Aug
08
2011
By Daoud Kuttab
Chambers of commerce in some Palestinian cities held elections, over the past few weeks, and municipal elections are planned for October. One Palestinian city that will not see any local elections just happens to be Palestine’s capital in waiting.
For the past 44 years, East Jerusalem has been prevented from carrying out any activity that might represent any sort of local government. Israel’s unilateral annexation of occupied East Jerusalem and the forced municipal unity with Israeli West Jerusalem has left the holy city in limbo. Palestinians rejected the annexation and the unification of the city, and boycotted the municipal elections since 1967. Continue Reading »
Jul
28
2011
By Daoud Kuttab
If anyone outside Palestine had doubts that the Palestinian Authority was hesitant about going to the UN to request the recognition of Palestine as a full member, a trip to Ramallah would quickly put an end to this scepticism. Ramallah’s hotels are full of members of the Palestine Central Council (the second highest representative body in Palestinian politics after the Palestine National Council). PNC Speaker Salim Zannoun has held meetings in Amman, Hebron, Nablus and Ramallah in preparation for a crucial ?entral council meeting in Ramallah this week. The leading independent daily published in Ramallah, Al Ayyam boasts a colourful map of the world with 122 flags representing world countries that have indicated that they will vote for Palestine to be a full member. Continue Reading »
Jul
05
2011
Israelis government officials and probably half of the Israeli population seem to be dead set against Palestinians going to the UN. The Palestinian attempt for full membership in the UN is called “an attempt to delegitimize Israel,†a “unilateral act’ a  “crimeâ€Â  and even ‘a declaration of war’ against Israel.
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Jun
30
2011
The Palestinian leadership is more committed than ever to obtaining statehood through the United Nations General Assembly. But despite this commitment, there is worry that success in New York might not necessarily mean success in Nablus or Hebron.
There are many reasons the UN route is the correct strategy for Palestinians today. Under the leadership of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority has convincingly addressed Israel’s security concerns. Israeli and US military officials are on the record as praising the success of the Palestinian security in dealing with anti-Israel violence.
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Jun
09
2011
By Daoud Kuttab
When French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe visited the occupied territories last week, a group of young Palestinians were given a chance to speak to him in Ramallah. After asking Juppe whether he would participate in resisting occupation of France, they turned to the issue of Palestinian politics, especially how negotiations are being conducted.
Jun
02
2011
By Daoud Kuttab
Negotiators the world over are taught that in order to maximise one’s bargaining position, they should always have credible alternatives.
If you enter negotiations – whether you are a worker, union leaders, a businessman or a political leader – you need to be willing to walk out if your reasonable requirements are not met. A worker presenting his boss a written offer for better pay and conditions can usually get good results. A union leader able to credibly threaten a disruptive strike can usually get a good deal. The same principle applies to political negotiations and can be easily applied to the Palestinian scene. Continue Reading »
May
26
2011
By Daoud Kuttab
The marathon of speeches that the US capital Washington witnessed last week cleared the view as to what is needed for Palestinians to reach their coveted independent state. Clearing the view, however, doesn’t necessarily mean that getting a state will be easy or attainable in the near future.
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May
21
2011
By Daoud Kuttab – Special to CNN
The appointment of George Mitchell as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace for the newly-sworn-in U.S. president was a source of much hope in the Middle East.
Senior U.S. officials toured the region soon thereafter to make sure people understood the importance of the appointment and its timing.
Mitchell took the appointment seriously and did what no other envoy before him had done. He created a team of supporters and opened an office in the U.S. Continue Reading »
May
21
2011
When US President Barack Obama makes his scheduled speech today, he will have to deal with a totally different kind of Arab world than when he took office or when he made his famous Cairo speech.
Arab peoples led by youth, who constitute the vast majority of the population, have found their power and have been demanding a say in their future. No longer can the US or other Western countries simply depend on a few pro-Western dictators who obey the orders from Paris, London and Washington in return for those capitals ensuring that they stay in power. Continue Reading »
Apr
30
2011
By Daoud Kuttab – Special to CNN
I place the chances for the birth of a Palestinian state this fall at fifty-fifty. The world community, including the United States, seems to favor the idea. Yet there is clearly a lack of political will and muscle for pushing Israel to seriously negotiate the emergence of Palestine. Continue Reading »