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Israel ignores calls to lift Gaza siege
By Daoud Kuttab Indirect Palestinian-Israeli talks under the sponsorship of the Egyptian government have collapsed, but if and when negotiations resume, they will most likely pick up where the talks left off. Despite Israeli arguments to the contrary, the 11-point Egyptian proposal appears to be closer to the Israeli point of view. The only real problem for Israel has…
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Palestinians, Europeans support reopening Rafah crossing
By Daoud Kuttab One word has been missing from the Egyptian-sponsored indirect Palestinian-Israeli talks and the various leaks about them: Rafah. The town along the Gaza-Egyptian border has become synonymous with some of the worst examples of Arabs’ indirect contribution to the illegal siege on the Gaza Strip. To be fair, Rafah is only one of six…
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Palestinian unity scores concessions from Israel in Cairo
By Daoud Kuttab The decision by the Palestinian delegation in Cairo to extend the cease-fire another five days and the statements by its head, Azzam al-Ahmad, that most issues for a permanent agreement have been resolved point to a breakthrough of sorts. Gazans appear to be on the verge of seeing the gradual lifting of a cruel…
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To Accomplish Liberation, Palestinian Unity Must Be Preserved
By Daoud Kuttab It was no coincidence that the announcement of the permanent ceasefire agreement was be made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at his Ramallah headquarters. While Abbas may have been battered in social media and in activists’ circles, it is clear that, in real terms, he emerged as a key player. Hamas’ enmity…
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Jerusalem Grandfather with Hope
By Daoud Kuttab This week I became a grandfather. My eldest daughter, Tamara, gave birth to a baby girl in Jerusalem; baby and mother are healthy and fine. This piece of good news did not come so easily emotionally or politically, however. For weeks, we have been hearing, seeing and talking to people about children…
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Momentum grows for ICC action on Gaza
By Daoud Kuttab As the sounds of gunfire in the Gaza Strip begin to cease, international human rights organizations, legal experts and political activists are speaking up about the need for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate whether war crimes were committed during the Gaza conflict this summer. The ICC, created by means of…








