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What’s behind Israel’s easing of travel restrictions?
By Daoud Kuttab When Mohammad Badarneh made it to Jerusalem, he was in awe. He spent hours walking the streets of the Old City, praying at Islam’s third holiest site, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, while posting pictures of what he saw on hisFacebook page. Badarneh, who hails from the…
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Palestinian independence should start on the economic front
Following appeared in the Jordan Times newspaper By Daoud Kuttab The absence of a political horizon has strengthened Palestinians’ attempts to reach a different form of independence. Failure on the political front made them work on a more doable idea: to empower Gaza and the West Bank economically through improving trade with their natural Arab…
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Hanan Ashrawi: US must act quickly to save two-state solution
By Daoud Kuttab Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi blasted Israeli attempts to pre-empt the UN report on the Gaza Strip, saying that they’re trying to control the narrative. “They are trying to create a misleading and fabricated narrative so people can react to it,†Ashrawi told Al-Monitor.  The senior Palestinian official said…
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UN envoy Mladenov: Absence of political process ‘dangerous’
By Daoud Kuttab The UN’s recently appointed Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov has sounded a strong warning about the absence of any political process. In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Mladenov spoke of the need for the new Israeli government to make a move for peace, calling the current status quo “ultimately untenable.†The peace envoy…
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Radical Islamists add to Hamas’ burden
By Daoud Kuttab The political and security situation in the Gaza Strip has become more complicated with the rise of Palestinian groups that are reportedly sympathetic to the Islamic State (IS) and operate under its banner.  While radical jihadist Salafist elements have existed in Gaza for years, this is the first time that responsibility for a…
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Palestinians need non-violent strategy
Following appeared in the Jordan times newspaper By Daoud Kuttab For the first time in 48 years, Palestinians are playing in a much more level playing field. By strategically moving into the non-violent field, Palestinians are in a much stronger position to make an impact in their decades-long struggle. Whenever Palestinians fought the Israelis in…








