How long before the Israeli flag flies over Riyadh?

First published by the Middle East Monitor on 22/11/2017 A general view from the Arabic Islamic American Summit at King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 21 May, 2017 [Bandar Algaloud/Anadolu Agency] At a recent MEMO conference entitled “Crisis in Saudi Arabia: War Succession and Future”, I asked Professor Madawi Al-Rasheed of the London …

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Interview: Saudis told Abbas to back Trump’s plan or resign

I contributed to Press TV's The Newsline programme on 16/11/2017 This can be watched here

Palestinians should put more focus on their case internationally

First published by the Arab Weekly in 12/11/2017 The PLO should join more international bodies and conventions and use these to pressure Israel back to the negotiating table. If it is to make progress to­wards realising its people’s legitimate right to self-deter­mination in their homeland, the Palestinian leadership needs to take stock and weigh its …

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Netanyahu is redefining ethnic cleansing not pursuing genuine peace

First published on the Middle East Monitor on 10/11/2017   Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [Benjamin Netanyahu/Facebook] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not known for missing an opportunity to push peace further into the distant future. The dust had not even settled on the Balfour Centenary, which the Palestinians marked with anger and Israel and …

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Who sets US policy on Israel and Palestine?

First published by the Arab Weekly on 15/10/2017 With Trump, Tillerson, Trump’s advisers and his ambassador seemingly working in an uncoordinated manner, it may be a case of too many cooks spoiling the peace broth. The president of the United States normally sets the broad objectives of the country’s foreign policy, which largely fol­low his …

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The US kicks the Israeli-Palestinian peace deal into the long grass

First published by the Middle East Eye on 30/8/2017 #Occupation Just days after a US delegation visit to Israel and Palestine, Netanyahu declares that Israel will no longer uproot settlements. Any dreams of peace anytime soon are a long way off   Say what you want about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but he doesn’t …

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What better offer does Israel have than the Arab Peace Initiative?

First published by the Arab Weekly on 20/8/2017The last serious, sus­tained effort to bro­ker a deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians was made during the Obama administra­tion by then-US Secretary of State John Kerry. He tried over nine months to advance peace talks but his efforts met with failure and the breakout of the …

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Palestine must push back against loss of traditional allies

First published by the Middle East Monitor on 4/8/2017Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the 29th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 3 July, 2017 [Minasse Wondimu Hailu/Anadolu Agency] When the PLO asked the United Nations General Assembly for an upgrade in Palestine’s status to “non-member observer state” on …

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برنامج وراء الحدث: جمعة الغضب نصرة للأقصى

مشاركتي يوم ٢١/٧/٢٠١٧ ببرنامج وراء الحدث على قناة الغدhttps://youtu.be/0v7TbpBmGRE

Attaque d’al-Aqsa : les Palestiniens quasiment abandonnés

18/7/2017 Middle East Eye FR La défense de la mosquée al-Aqsa, chérie par 1,6 milliard de musulmans de par le monde, a été laissée aux 300 000 Palestiniens de Jérusalem, qui font face à un occupant particulièrement brutal et impitoyable   Les implications de l’incident mortel de vendredi dernier à Al-Aqsa vont bien au-delà du …

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