Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ political honeymoon is almost over. And the results are worrisome. Palestinians gave Arafat’s heir a huge boost in the January presidential elections in which he ran against a number of serious contenders. The victory was followed by a few more important accomplishments, including the tahdi’a (quiet) that all Palestinian factions (included the Islamists) agreed to and have honored since. Continue Reading »

The trials and tribulations of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem continue to attract the attention of Palestinians, Jordanians and Greeks alike.

The decision by more than two thirds of the Holy Synod of the Church to expel Patriarch Irineos I from his position is the first in the church’s 2,000 year history. No one knows what will happen now that the name of the patriarch has been struck out of the prayers of all the faithful throughout Jordan and Palestine and the synod has chosen a committee of three bishops to run the affairs of the church until a new patriarch is elected. 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 »

The corridors of the normally quiet Institute of Modern Media at Al Quds University were crowded on Tuesday as students and their supporters from various political groups were busy worrying about elections.

After a five-year hiatus, students at Al Quds University were given the chance to cast their votes for the 51-seat student council. Students wearing various colours were clutching rosters, crossing those who had voted, hoping they had cast their votes in favour of their faction. Continue Reading »

Today was a special day for me. For the first time since I began my media work, one of the main donors to my various projects was coming to visit. Aryeh Neir the president of the Open Society Institute. Anthony Richter, OSI’s man in the region, and a good friend, wanted me to set up a round table discussion for Aryeh with local Palestinian journalists. A day before the meeting, I was in touch with Anthony and waited for him at the American Colony. They were held up at the Qalandia checkpoint for about an hour and by the time they got in, they were so exhausted that we decided to wait till to following day. Knowing the OSI had been active for some time in Uzbakistan, I asked Anthony if he knew more of what was happening. He did but was waiting to make it official in a strategic way in a couple of days. He confided with me that his information was that the number of those killed in the country following the demonstrations was closer to 750. He also thought that American weapons were most likely used in the shootings at demonstrators.