Direct talks between Palestinian and Israeli leaders are the most obvious way to achieve peace in the Middle East conflict. But history has shown time and again that a high-profile peace process alone is no recipe for success.

The Arab League is set to meet later this month to advise the Palestinian leadership whether or not to engage in direct talks with Israel. Palestinian officials say that there is no use in holding direct talks that are nothing more than a photo opportunity intended to create the impression of a peace process while avoiding any substantive commitments.

For Palestinians, the first step in real peace talks must include some accord on the basic issues of borders and security. The Palestinians have presented to their Israeli counterparts (through the Americans) a written offer that includes giving up lands occupied by Israel in 1967 and now populated by Israeli settlers. These lands would be swapped for other lands equal in size and importance. Israel has yet to produce a single written document outlining its position on the territory that will become a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Continue Reading »

The aim of this blog is not to pile it on the ADL, but to show that this organization that is expected to fight hate, discrimination and defamation, has little tolerance for the suffering of any group other than the Jewish population. Continue Reading »

(This was published in July 29th, 2010)

By Daoud Kuttab

Once again the summer heat is upon us. And once again, people’s anguish, and appeals at the overcrowded King Hussein Bridge are melting as quickly as an ice cream cone in the Jordan Valley’s high temperatures.

The King Hussein Bridge is the only crossing point available to the 3.5 million Palestinians of the West Bank. It is officially open from 8:00am till midnight, but in reality the last bus leaves at 10:00pm and people are often turned back on the Jordanian side after 9:00pm because of the summer congestion. More people are leaving the West Bank than visiting it, according to statistics issued by the Palestinian side. The Palestinian Authority reported that the traffic was moderate in first week of June. It saw the departure of 17,473 people from Jericho and the entry of 9,411 into the West Bank. This doesn’t include East Jerusalemites who cross the bridge directly without going to the Jericho crossing. Estimates of Jerusalemites who end up at the same terminal on the Jordanian side is about 3,500 a week. No published statistics have been issued by the Jordanian authorities. Continue Reading »

(This was published in July 26th, 2010)

By Daoud Kuttab

Over dinner in Bethlehem, a few weeks ago, I mentioned to my brother-in-law how Israel has strategically succeeded in cutting off the Gaza Strip from the West Bank. While agreeing with me, he wanted to talk about another problem: that of east Jerusalem being also cut off. He told me of what a senior Israeli officer once told him shortly after the beginning of the Oslo process. The Israeli official said that Palestinians shouldn’t celebrate too much the withdrawal of Israel from Bethlehem. Before too long, Palestinians in Bethlehem will need to have a visa to enter Jerusalem. Continue Reading »

(This was published in July 21st 2010)

By Daoud Kuttab

With little fanfare in Washington and with few countries in the world noticing, President Barack Obama signed into law an act that will hold governments all around the world accountable for violations of human rights. Continue Reading »

(This was published in July 15th, 2010)

By Daoud Kuttab

Arab civil society leaders gathered on the shores of the Dead Sea were quite sure about the future of Arab youth. Leaders from Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen, Palestine (both West Bank and Gaza) and Jordan were invited by Naseej (“weaving” in Arabic), a five-year community development initiative launched in 2005 by Save the Children with funding from the Ford Foundation. Continue Reading »

(this was published in June 23rd, 2010)

By Daoud Kuttab

Media and governments have always had a love-hate relationship. While they both need each other, the attempts by one to overwhelm the other (especially when governments try to control media) have often led to unpleasant results.If one agrees that both want what is best for the country, then it is imperative that the executive power and the fourth estate respect the independence of one another. However, if there is lack of trust in the fundamental goal, then the outcome puts into question the country’s long term outlook.

Wanting what is best for the country means that governments are working on plans that take into consideration the needs and aspirations of all sectors of society without favoritism. On the other hand, the media must understand that wanting the best for the country means that they need to avoid knee-jerk positions or partisan editorial policies. Continue Reading »

(This was published in June 16th, 2010)

By Daoud Kuttab

The visitor from Washington, who represented an independent democracy foundation, asked two questions to a group of Jordanian intellectuals: “Where do you see the potential for genuine reform in Jordan and the Arab region? If we were to fund any particular group which would it be?  As expected, initial responses focused on the blame game. The United States is not honest in its push for democracy in the region, an Islamist media activist said. His fact-based argument made some sense. He related how the Americans talk about reform only as long as it doesn’t affect their special relationships with rulers in the region. Continue Reading »

(This was published in June 9th, 2010)

By Daoud Kuttab

One of the most repeated questions that was asked by many following the attack on the Gaza bound humanitarian flotilla was why did Israel do that? Why did a very powerful army and navy who can easily have controlled the situation in the high seas need to carry out a commando raid that ended up with the death of nine internationals one of whom was an American citizen? Continue Reading »

(This was published in June 7th, 2010)

By Daoud Kuttab

The Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound “Freedom Flotilla” has put the United States in a difficult position. But it has also given Washington an opening for a game-changing action. When ships on a humanitarian mission to the besieged Gaza Strip were violently confronted in international waters, the Obama administration was faced with a choice between one strategic ally, Israel, and a larger international community centered on a key NATO ally, Turkey. The United States also has to be careful to protect fragile Palestinian-Israeli proximity talks that took U.S. envoy George Mitchell over a year to get started. Both Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were due to visit Washington within a week of the confrontation, which left nine peace activists dead, including an American. Continue Reading »