Why did the uniformed police attack the press?
By Daoud Kuttab The violent attacks by uniformed policemen last Friday on journalists dressed in bright orange vests (provided to them by the police to distinguish them from protesters) continues to baffle many. The Jordanian authorities were clearly opposed to the demonstration planned for the Nakheel Park near downtown Amman. They were afraid that the […]
Jordan’s Hills Come Alive With the Sound of Christian Music
Daoud Kuttab The hills of Ajloun came alive this summer with the sound of the internationally renown Christian singerLydia Shadid. Instead of their regular conference program, music was the main focus of the annual Amman Baptist Church’s summer conference this year. Shadid, a Syrian-Lebanese singer who now lives in Texas, mesmerized the 100 strong […]
Jordan crossing heats up
By Daoud Kuttab The religious men and women patiently clutching their water jugs on July 10, waiting in line at the Israeli border crossing looked like the average Palestinian. They had been to Mecca for Umra, the lesser pilgrimage to the Muslim holy places. What was different in this group of Palestinians was that they […]
The Casino reports’ Other revelations
The Jordanian public has been mesmerized these past weeks with the casino case debate in parliament, in which senior government officials have been charged with a variety of administrative errors and crimes. The 70-page detailed report faults 33 individuals, including the prime minister, with wrongdoing. But while the parliament and country have been focused on the actions […]
Going to the UN is a nonviolent Palestinian alternative to failed negotiations
Israelis government officials and probably half of the Israeli population seem to be dead set against Palestinians going to the UN. The Palestinian attempt for full membership in the UN is called “an attempt to delegitimize Israel,†a “unilateral act’ a  “crimeâ€Â  and even ‘a declaration of war’ against Israel.
The Palestinian Third Way
The Palestinian leadership is more committed than ever to obtaining statehood through the United Nations General Assembly. But despite this commitment, there is worry that success in New York might not necessarily mean success in Nablus or Hebron. There are many reasons the UN route is the correct strategy for Palestinians today. Under the leadership […]
Independent media hopes – a setback
By Daoud Kuttab I was caught off guard when the call came from the Prime Ministry. The governmental committee set up to design a strategic media plan wanted to hear my opinion. Along with Nidal Mansour, from the Centre for Defending the Freedom of Journalists, and Rana Sabbagh, from Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalists, we […]
Strategy for Palestine still missing crucial parts
The Palestinian strategy towards statehood is making significance progress among certain international political circles, but it is still lacking the necessary coordination and cohesion to bear the desired results.
The need for genuine multi party system in the Arab world
By Daoud Kuttab When French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe visited the occupied territories last week, a group of young Palestinians were given a chance to speak to him in Ramallah. After asking Juppe whether he would participate in resisting occupation of France, they turned to the issue of Palestinian politics, especially how negotiations are being […]
My three days in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
I spent three days in the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia attending a seminar for the renewed sesame street program Iftah ya Simsim. The conference was well organized and the attendees mostly from the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council were very keen on its success. My impressions of the Saudi capital and […]