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 […]
Report Calls for New EU Approach To Israel, Peace Process
By Daoud Kuttab Europe, Israel’s No. 1 trading partner, is once again trying to rethink its Israel policies in light of the latter’s failure to facilitate the two-state solution. The European Council for Foreign Relations (ECFR) has issued a powerful document aimed at guiding member states in dealing with Israel, Palestinians and Arabs. Entitled […]
Fatah Would Accept Land Swaps With Israel
By Daoud Kuttab The statement made by the Qatari prime and foreign minister in Washington in favor of adding a clause to the Arab Peace Initiative allowing for “land swaps”  caught many off guard and drew a largely negative reaction in Palestinian and Arab circles. On the surface, the statement by Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr […]
Bethlehem Nun Calls For Bridges, Not Walls
By Daoud Kuttab After a seven-year legal battle, the Silesian nuns convent located in the Palestinian town of Beit Jala lost an appeal on April 24 against the building of the Israeli wall on its land. The latest route of the wall will place the convent on the Palestinian side of the wall, and its companion Cremisan Catholic […]