Abbas defends policy
By Daoud Kuttab In today’s politically expedient age, it has become rare to see a leader defend one of his own. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, went on air this week, attempting to deflect the avalanche of angry protests directed at the Palestinian intelligence chief Majid Faraj. Faraj and a chief Palestinian negotiator were featured […]
Palestinian intelligence chief undermines his own political ambitions
By Daoud Kuttab The head of the Palestinian intelligence service, Maj. Gen. Majid Faraj, is often seen traveling alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In fact, Faraj has been considered by local and international analysts as one of the possible successors of the Palestinian leader. Â Faraj rarely talks to the media, but in one of his […]
When tribal law supersedes civil law
By Daoud Kuttab AÂ murder took place in Jordan. The suspected killer is known, but unlike in normal cases, this time it was addressed by tribal law. Tribal law is not new in Jordan. It has existed for centuries and the modern nation state has found ways to accommodate it. Civil courts have often been presented […]
Arrest of Palestinian journalist reflection of ‘political chaos’
By Daoud Kuttab Palestinian journalist Salim Sweidan, owner of Nablus TV, was released Jan. 12 after having spent four days in jail. Sweidan, a member of the board of the Maan News Network, the leading independent satellite station and news website, was released on a bail of 1,000 Jordanian dinars ($1,400) after publishing an online […]
Knowledge helps creating an enabling environment for change in Jordan
    By Daoud Kuttab Behavioural experts have been studying what makes people change the way they think and work. Change management has become a popular field people are trying to figure out how to operate and refine. Some argue that societal change needs to begin at the bottom and rise to the […]
WILL 2016 BE THE YEAR FOR NEW PALESTINIAN LEADERSHIP?
        By Daoud Kuttab If the Obama administration’s prediction that 2016 will fail to witness the birth of the Palestinian state proves true, then this year should be dedicated to leadership transition. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, 81, needs to hand in his long-awaited resignation and Palestinians at large should […]
Arab MK says battle for equality, ending the occupation ‘inseparable’
By Daoud Kuttab A leading Knesset member of the predominantly Arab Joint List has described press reports of a $3.8 billion budget to improve Arab communities in Israel as exaggerated. In an interview with Al-Monitor, MK Aida Touma-Sliman commented, “Our estimate is that it amounts to nearly 10 billion shekels [$2.5 billion].† Touma-Sliman further said of the funds […]
On its 51st anniversary, is Fatah facing identity crisis?
By Daoud Kuttab As the leading Palestinian national movement celebrates its 51st anniversary, two major challenges loom large in determining whether it survives or disintegrates. Fatah, formerly the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, was established in 1959 but declared itself publicly on Jan. 1, 1965. The first press release under the Fatah name announced a guerrilla […]