Bad Security and Worse Economy Spell Trouble for West Bank
By Daoud Kuttab Two crucial problems are taking place simultaneously in the occupied West Bank this week. Palestinian-Israeli security cooperation is quickly worsening, and the economic situation is reaching a point of real danger. All together this dangerous combination can easily result in major breakout of violence. Teachers went on nationwide general strike [Dec. […]
Status of Electricity in Jerusalem: It’s Complicated
By Daoud Kuttab In most countries electricity generation and distribution is a government regulated monopoly. It’s no different in Jerusalem. Electricity concessions for Jerusalem was granted  to Greek national Yorbides Mifrotes in 1914 when it was under Turkish rule. After international litigation the concession was passed on to the Jerusalem Electric Co. in 1926. […]
Return of Hamas to West Bank Certain to Be Uphill Battle
By Daoud Kuttab Like most journalists, Mohammad Abu Arqoub loves to chat with taxi drivers to gauge the public mood. In the trip from the center of town to his house in the Raffidya neighborhood, Arqoub, who is also a lecturer at the Al Quds University in Ramallah, wanted to know what people in […]
Bethlehem Has New Female Mayor
By Daoud Kuttab When the leadership of the Fatah movement nominated little known Bethlehem University English literature Professor Vera Baboun to run for mayor of the city, few expected her to win. She ran against well-known male candidates as well as individuals supported by Islamists and left-wing Palestinians. But she surprised all on Oct. […]
Whither Fatah?
By Daoud Kuttab When Palestinian student activists in Kuwait decided that they needed to take matters into their own hands to liberate Palestine, they chose Lebanon as the country that they wanted to launch the first armed attack against the “Zionists†on the first day of 1965. Those planning for and supporting the attack […]
Discussion on confederation
By Daoud Kuttab following appeared in the Jordan Times, Dec 19, 2012 Abdel Bari Atwan is well-known to Arab audiences. The editor of the London-based Al Quds Al Arabi is known for his fiery patriotic and anti-Western interviews on major satellite televisions. A major supporter of the Arab revolutions, Atwan lived up to his no-nonsense […]
824 candidat Electoral System clearly needs reform
By Daoud Kuttab King Abdullah’s wishes that Jordan will have three political parties (right center and left) will most certainly be dashed once he hears from the registration results independent election’s commission.  Sixty one parties and lists featuring 824 candidates (among them only 88 women) will be competing for mere 27 national seats in the […]
Daoud Kuttab & family 2012 Newsletter رسالة عائلة داود كتاب السنوية
After a hiatus of a few years, we return to our tradition of summarizing the family news in a year end newsletter with photos and other links. The major family news this year is the presence of family and friends from  Jordan and the US for the wedding of our oldest daughter Tamara to Alaa Qasasfa […]
The competing narratives for the liberation of Palestine
By Daoud Kuttab Two narratives are competing for the hearts and minds of Palestinians, regarding the best way to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine: one military, the other nonviolent. Two narratives are competing for the hearts and minds of Palestinians, regarding the best way to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine: one military, the […]
Constitutional rights vs. legislation
By Daoud Kuttab Freedom of expression is guaranteed and will be practiced in accordance to the law. Freedom of religious practice is safeguarded and will be regulated by law. Citizen are equal regardless of religion, gender or background and this equality will be exercised through law. Elections are free and fair and shall be guaranteed […]