May
31
2012
following ran in the Jordan Times
By Daoud Kuttab
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The Palestinian conflict is going through one of its strangest stages these days. So much is going against Palestine, yet so much is going for it.
Israel was never as arrogant in its treatment of Palestinians and its expansionist policy, and the U.S. government as well as the international community seem inept.
Yet, despite Israel’s arrogance and world government’s apathy, international support for Palestinians at so many levels has never been as high.
On the ground in Palestine, Israel is ignoring the basic demands of thousands of hunger striking Palestinians. Prisoners are demanding basic rights as simple as family visits, obtaining books and an end to administrative detentions. Two Palestinians held without trial or charge are in their second month of hunger strike, putting their lives in real danger. Continue Reading »
May
31
2012
By Daoud Kuttab
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stunned Israelis Tuesday morning with a political shocker. He convinced his largest opposition leader, Shaul Mofaz, to join the coalition, thus cancelling early elections scheduled for September.
Speaking to the media, Netanyahu said that the coalition agreement (called by some in the Israeli media a stink bomb) is good for the stability of his government and for Israel.
His new coalition partner, who will now become Israel’s first deputy prime minister, listed four areas of agreement as the basis for this partnership. The two parties will develop a replacement for the Tal Law that used to exempt religious students from the Israeli army; they will pass a new budget; Israel’s political system will be revamped and the new coalition is said to push ahead the peace process. Continue Reading »
May
31
2012
By Daoud Kuttab
The question seemed simple. A European official wanted to know if the peace was just around the corner, or far away.
On the surface of it, one can tick off a number of positive signals. Palestinian and Israeli negotiators recently exchanged letters outlying their various political positions as to the best way forward. Israel’s current expanded coalition government is large enough to be able to take difficult decisions without the fear of any small faction blackmailing the government. Europe seems to be united in its single-minded push to ensure that the peace process moves forward without any more delay. The U.S. will most likely return to the issue after the November elections. The Arab Spring is moving forward and bringing more popularly supported leaders who are unlikely to be very friendly to Israel. Continue Reading »
May
23
2012
By Daoud Kuttab
For years the Arab world has been searching for the perfect Arab democratic model. Progressive young Arabs want a Western-style democratic model, but older democrats argue that we have to discover our own model, not copy and paste models from this or that country.
Islam, of course, confused this search. Islamists appeared to want an Islamic model that no one could explain or point to an existing example. Iran was not seen as a successful model and neither was Afghanistan. Turkey was touted by some as a model, although the country is totally secular even if its current leader has an Islamic approach. Continue Reading »
May
17
2012
By Daoud Kuttab
This week, two totally different cases saw real progress towards resolution due to persistence, focus on achievable results and the use of nonviolent means. Palestinian prisoners and supporters of their just and reasonable requests in Palestine, the Arab world, and the international community saw a successful resolution of their demands. Continue Reading »
May
03
2012
Methodist Voices that Prevailed
May 3, 2012
In describing the trial of Jesus before Pilate, Luke the Evangelist brilliantly described the mood of the crowd when he wrote, “But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.” (Luke 23:23 NIV)
Continue Reading »