First published in the Arab Weekly on 3/12/2017 The continuing discussions on moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem raise serious doubts with the Palestinians. Risks ahead. The exterior of the US Embassy building in Tel Aviv. (AFP) US Vice-President Mike Pence recently confirmed that “President Donald Trump is actively considering when and how to move …
Continue reading A tale of two embassies and the ‘ultimate deal’
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 …
Continue reading How long before the Israeli flag flies over Riyadh?
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 …
Continue reading Palestinians should put more focus on their case internationally
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 …
Continue reading Netanyahu is redefining ethnic cleansing not pursuing genuine peace
First published by the Arab Weekly on 5/11/2017 The Balfour Declaration crucially omitted reference to the indigenous Palestinian Arabs who at the time made up 90% of the population. The British and Israeli governments celebrated the Balfour Declaration in London and Israel while Palestinians and their supporters marched in many cities across the world demanding …
Continue reading The Balfour Declaration: 67 words that changed the history of Palestine
First published by the Middle East Eye on 1/11/2017 #Balfour One hundred years ago, the Balfour Declaration backed Palestine as a Jewish homeland. Imagining if history had taken another turn offers a fresh perspective. On 2 November 1917, British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour sent a letter to Lord Walter Rothschild, a prominent zionist, which …
Continue reading What if Wales had been offered to the Jews as a homeland?
First published by the Middle East Monitor on 20/10/2017 Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu (L) speaks during US President Donald Trump's (R) visit to Israel on 23 May 2017. [Israeli Government Press Office/Haim Zach/Handout] When it comes to the various stakeholders in the Israeli Palestinian conflict Israel has guaranteed American support in almost whatever …
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 …
Continue reading Who sets US policy on Israel and Palestine?
First published by the Middle East Eye on 5/10/2017 As the 2017 conference season in the UK comes to a close, Palestinians can only hope that a future Labour government will recognise their pursuit of justice and freedom The annual conference season for the political parties in the UK has been in full swing. The …
Continue reading Labour, Conservatives and the quest for a Palestinian state
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 …
Continue reading The US kicks the Israeli-Palestinian peace deal into the long grass
Brum2Jerusalem Blog 