Liberman’s airport comment not so ridiculous, says Gaza activist
By Daoud Kuttab Few Israelis understood why their hard-line defense minister would even talk about a seaport and an airport in Gaza. In an Oct. 24 interview with the widely circulated Palestinian daily Al-Quds, Avigdor Liberman offered the formula for a possible Gazan port and airport. “If they make the decision to stop digging tunnels, […]
Palestinians’ houses demolished, settlers’ legalised
   By Daoud Kuttab A totally different fate awaits two separate sets of homes built without licence in occupied Palestinian territories. Palestinians, especially in East Jerusalem where a city planning zone has not been approved in 49 years, face demolitions every time they dare build a dwelling for their families without obtaining the nearly impossible […]
Will state of Palestine be Obama’s legacy?
By Daoud Kuttab A veteran Palestinian thinker and legal expert believes that US President Barack Obama should use his remaining months in the White House to ensure that a UN Security Council resolution recommending the recognition of Palestine be permitted to pass. Camille Mansour, a former Sorbonne professor and adviser to the negotiating team of […]
Will Trump be fair to the world?
   By Daoud Kuttab At about 2:40am Wednesday, Donald J. Trump, the US president elect, spoke to his supporters, the American people and the world. He praised Hillary Clinton, spoke about how he will make America great and then addressed the world. “I want to tell the world community that while we will […]
How Abbas could end up with three successors
By Daoud Kuttab With last-minute preparations underway for the seventh Fatah congress due to be held Nov. 29, the big question on many people’s minds is whether the top three positions presently held by Mahmoud Abbas will be taken up by a single person or three different people. At present, Abbas is not only the […]
How Bibi is trying to punish Arab MKs for skipping Peres’ funeral
By Daoud Kuttab Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud-led coalition opened the winter session of the Israeli Knesset with a decision by coalition members to walk out every time a member of the Joint List — a unified slate of predominantly Arab parties — speaks. The move, initiated by hard-liner Minister of Defense Avigdor Liberman, came as a […]
A century after the Balfour Declaration
  By Daoud Kuttab November 2 is etched in the minds of Palestinians and Arabs as a dark day. November 2, 2017, will mark the 100th anniversary of the date when a British official promised a Zionist leader a Jewish state in a country that was already inhabited by Palestinians, including Palestinian Jews. Palestinians […]
Why 30 Palestinians celebrated Jewish holiday with settlers
By Daoud Kuttab Following the participation of a group of Palestinians in a holiday celebration at a nearby Jewish settlement, Palestinians have been asking themselves a simple question: Why would a population under occupation that bears the brunt of the settlement enterprise visit their occupiers? The event over the Jewish Sukkot holiday on Oct. 19 […]
The rule of law in Jordan
    By Daoud Kuttab His Majesty King Abdullah hit the nail on the head when he focused his Sixth Discussion Paper on the need to respect and abide by the rule of law. The rule of law is not a new concept. It basically means that law, a written clearly stated law, should govern […]
Russian-Palestinian relations better than during Soviet era
By Daoud Kuttab The upcoming visit by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to Israel and Palestine in November has produced a positive reaction from Palestinian officials. While the visit planned for Nov. 10 has been billed as an anniversary celebration of the 25 years since Russia restored its ties with Israel, the Palestinian ambassador in Moscow […]