By Daoud Kuttab

George Kanawati has become a well-known name in the Bethlehem area. The popularity of the director of the city’s longest-running radio station and anchor of its popular morning show is not simply from his journalistic work. Radio Bethlehem 2000’s top journalist has been embroiled in quite a few battles with various governmental agencies, the latest of which landed him in prison and gave him a black eye.

While the Israeli restriction on Palestinian movement for journalists continues without any sign of easing, the main challenge for Palestinian journalists has become more local. Palestinian officials appear to be less tolerant to criticism and seem to be acting with impunity despite strong opposition by the Palestinian Journalists Union and human rights organizations.

Kanawati’s case has been going on for some time and the tit for tat between him and various government officials is being dealt with in the courts. But the latest episode between Kanawati and the director of the Bethlehem police appears to have taken a different route. Continue Reading »

By Daoud Kuttab

The bustling town of al-Ram, with a population of over 25,000, is strategically located between Jerusalem and Ramallah. For a long time, the town’s geography was its blessing. Today, it has become its curse.

Al-Ram’s main entrance was once the Jerusalem-Ramallah road just past the suburbs of Shufat, Beit Hanina and Dahiyat al-Barid. But then the wall was built, dividing half of Dahiyat al-Barid and placing the entire town of al-Ram on the other side of the wall away from its normal access from either side of the Jerusalem-Ramallah road. All shops, including the recently opened branch of the Arab Bank, that were once on the main road suddenly found themselves facing a 10-meter-high wall with no access to either Jerusalem or Ramallah. To get to the two main cities, one must now exit the rear of the town, which is the most poorly maintained, least properly zoned part.

The population of al-Ram, made up almost entirely of east Jerusalemites with Israeli blue ID cards and yellow licensed Israeli car plates, suddenly found themselves surrounded and isolated. Residents must now take the long way to get to school, work or any other location that used to take minutes to reach. Continue Reading »