Bush’s legacy and a squirming Rice
Daoud Kuttab It is pleasant yet sad to see the Israelis and the Americans squirming. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has flip-flopped from opposing the Mecca agreement to stating that his government neither supports nor opposes the accord, to his latest attempts to bypass US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice by going to her boss […]
Bush’s legacy and a squirming Rice
by Daoud Kuttab It is pleasant yet sad to see the Israelis and the Americans squirming. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has flip-flopped from opposing the Mecca agreement to stating that his government neither supports nor opposes the accord, to his latest attempts to bypass US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice by going to her […]
Unity government is only the first step for Palestine
by Daoud Kuttab The reconciliation between the leaders of the two major Palestinian groups, Hamas and Fatah, which was negotiated in Saudi Arabia last week, is being hailed as a major political breakthrough. But the national unity government created as a result of this agreement faces many daunting challenges.
More than a walkway
By Daoud Kuttab If Israeli officials felt that the protest against work near Al-Aksa mosque was a local problem that would soon go away, they were not watching Lebanese television. Some might think that the Arab world’s most popular TV program, Star Academy, is all about singing youth and half-dressed presenters. But on Friday, February […]
The source of Gaza fighting
Daoud Kuttab Ever since the outbreak of the internal Palestinian fighting that has resulted in the death and injury of hundreds, two different points of view have surfaced. One simply put this shameful action at the front steps of the Palestinians. Those who think this way insist that there is no way one can blame […]
Palestinians Say Clashes Hurt Their Cause
Palestinians Say Clashes Hurt Their Cause By STEVEN ERLANGER JERUSALEM, Feb. 4 — (NY Times) The fierce internal clashes between Palestinian factions have shocked many Palestinians and Arab governments, who fear that the continuing bloodshed is damaging the Palestinian image before the world, Palestinians say. “This fighting affects everyone’s morale,†said Daoud […]
Open season for peace or just mirage?
by Daoud Kuttab (Thursday February 01 2007) It seems to happen about every ten years. The cycle of serious US interest in moving the Arab-Israeli conflict seems to take a high profile role always in the second half of the second and final term of the US president.
The backlash over Saddam
Daoud Kuttab, THE JERUSALEM POST Â Â Â Â Â Jan. 9, 2007 It caught many by surprise. The hanging of Saddam Hussein was expected to end an era of tyranny. For years the atrocities of the Saddam Hussein regime were flashed on television screens, spouted by politicians and, lately, displayed in the hastily-established Iraqi courts.
While the fires rage
The following appeared in the Jerusalem Post. By Daoud Kuttab After the collapse of the bilateral and unilateral efforts, the time has come for multilateralism. Palestinian-Israeli bilateral talks saw a high point in the Oslo process, but have stalled ever since. Israel´s unilateralism, both in south Lebanon and Gaza, has also been a major failure.
Civil servants are the biggest losers
By Daoud Kuttab The biggest losers in the current political stalemate in Palestine have been the civil servants. Their total number is a bit over 150,000. The actual civil servants are 73,000 and those on the security payroll from the various apparatuses are said to be 85,000. Add to this number those who are retired […]