It seems to happen about every ten years. The cycle of serious US interest in moving the Arab-Israeli conflict seems to take a high profile role always in the second half of the second and final term of the US president. Continue Reading »

The following appeared in the Jerusalem Post.

By Daoud Kuttab

After the collapse of the bilateral and unilateral efforts, the time has come for multilateralism. Palestinian-Israeli bilateral talks saw a high point in the Oslo process, but have stalled ever since. Israel´s unilateralism, both in south Lebanon and Gaza, has also been a major failure. Continue Reading »

Daoud Kuttab

I am an enthusiastic supporter of President George Bush’s (anybody else’s, for that matter) mission to spread democracy. I would argue, as Bush has done, that this is the most natural yearning of all peoples. My problem is that the US and its lead regional ally seem to stop short of their zeal for democracy once the results don’t please them. Continue Reading »

Daoud Kuttab     Al-Hayat     – 21/11/05//

The Palestinian Israeli conflict is very strange. It has lasted so long that public opinion has lost its power to affect policy or leaders’ decision making. No matter what the Palestinian or Israeli public wants, what happens on the ground and in decision making circles in Tel Aviv and Ramallah rarely reflects public opinion. Continue Reading »

The demand by the US Congress to divert $50 million of President George W. Bush’s $200-million pledge of aid to the Palestinian Authority for Israeli checkpoints is something like requiring the Vatican to contribute air-conditioners to abortion clinics or divorce lawyers’ fees as part of its policy of easing the plight of Catholic women. Continue Reading »

US President George Bush tickled the fancy of lovers of democracy the world over when he focused his inaugural address in Washington on the priority of fighting tyranny and standing up for the rights of people to liberty and freedom. While it is obvious that Bush will pursue this policy in regards to countries like North Korea and Iran, it is still an open question whether this will be the US policy in pro-US countries. In the world at large, and in the Arab world in specific, there are many who doubt the sincerity of Bush when it comes to his administration’s position regarding the human rights and other rights that people living under the rule of some of America’s allies. Continue Reading »

Everyone in the Middle East is crossing their fingers these days, hoping that regional and international leaders will not blow yet another opportunity for Arab-Israeli peace. The role of Palestinian and Israeli leaders is clearly an important factor in moving the peace process ahead, but let there be no mistake about it: The crucial factor is 6,000 miles away from Jerusalem, in Washington. Continue Reading »

Politicians and commentators have filled newspapers and airwaves with criticism against the Bush administration’s publicly stated motivation for going to war against Iraq. In most of the attacks blame has been made to the administration’s neo conservative officials as being the ones who were actively behind the war decision. These commentators, however, have failed to present a logical explanation as to what they believe was the real motive for George Bush’s war that has left American occupying 25 million Iraqis. Continue Reading »

President Bush’s recent endorsement of Ariel Sharon’s policies has mostly hurt one important group- moderate Arabs. The new US position received extremely angry reactions from Middle East leaders and activists as well as many European and other international leaders. Political leaders and commentators alike attacked the US president for his legitimization of the some of the illegal settlements and his call on Palestinians to give up their inalienable right to return to their homes and lands. These attacks concentrated on the fact that Washington has shifted its long held positions. While the attacks came from persons of all political colors, the most intense attacks came from the moderates who saw in them a scary signal as to what might happen in the future. The postponement of Jordan’s King Abdullah from a scheduled meeting on the 21st with President Bush reflect how this US move has hurt America’s closest Arab allies. Continue Reading »

During the difficult negotiations following the signing of the declaration of principles on the White House lawn in 1993, Palestinians tried to convince Israelis to give up Netzarim and Kfar Darom. After all, Palestinian argued, these two tiny Jewish settlements were located in the center of an extremely populated area of the Gaza Strip. Continue Reading »