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Will Fatah, Hamas take Egypt’s road to unity?
By Daoud Kuttab Hamadeh Faraneh, member of the Palestinian National Council (PNC), caused a firestorm Nov. 30 by revealing that Egypt has been working with the Palestinian president on advancing a four-point road map that includes internal unity within Fatah, reconciliation with Hamas, reconstruction of the Palestine Liberation Organization and general elections. Faraneh, a former…
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The future of the Palestinian National Theatre
By Daoud Kuttab IÂ still remember the early days in 1984 in East Jerusalem. I was a member of a Palestinian theatre company when we were fortunate enough to be able to give a physical home to Al Hakawati troupe. We thought the building could be both a home for our company and a theatre for…
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Hebron radio stations closed for ‘exercising incitement’
By Daoud Kuttab During November, the Israeli army confiscated broadcasting equipment and closed three Palestinian radio stations in the Hebron area. While the unprecedented move coincided with the increase in anti-Israeli attacks in the Hebron area, this action against private media reveals a change in Israeli policy. Until November 2015, Israel has blamed Palestinian President Mahmoud…
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What’s the difference between habbeh and intifada?
By Daoud Kuttab Palestinians and Arabs are still unsure about what to call the protest activities that began on the eve of the Jewish New Year on Sept. 13, 2015. Since then, 89 Palestinians and 12 Israeli soldiers and Jewish settlers have been killed and many more injured. After the 1987 first intifada and the…
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Religion should not be used to fight radicalism
By Daoud Kuttab In fighting the scourge of radicalism and religious fundamentalism, one of the strategies is to use religion. Proponents of this approach vary from those who insist that Daesh and its ideology is simply built on a warped understanding of religion to those who say that the best way to fight religious fundamentalism…
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Senior Palestinian official refuses to give up on peace process
By Daoud Kuttab Senior Palestinian leader Maj. Gen. Jibril Rajoub told Al-Monitor on Nov. 13 that the Fatah Central Committee and other factions are opposed to turning the current uprising into a military one. “There is a decision by all Palestinian factions not to militarize the popular struggle. We want to send a civilized message…
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Jerusalem and Hebron: A tale of two cities
By Daoud Kuttab The story of the Palestinian uprising that began Sept. 13 with protests against Israeli intrusions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the Jewish New Year is actually the story of two cities — Jerusalem and Hebron. Of the 84 Palestinians listed by Shfa News as having been killed by Israelis as of Nov. 9, the majority, 57%, are from…
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Palestinians divided over future of jailed Fatah leader
By Daoud Kuttab While violence in the occupied Palestinian territories continues to spiral in an unclear direction without an end in sight, a familiar name has returned to the political agenda. Marwan Barghouti, an elected member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and a senior Fatah leader, is being discussed in political and diplomatic circles. Talk of him intensified…
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Resorting again to detaining journalists
  By Daoud Kuttab The government, which has made slow but important progress in guaranteeing media freedoms, took a turn backwards. The attorney general ordered on October 20 the detention of Osama Al Ramini, a member of the journalist syndicate and the owner of a licensed news website. The act violates the country’s commitments. Detaining…
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How to apply the lessons from protecting Hebron to Jerusalem
By Daoud Kuttab As the violence in the occupied territories that began with clashes on the Jewish New Year, Sept. 13, is escalating, Palestinian officials say that 70 Palestinians were killed in the month of October alone. Meanwhile, Palestinian calls for international protection have been gaining traction. Â The United States attempted on Oct. 19 to…