-
Report Notes Restrictions On Israeli, Palestinian Journalists
By Daoud Kuttab If physical access is an important requirement for good journalism, the ability of Palestinians and Israelis to cover their ongoing conflict is largely compromised. This is one of the issues raised by a delegation of the International Press Institute (IPI)Â that visited Palestine and Israel in February. The mission sponsored by the…
-
New Palestinian Movement Calls for One-State Solution
By Daoud Kuttab The political stalemate in Palestine and Israel over the two-state solution has finally provoked Palestinians from the occupied territories to declare a strategic change in direction of the one-state solution. Palestinian activists from different political persuasions and careers paths have made a declaration for a democratic state for all its citizens on the…
-
Israeli Outposts Remain Illegal Under International Law
By Daoud Kuttab On the surface, the issue seems rather futile. The Israeli government, which has built hundreds of exclusively Jewish settlements in the occupied territories in violation of international law, is being criticized for “legalizing” four of these illegal settlements. What is it about “outposts” that makes them different from other settlements? A…
-
Palestinian Reconciliation: Why The Delay?
By Daoud Kuttab The news out of Cairo regarding Palestinian reconciliation efforts appears to be generally positive. The delegation headed by senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk and Fatah’s Azzam al-Ahmad met and agreed on a package deal that seems to address all the outstanding issues between the two parties. Statements issued in Cairo…
-
Jordan needs new and bold effort in Jerusalem
The following appeared in Jordan Times. By Daoud Kuttab Whether the Jordanian government likes it or not, the Jordanian-Palestinian agreement and the mood of the people regarding Jerusalem require it to take a new look at the situation in the holy city. Forty-six years ago Israel occupied Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank….
-
Will Palestinian Negotiations Tactics Work?
By Daoud Kuttab One of the hardest decisions that a political leader has to take is when to engage in negotiations and when to refrain. This has been the dilemma facing Palestinian leaders for decades. At times they are blamed for refusing to engage and at other times their engagement has given the other…
-
Fayyad Says Palestinian Leadership Must Stay Relevant, Engaged
By Daoud Kuttab Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has called on the Palestinian leadership to stay relevant and engaged. The outgoing prime minister, who is heading a caretaker government, made this plea from his office in Ramallah. In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with Al-Monitor, Fayyad explains the reason for his optimistic outlook despite the…
-
Is Palestinian Media A Special Case?
By Daoud Kuttab The official title of the first conference of its kind at An Najah university on April 28 was “The Palestinian Media in Light of Changes in the Arab World.” But a more appropriate title for the proceedings of the one-day event at Palestine’s largest university would have been “Whether Palestinian Journalists and the Palestine…
-
Imbalance of Power Aids Israeli Occupation
By Daoud Kuttab It is not clear whether Salam Fayyad uttered these exact terms, but what the New York Times’ Roger Cohen quoted the outgoing Palestinian prime minister as having said resonated with many Palestinians. Frustrated as to the lack of progress after 46 years of occupation, Palestinians are ready to find any scapegoat to pour all their frustrations on. The statement…
-
Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound Unrest Threatens Israel-Jordan Diplomacy
By Daoud Kuttab Sometimes the best way to gauge reactions to a particular action is to look away from it. The reactions of the Jordanian parliament and government on Wednesday, May 8, to Israel’s decisions regarding Al-Aqsa mosque is a prime example. Jordan, one of two Arab countries that has signed a peace agreement…