Nov
10
2016
   
By Daoud Kuttab
At about 2:40am Wednesday, Donald J. Trump, the US president elect, spoke to his supporters, the American people and the world.Â
He praised Hillary Clinton, spoke about how he will make America great and then addressed the world.
“I want to tell the world community that while we will always put America’s interests first, we will deal fairly with everyone. All people and all other nations. We will seek common ground, not hostility, partnership, not conflict.â€
Naturally this is the kind of speech that one would expect from a victor. But it begs the question: Can Trump in fact be fair to the world while putting America’s interest first?
The answer is obviously positive if, in fact, that is what a Trump administration will attempt to do.
Politically speaking, the president-elect surprisingly has very little baggage in terms of strictly held positions or in terms of being committed to any particular ideological point of view. Continue Reading »
Jun
30
2016
By Daoud Kuttab
As first Lady, Hillary Clinton had the political courage to support Palestinian statehood and even have her picture taken as she kissed Suha Arafat on the cheek at the Christmas lights ceremony in Bethlehem.
As a diplomat in her own right, Secretary Clinton often repeated the Obama Administration’s opposition to occupation and to the continued Israeli building of settlements.
But as the presumptive nominee for the US Democratic Party, Clinton’s loyal delegates are refusing to recognise “reality” as Professor Cornel West, the Bernie Sanders delegate to the drafting committee, so forcefully articulated.
Recognising that Palestine is under occupation is not such a big deal. Every single country in the world, and even half of Israel have already done so. The UN and all its bodies, from the Security Council to the General Assembly and everything in between, say that Palestinian territories captured in an Israeli initiated war in 1967 are occupied territories.
The International Criminal Court deliberating on the Israeli-built wall deep in Palestinian territory, said that the areas are occupied and that the Geneva IV conventions of 1949 apply to these territories.
Continue Reading »
Mar
03
2016
By Daoud Kuttab
AÂ big question is looming regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict: How serious is the French initiative that aims at leading an international effort to help kick start negotiations on the two-state solution?
Equally important is to figure out where exactly Washington stands on this proposal.
When the Obama administration said publicly that it did not expect the two-state solution to happen under President Barack Obama’s watch, was that a hint and a wink to Europe to take a lead role?
While second term US presidents are usually free of pressure from pro-Israel lobbyists, some believe that Obama spent all his political capital on the Iran nuclear deal and is not interested in dealing with a case with questionable potential for success.
The French initiative of former prime minister Laurent Fabius appears to have gained (rather than lose) steam after his departure and replacement with Jean-Marc Ayrault. Continue Reading »
Feb
16
2016
By Daoud Kuttab
AÂ truce reached at the Munich Security Conference last week requires halting the fight in blood-soaked Syria within a week.
We have yet to see whether the commitment to a political solution is genuine. The Russians have shown no sign of slowing down their lethal air campaign on Aleppo.
Sceptics suspect that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not halt his military support for the Syrian regime and that US President Barack Obama will not do anything to turn things around.
Since Russia started its campaign in Syria, it has been talking about the necessity of reaching a political solution and defeating Daesh. And yet, Russia has done nothing to help defeat Daesh while it has targeted only the moderate opposition groups.
The Russian calculations could not be more obvious. For it, targeting the moderate opposition will push all forces to join Daesh and in this case, Syrian President Bashar Assad can claim that the battle is between his forces and Daesh.
The international community, according to this reasoning, will have no option then but to support Assad.
Meanwhile, the American administration is losing leverage in the crisis. Continue Reading »
Jul
21
2015
By Daoud Kuttab
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict might get an unexpected shot in the arm as a result of the recently concluded Iran nuclear agreement.
While the P5+1 talks in Vienna focused only on the issue of Iran’s nuclear capability, many are looking for how this agreement will effect regional conflicts. Some of the harshest critics of the deal accuse the Obama administration of making an agreement with what is described as the world’s “leading supporter of terrorism” without dealing with many of the Middle East’s regional issues.
Although those making these accusations have no interest increasing the pressure on Israel, this might be exactly what will possibly happen.
Political posturing has consequences, and the possible success of Obama’s foreign policies over warmongering hawks will not be lost on anyone in Washington.
Last March, the U.S. capital witnessed a rare and unusual event. The prime minister of a foreign country went to the podium of the U.S. congress and bad-mouthed a sitting president in cooperation with his political domestic opponents. This act by Israel’s Benyamin Netanyahu will certainly have consequences if and when President Obama will sign the Iran Nuclear deal despite objections of his Republican opponents and right wing Israelis. Continue Reading »
Apr
27
2015
By Daoud Kuttab
An important question has yet to be answered. Will Arabs and especially Palestinians be the biggest losers in the game being played between Iran, the White House, Capitol Hill and Israel?Arab thinker Azmi Bishara believes that if Arabs stay neutral over the P5+1 framework deal they will become collateral damage. In other words it is not possible to remain neutral in a process that is attractive to Iranian reformers and American liberals.
