abu mazen

Palestinians mourn during the funeral march for Palestinian baby Ali Saad Dawabshe, Duma, West Bank, July 31, 2015. (photo: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

Translating a Palestinian family’s grief for Netanyahu

The least I could do was go to the hospital to support the Dawabshe family after their 18-month-old baby was burned alive by Israeli settlers. But before I knew it I became Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Arabic translator. On that terrible Friday morning I found myself finishing up a lecture in Tel Aviv and driving toward…

By Samah Salaime August 6, 2015

A tunnel in Gaza (Marius Arnesen, Flickr)

From Iran to the tunnels: Do we really have to live this way?

Those who spot an existential threat at every turn, turn their backs on diplomacy and mock peace efforts are now astonished to find that the enemy has sought out their own weapons of attack. The tunnels are a self-fulfilling prophecy; the time has come to look for another way. By Nir Baram It is heartrending…

By +972 Magazine August 2, 2014

Palestinian Authoirty President Mahmoud Abbas (OlivierPacteau/CC BY 2.0)

Why is Mahmoud Abbas negotiating on behalf of Gaza?

When they emerge from the rubble, as they always do, who among Gaza’s Palestinians will look to Abu Mazen as their legitimate leader? The Fatah chief is reportedly in Cairo today to meet with Egyptian strongman Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, whose “ceasefire proposal” to end the bloodshed in Gaza was promptly rejected as “a joke” by the…

By Samer Badawi July 16, 2014

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Netanyahu (Yotam Ronen / Activestills)

Is Israel recognizing the Palestinian national unity government after all?

If the Israeli government insists on boycotting the new Palestinian unity government, how can it also insist on pouring money into the Palestinian Authority? By the end of June, Israel is expected to once more sit at the same table as the Palestinian Authority – the same Palestinian Authority that it has been so adamant…

By Haggai Matar June 11, 2014

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman, Jordan, June 29, 2013. (Photo by State Dept.)

De-coding the Israeli-Palestinian peace process

A breakdown of recent statements by principal players in the Kerry-led peace process. The Israeli/Palestinian negotiations remind me of a volleyball court. With a lack of hard information available to the public, each player punts a ball into the air at regular intervals with identifying marks on it, to remind everyone that he or she…

By Dahlia Scheindlin February 19, 2014

Damage after a bomb exploded on an Israeli bus in the Tel Aviv suburb of Bat Yam, December 22, 2013. A policewoman's eardrums were damaged in the attempted attack. (Photo: Israel Police)

‘Wave of Palestinian terror’? Not exactly

It’s pretty difficult to pinpoint anything resembling a starting point for the latest violence; prior to last week, Israeli forces killed 19 Palestinians since July, compared to four Israelis who were killed. The violence is neither unilateral nor arbitrary. The latest escalation between Israel and the Palestinians has taken lives on both sides over the…

By Dahlia Scheindlin December 26, 2013

President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas at a joint press conference in Whitehall. (flickr / Cabinet Office CC)

Endgame: Conditions for the success and failure of the peace process

What does the possibly-revived peace process John Kerry announced on Friday have going for it? – “Diplomatic Tsunami” – a catch-phrase that stands for high-level global isolation of Israel as punishment for its policies is the great fear on everyone’s mind in Israel this week. Israel is smarting from a recent spate of symbolic blows…

By Dahlia Scheindlin July 20, 2013

John Kerry’s Kodak moment at the Dead Sea

John Kerry: Hey, Abu! Abu! Over here! Come here a sec! Abu Mazen: What? Kerry: Come here a sec, we wanna take a pic. Abu Mazen: For what? Shimon Peres: Just do it. Kerry: Whaddya mean ‘for what’? Cuz we’re here! All three of us! Abu Mazen: So? Peres: Just do it. Kerry: Come on!…

By Ami Kaufman May 27, 2013

Obama compares Israeli occupation to racial discrimination in U.S.

The speech Barack Obama gave this evening in Jerusalem was supposed to be the pinnacle of his visit. But actually, things worked out a bit differently. The most important comments the president made were just a few hours before the Jerusalem speech, while he was still in Ramallah talking with Palestinian officials. Everyone was wondering…

By Ami Kaufman March 21, 2013

President Obama: When in the Middle East, walk on water

If President Obama plans on trying to kickstart the Israeli-Palestinian peace process during his visit this week, he should reframe the process. Tackling the toughest issues first, such as Jerusalem, has proven to only prolong the stalemate. Why not start with water? By Oded Eran and Gidon Bromberg The Israeli-Palestinian political process has been stalled for too…

By +972 Magazine March 17, 2013

Western Wall (Photo: RahelSharon/flickr)

Response to Abbas: We’ll be together in Jerusalem forever

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech at the International Conference on Jerusalem in Doha on Saturday set off the most proverbial alarm bells in Israel. Caveat: Without actually seeing the full text of the speech, or being at the conference, I am dependent on excerpts in news reports that seem designed to reinforce auto-pilot rallying cries…

By Dahlia Scheindlin February 27, 2012

Mahmoud Abbas (photo: Olivier Pacteau / flickr CC BY 2.0)

Palestinian leaders reinforce Fatah-Hamas reconciliation in Qatar

Mahmoud Abbas and Khaled Meshaal sign agreement in Qatar on Palestinian reconciliation. Leaders of the two main Palestinian political parties, Fatah and Hamas, signed an agreement in Qatar on Monday, reinforcing efforts at reconciliation and reform. Reports from Qatar say that current Palestinian Authority President and Chairman of the PLO, Mahmoud Abbas, will also be…

By Omar H. Rahman February 6, 2012

To Mideast peacemakers: You are all George Costanza!

Jason Alexander comes here to make peace, but sounds more like George Costanza. Problem is, he’s not alone. Jason Alexander (“George Costanza” in Seinfeld) is a good liberal, he cares about Israel and wants to see peace, he wants to see Palestinians have their freedom and Israelis their security. He and an American group called…

By Larry Derfner November 18, 2011