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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
How to bring peace to Israel
By Daoud Kuttab Knesset member and Palestinian firebrand Ahmad Tibi has reiterated that the current wave of violence is a reflection of anger and despair and called on Israelis to seize the moment and act to correct the situation. In an interview with Al-Monitor, Tibi appealed to the Israelis, saying that the fastest way to reach peace and save lives is […]
Stateless residents
By Daoud Kuttab When Israeli troops occupied the West Bank’s main city, Jerusalem, in June 1967, a thriving population was already living there. Jerusalem’s Palestinians did not go to Israel, the state of Israel came to them. However, while the rest of the occupied territories were ruled by an army using military law, the Israelis […]
Jerusalem’s Orient House a symbol of Palestinian struggle
By Daoud Kuttab The young Palestinians active in the current Jerusalem protests were infants when the PLO’s headquarters in Jerusalem were ordered temporarily closed for six months on Aug. 9, 2001, along with nine other Palestinian organizations. Fourteen years later, the six-month closure has been repeatedly renewed along with the Jerusalem Chamber of Commerce. A […]