On the other hand Israel is heavily engaged in two international cases: the international efforts to curtail Iran’s nuclear programme and the world’s desire to end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.
While the nuclear issue appears to be well on its way to being resolved, there is concern that a trade-off between the two cases might take place.
All sides deny any link, but there is concern that the fierce Israeli opposition to agreement with Iran could force Washington to make an unethical trade-off.
The US president, Barack Obama, is facing stubborn opposition from Republicans in Congress, and even from some of his fellow Democrats.
Continue Reading »
Jan
25
2015
By Daoud Kuttab
The United States, which has progressively moved toward recognizing the State of Palestine, has suddenly backed away from even using the word Palestine. Were the previous positions merely lip service and are we now witnessing the true US position, or did the United States backtrack to please Israel?
A look at the history of US rhetorical interaction with the issue of Palestine shows progress over the past decades, from ignoring the existence of the Palestinian people to talking about Palestinian statehood.
George W. Bush received much attention as the first US president to use the word Palestine during a speech he made at the Saban Forum in December 2008. “At the heart of this effort is the vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security. I was the first American president to call for a Palestinian state, and support — and [to] build support for the two-state solution has been a top priority of my administration,†Bush said.
The term State of Palestine was used 38 times in official statements and speeches by the Republican president. Continue Reading »
Nov
24
2014
By Daoud Kuttab
Obama clarifies Assad policy
Speaking to reporters at G-20 summit in Brisbane, Australia on November 16, US President Barack Obama dismissed reports of pending changes in Syria policy, saying “We have not had a comprehensive review of Syria. We’ve had a comprehensive review of what are we doing each and every week†in the military campaign to defeat the Islamic State.
On the role of Assad in the battle with IS and in a political transition in Syria, Obama said “there’s no expectation that we are going to in some ways enter an alliance with Assad. He is not credible in that country. Now, we are looking for a political solution eventually within Syria that is inclusive of all the groups who live there — the Alawite, the Sunni, Christians. And at some point, the people of Syria and the various players involved, as well as the regional players — Turkey, Iran, Assad’s patrons like Russia — are going to have to engage in a political conversation. And it’s the nature of diplomacy in any time, certainly in this situation, where you end up having diplomatic conversations potentially with people that you don’t like and regimes that you don’t like. But we’re not even close to being at that stage yet.â€
Asked pointedly if he was actively discussing ways to remove Assad in the context of plans for a political transition in Syria, Obama responded with a simple “No.â€
Obama’s clarity on Syria stood in contrast to an unusual presentation by US Secretary of State John Kerry the next day on how the Islamic State and the government of Syria are actually “co-dependent†or “symbiotic,â€Â that is, they need each other as enemies, and the US must build and back a “moderate center†in Syria.
Kerry’s remarks come as Syrian military forces this month retook the area around the Al-Shaer gas field from the IS terrorist group after fierce fighting, as reported by Khaled Atallah. Continue Reading »
Feb
16
2014
By Daoud Kuttab
The seriousness of the U.S.-initiated framework for a possible solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem appears to have shaken dormant relations in the region, including in Jordan.
The Palestinian-Jordanian relationship, which is experiencing its highest degree of cooperation and mutual trust, is being put to the test.
The challenges facing this important relationship stem from identity issues that have plagued Jordan for decades but which have been pushed under the rug.
Jordanian politicians, pundits, journalists and even government officials are expressing different degrees of concern and worry regarding the aftermath of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry plan, even though information about the plan is very sketchy.
The potential of solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has resurrected badly needed discussion about political reform, which was delayed until the resolution of the Palestinian cause.
The refugee issue is perhaps the most important part of this discussion. Two million registered refugees in Jordan are the biggest single group of Palestinian refugees in the world. Their case is even more complicated by the fact that they are also full Jordanian citizens, though not equitably represented in Parliament as a result of large-scale gerrymandering. Continue Reading »
Jan
20
2014
By Daoud Kuttab
US senior officials, including President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, have for years been the subject of Israeli criticism and overtly nasty insults. For the most part, they have tried to absorb such attacks and continue to pursue a healthy, positive relationship with their most important ally — until now. Secretary Kerry has shown Israelis and the world that he is human and that he and his State Department are not going to take it any longer.
The most recent Israeli attacks coincided with Washington’s plans to provide a bridging plan to break out the fruitless Palestinian-Israeli direct talks. While suggesting such ideas is bound to create opposition on both sides, the Israelis responded with a nastiness the Americans said is unfitting of a trusted ally.
The hard-line Israeli defense minister, Moshe Ya’alon, has been telling anyone willing to listen how he loathes Kerry and his plans. He went so far as to say the secretary’s efforts stemmed from an “incomprehensible obsession†and that his drive for peace was “messianic.â€Â At one point, Ya’alon stated that the US security plan designed by Gen. John Allen is “not worthy of the paper it is written on†and that Americans do not know anything about security. In perhaps the most insulting of all such statements, Ya’alon is quoted as saying that he hopes the US secretary of state wins the Nobel Peace Prize and then “leave us alone.†Continue Reading »
