Feltman, new state department official, reflects a different tone re Mideast
By Daoud Kuttab The United States Middle East policy appears to be slowly but gradually changing. US officials are beginning a charm offensive following a successful four day tour in the region for the new secretary of state. In a briefing by Jeffery Feltman the newly appointed Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East, […]
My short meeting with Secretary Clinton
By Daoud Kuttab / Sharm el Sheikh The Gaza Reconstruction conference was a busy affair. Speakers gave talks governments and foundations made pledges and politicians debated all day. In the end it was left to the key players to tell the press about the results of the all day event. The Egyptian and Norwegian Foreign […]
How to guarantee that reconstructed Gaza will not be destroyed again
By Daoud Kuttab/ Sharm el Sheikh A resounding and unanimous international message of support was sounded in the Red sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh March 2 with the participation of world leaders. Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak along with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, UN Secretary General and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were joined with foreign ministers […]
Clinton to pledge more money for the PA and the West Bank in the Gaza reconstruction conference
By Daoud Kuttab blogging with the US secretary of state’s press corps in Sharm el Sheikh Despite the clarity of the conference title the US will provide far more help to the Palestinian Authority and the people of the West Bank than to the people of Gaza In a press briefing on the eve of […]
Almost half Jordanians rely news web site
AmmanNet came first on a new survey of newsweb sites By Taylor Luck AMMAN – Almost half of Jordanian Internet users rely on news websites, a trend web journalists believe will pave the way for the medium to play a greater role in how the Kingdom gets its news. According to the 2009 Jordan Media […]
‘Unity, only choice for Palestinians’
For the first time since the Hamas takeover in June 2007, Palestinian national unity talks have a better chance of success than in previous times, and the Gaza situation is probably the reason. This optimistic prediction can turn out terribly wrong, but I think the time is now ripe: the parties are much more realistic […]
Palestinians Unsure Which Israeli Leader Will Keep Gaza and the West Bank United
by Daoud Kuttab The biggest national concern of Palestinians today is to make sure that the Israeli attempts to split Gaza from the West Bank doesn’t become permanent. Egypt and the Palestinian Authority have been made to look bad in the eyes of the Arab world because of their refusal to fall for the trap […]
Community radio in government retreat in Jordan but technical alternatives save the day
Community radio in government retreat in Jordan but technical alternatives save the day By Daoud Kuttab The Jordanian government took a bad step on January 27th causing a major retreat to the progress made for independent radio. The Jordanian cabinet rejected a total of 13 applications for independent radio and television stations. The decision rolls […]
An end to the hijacking of Palestinian and Israeli civilians
If there is one thing that Israelis and Palestinians agree to these days, it is on the need to keep civilians out of the decades-old conflict. Unfortunately, neither Hamas nor Israel has done that. Israel has clearly and unapologetically punished Palestinian civilians, especially those in Gaza, killing, maiming and holding them hostage. Hamas did not […]
Winners and Losers in Gaza
Winners and losers in Gaza Daoud Kuttab Unlike times of tranquility, wartimes bring the best and worse in many people. Wars are also an opportunity for people to shine or to fail. The Israeli war on Gaza certainly has its winners and its losers, although the list could change and protagonists can leap from one […]