PLO Secretary General: To Achieve Peace, Free Palestine from Israeli Occupation

What We’re Reading

Occupation/Human rights

Opinion: As long as Israel continues its settlements, a two-state solution is impossible,

“Rather than a new set of parameters, what’s needed is decisive action for the implementation of the internationally endorsed vision: free Palestine from the occupation that began in 1967, hold Israel accountable to its commitments under international law and implement the Arab Peace Initiative as a regional framework for peace,” writes PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat.

Palestinian politics

Opinion: Why opinion polls won't bring democracy to Palestine,

“Polling in Palestine is a growth industry, but rather than change a broken system for the better, results are often simply used as a political tool,” writes Alaa Tartir.

Palestinian Authority created 'atmosphere of hysteria',

A recent poll has found that 63.8 percent of youth in the West Bank and Gaza would rather maintain the Palestinian Authority than dissolve it. Analysts and political activists, however, believe the figure does not reflect the reality on the ground.

Senior Fatah Official Calls for Palestinian Consumer Boycott of Israel,

Former chief negotiator Nabil Sha’ath says Palestinians must give up their ‘peace dreams’ and acknowledge that the negotiating process is dead.

In apparent rift with Ramallah, Saudi Arabia halts PA funding,

Senior Palestinian officials say around $120 million of financial aid withheld over last 6 months without explanation.

US-Israel relations

Opinion: The US-Israel MOU: Obama’s Legacy?,

“President Obama recently pushed through a measure to advance the cause of Israel-Palestine peace. It will likely be his most enduring legacy. And virtually everyone missed it,” writes Zaha Hassan.

Israeli politics

Opinion: It’s Every Israeli’s Right, and Duty, to Speak Up - Including at the UN,

“The occupation is not an internal Israeli matter and human rights are always a matter for the entire international community,” writes Michael Sfard.

Opinion: It’s not Netanyahu, it’s the left-center leaders,

“Barak, Livni, Lapid and Herzog are all to blame for cooperating with the prime minister’s deception,” writes Haim Ramon.

Coalition unlikely to back chairman’s bill seeking to bar Israelis from speaking at UN,

Government source says David Bitan knows he won’t have the needed support to restrict the freedom of speech of Israeli citizens.