Mar
27
2012
the following appeared in the Jordan times
by Daoud Kuttab | Feb 16,2012 | 23:22
After months of hibernation, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict seems to be getting more attention of late. Despite the volatility of the situation in Syria and Egypt the most recent agreement reached in the Qatari capital received a lot of media attention. It also seems to have touched a number of political nerves, especially within the Hamas movement in Gaza.
While the agreement in Doha was not the first public display of reconciliation between leaders of the largest Palestinian factions, many felt that this time, the agreement was for real. Why?
Continue Reading »
Mar
27
2012
By Daoud Kuttab
For the second year running a unique event took place in the Palestinian town of Bethlehem this week. Christian evangelicals that many consider as most ardent supporters for Israel (often more so than many Israelis) were guests of a Palestinian Christian gathering.
The “Christ at the Checkpoint” conference, sponsored by Bethlehem Bible College, hosted over 600 evangelicals from around the world, but primarily from the US. Among the leading evangelicals attending this Palestinian-sponsored event were Rev. Joel Hunter, the spiritual adviser to US President Barack Obama, theologian Tony Campollo, social activists Ron Sider and Lyn Hybes, British pastor Stephen Sizer, community leader Shahen Claiborne, Messianic leader Wayne Hilsden and Asian reverend Sang-Bok David Kim. Continue Reading »
Mar
27
2012
following ran in the Jordan Times
by Daoud Kuttab
Palestinians took advantage of the withdrawal of Israeli troops from populated cities and the transitional period to capture their airwaves and provide local communities with radio and television programmes.
At times, some of the young entrepreneurs involved in this were forced to buy used transmitters from the Israeli black market. Most were used by Israeli army units that had been replaced by newer models.
The Palestinian National Authority was supportive, knowing that it would be useful if the Israelis one day decided to stop the approved official national radio and television. Actually this happened after Israel’s destruction of Palestine TV studios and Voice of Palestine towers. Continue Reading »
Mar
27
2012
following article ran in the Jordan Times
by Daoud Kuttab | Mar 21,2012 | 22:37
Hana Shalabi has been on hunger strike for over a month. Her condition has been deteriorating so badly that prison officials had to transfer her to a Haifa hospital.
Shalabi is protesting being held in administrative detention. This is a quasi-legal action through which Israel incarcerates individuals without charge or proper trial. Israel inherited this undemocratic procedure from the British mandate, which enacted it as part of the 1945 emergency regulations.
International humanitarian law considers this procedure illegal and Israel was asked by the international community on numerous occasions to end this practice. Continue Reading »
Mar
27
2012
By Daoud Kuttab
The invitation by the Palestinian president to Arabs and Moslems to visit Jerusalem is long overdue. But it is better late than never. Jerusalem’s 300,000 Palestinians badly needed this invitation which comes at a time that their natural hinterland (the rest of the West Bank) has been cut of from them.
For years Arabs and Moslems have shied away from visiting Jerusalem and other Palestinian lands for a variety of reasons. Most have no opportunity to go even if they wanted to. With the exception of Egypt and Jordan (the latter only since 1994) no other Arab country has diplomatic relations with Israel. Non Arab states with substantial Moslem populations can come and some have in the past decades mostly through one off tourism junkets. I have seen Moslems, from Indonesia, Sirlanka, India, South Africa and Bangladesh among others crossing into Palestine through the King Hussein Bridge. Continue Reading »
Mar
15
2012
By Daoud Kuttab
Palestinians took advantage of the withdrawal of Israeli troops from populated cities and the transitional period to capture their airwaves and provide local communities with radio and television programs.
At times, some of the young entrepreneurs involved in this were forced to buy used transmitters from the Israeli black market. Most were used by Israeli army units that had been replaced by newer models. Continue Reading »
Mar
03
2012
By Daoud Kuttab
In the summer of 1996, I was excited to hear the good news. The Palestinian Ministry of Information had agreed to a request to grant us a license for an educational television station to broadcast in Ramallah. With little funding and tremendous passion we began building up the station with trained staff, equipment and production capacity.
Having grown up in the U.S., I tried to run the new Palestinian station as a hybrid between PBS and C-Span. In April 1997 we launched the first season ever of Shara’a Simsim, the Palestinian version of Sesame Street. It was a humble production with 20 15-minute episodes, but for us it was huge. Continue Reading »
Mar
02
2012
By Daoud Kuttab
The invitation by the Palestinian president to Arabs and Muslims to visit Jerusalem is long overdue. But it is better late than never.
Jerusalem’s 300,000 Palestinians badly needed this visit, which comes at a time that their natural hinterland (the rest of the West Bank) has been cut off from them.
For years Arabs and Muslims have shied away from visiting Jerusalem and other Palestinian lands for a variety of reasons. Most have no opportunity to go even if they want to. With the exception of Egypt andJordan (the latter only since 1994) no other Arab country has diplomatic relations with Israel. Continue Reading »
Feb
23
2012
by Daoud Kuttab PNN FEBR 23 2012
It might have been a small gesture, but it spoke volumes. After Khader Adnan, the Palestinian administrative detainee in his 66th day of hunger strike, agreed to end his strike he refused to eat until all fellow hunger striking Palestinians are informed about such decision.
Speaking on Voice of Palestine, Adnan Mussa, Khader’s father, said his son would not eat until he was assured that his decision to end the hunger strike was transmitted to the hundreds of fellow Palestinian prisoners who were on a solidarity hunger strike with him. Continue Reading »
Feb
22
2012
Palestinian reconciliation took a major step forward recently following an agreement that included President Mahmoud Abbas taking on the additional position of prime minister. Continue Reading »