The establishment of what seems like a stable government in Israel should once again place the focus of attention on the best means possible to expedite genuine and lasting peace between Israel and Palestinians.  This government will commit a big mistake if it attempts, as previous governments have in solving its problems using force. That will only lead to more immediate bloodshed and more long-term hatred. What would make life easier for the new rulers in Israel and everyone else is if they can identify nonnegotiable issues and ones that are open for negotiations. Attempts to use the people as hostages to force Palestinian leaders to weaken their positions will not work. What is needed is new thinking.  Here are some pointers that Mr. Sharon and his government need to consider.  Continue Reading »

The title of this article seems to be the talk of town in Palestinian circles this week. After the abandonment of the Americans and the Israelis (and even Clinton) of the Clinton proposals and the elections of right wing Israeli leader Ariel Sharon, many in Palestine are starting to ask out loud what is the Palestinian strategy? To be sure there are many answers, but the new questioning among Palestinians is simply whether any of the set answers to this question are convincing. More precisely is there an effective Palestinian strategy that can produce results. Continue Reading »

Samir Awad is an American Palestinian architectural engineer. He has been working with the Kansas City bases Engineering company for the past five years where he lives with his 85-year old grandmother Huda. Earlier this month and because of a change of jobs he decided to pay his parents in Bethlehem a visit. Last Sunday, a day before he had to start his new job, he headed for Ben Gurion airport to take the KLM flight headed for Kansas City. But his trip was not to take place. He was refused travel by the Israeli security at the airport. His American passport couldn’t help him. He was told Palestinians were banned from travel as a result of the Egged bus incident in Tel Aviv a few days earlier. Continue Reading »

A group of residents of Ramallah and Al Bireh whose homes are adjacent to the Jewish settlement Psagaot seem to have found the third way. Forced to choose between opposition to the Israelis who are daily bombarding their homes with an assortment of guns and shells, or turn against their own people they chose a different route. Continue Reading »

While the rest of the world is trying to figure out what its response to the overwhelming victory of Ariel Sharon, I conducted my own unscientific survey of Palestinian reaction to the results of the Israeli elections. I chose to get the reaction of television broadcasters knowing full well that they more than anyone else have their fingers of the pulse of the Palestinian public.

While predictions varied none went to the level of deep concern and their was no alarmist tone in the expectations of Palestinians. Continue Reading »

The buzz word this week in Palestine has been the need to fight corruption. You see reference to this issue in the press, on the Internet, in leaflets as well as by word of mouth.

I was surprised when I saw a fax signed by the anticorruption unit of Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs calling on Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat to weed out corruption in Palestinian society. The leaflet didn’t settle for generalities, but it named a senior Palestinian banker whom the group accused of transferring some $12.6 million it claimed were meant for those who were suffering from the recent situation to an account outside of the area.  Continue Reading »

I found myself in a very difficult position this week. Without giving much thought to it, I had begun defending the decision of the Palestinian Authority to execute a number of Palestinians accused of facilitating sensitive information that led to the Israeli army’s assassination of intifada leaders.

My arguments were simple. The situation in the occupied territories is akin to war, with the “enemy” shelling our populated neighborhoods from tanks and helicopters and Israeli sharpshooters gunning down our people.  Continue Reading »

The latest round of peace talks in Washington has done little to dissuade the average Palestinian from continuing his anger and frustration towards the Israeli government and its army for their continued collective punishment.

This week the Israeli government went the farthest it has ever gone in tightening the noose around the Palestinian population.

Side and minor roads, which were being utilized with great difficulty, to transport people from one location to another, have joined the major roads already closed in previous months. Continue Reading »

There is no date in any calendar year that is more important for family get together than the holidays. This year both Christmas and Id al-Fitr fell on almost identical dates.

This year is perhaps the worst facing Palestinian families in decades: The multi-layered Israeli siege on Palestinian territories has forced various members of the same family to celebrate alone.

Palestinians like to spend the holidays visiting the grave sites of deceased family members, visiting prisoners, and of course large families like getting together, often at the home of their parents. Let me detail some of the obstacles facing Palestinians this particular holiday season.  Continue Reading »

One of the recent disputes between Israel and the Palestinians sounds like the discussion about what came first – the chicken or the egg. The Israelis insist that before negotiations can commence and before the international fact finding commission can begin its work, Palestinians must cease their resistance. The Palestinians insist that the resistance is a natural byproduct of occupation and that it can’t stop unless the occupation ends. Continue Reading »