journalists
By Daoud Kuttab If physical access is an important requirement for good journalism, the ability of Palestinians and Israelis to cover their ongoing conflict is largely compromised. This is one of the issues raised by a delegation of the International Press Institute (IPI)Â that visited Palestine and Israel in February. The mission sponsored by the […]
New Palestinian Movement Calls for One-State Solution
By Daoud Kuttab The political stalemate in Palestine and Israel over the two-state solution has finally provoked Palestinians from the occupied territories to declare a strategic change in direction of the one-state solution. Palestinian activists from different political persuasions and careers paths have made a declaration for a democratic state for all its citizens on the […]
Israeli Outposts Remain Illegal Under International Law
By Daoud Kuttab On the surface, the issue seems rather futile. The Israeli government, which has built hundreds of exclusively Jewish settlements in the occupied territories in violation of international law, is being criticized for “legalizing” four of these illegal settlements. What is it about “outposts” that makes them different from other settlements? A […]
Palestinian Reconciliation: Why The Delay?
By Daoud Kuttab The news out of Cairo regarding Palestinian reconciliation efforts appears to be generally positive. The delegation headed by senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk and Fatah’s Azzam al-Ahmad met and agreed on a package deal that seems to address all the outstanding issues between the two parties. Statements issued in Cairo […]
Jordan needs new and bold effort in Jerusalem
The following appeared in Jordan Times. By Daoud Kuttab Whether the Jordanian government likes it or not, the Jordanian-Palestinian agreement and the mood of the people regarding Jerusalem require it to take a new look at the situation in the holy city. Forty-six years ago Israel occupied Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank. […]
Will Palestinian Negotiations Tactics Work?
By Daoud Kuttab One of the hardest decisions that a political leader has to take is when to engage in negotiations and when to refrain. This has been the dilemma facing Palestinian leaders for decades. At times they are blamed for refusing to engage and at other times their engagement has given the other […]
Fayyad Says Palestinian Leadership Must Stay Relevant, Engaged
By Daoud Kuttab Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has called on the Palestinian leadership to stay relevant and engaged. The outgoing prime minister, who is heading a caretaker government, made this plea from his office in Ramallah. In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with Al-Monitor, Fayyad explains the reason for his optimistic outlook despite the […]