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
23
2011
By Daoud Kuttab
I was caught off guard when the call came from the Prime Ministry. The governmental committee set up to design a strategic media plan wanted to hear my opinion. Along with Nidal Mansour, from the Centre for Defending the Freedom of Journalists, and Rana Sabbagh, from Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalists, we met with the committee three times. I met with the committee members a fourth time, when they consulted radio station owners and managers.
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Jun
16
2011
The Palestinian strategy towards statehood is making significance progress among certain international political circles, but it is still lacking the necessary coordination and cohesion to bear the desired results.
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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
07
2011
I spent three days in the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia attending a seminar for the renewed sesame street program Iftah ya Simsim. The conference was well organized and the attendees mostly from the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council were very keen on its success.
My impressions of the Saudi capital and the people of the Kingdom range from the “I would never live in this city†to “the people are warm but totally confused.â€
Arriving from the airport to downtown Riyadh, the first thing that hits you is the seemingly endless results of one sand storm after the other. From the moment you touchdown and you notice a low flying cloud that looks like the smog you see in major industrial cities. Despite regular attempts at cleaning them, parked cars have a layer of dust that seem perpetual no matter what time of day you are in. Continue Reading »
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 »