With surging unemployment rates and high rents, Palestinian refugees who fled the Syrian war for Gaza are struggling to climb out of poverty. Like many Gazans, they hope to leave the strip in search of a better life. By Amjad Yaghi In mid-2012, Egyptian police arrested Omar Odeh for violating the conditions of his residence permit and overstaying his visa. After realizing he was a Palestinian refugee from Syria, they deported him to Gaza. Today he is one of hundreds of Palestinian refugees from Syria who fled the civil war there only to find hardly-endurable living conditions in the strip. [tmwinpost] Odeh, 63, is originally from the…

The jockeying for the post-Abbas leadership is taking shape in a moment of political, economic, and internal crisis for the beleaguered Palestinian government.  By Daoud Kuttab It is rare in Palestinian politics that a president follows a prime minister. This is what happened this week, when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas echoed the words of his prime minister, Mohammad Shtayyeh, who in an interview with the New York Times last week warned of a “hot summer.” [tmwinpost] Abbas, who has been single-handedly opposed to any changes in security coordination with Israel, all of a sudden joined Shtayyeh's chorus line, predicting “a difficult July and…

Yafa Cultural Center is one of the few places left for Palestinian children from Balata refugee camp to cope with the violence they witness on a daily basis. With funding running low, the center is at risk of closing. When the door opens, I am surprised to see a six or seven-year-old boy on the other side. “Can I sign up for karate classes, uncle?” “Yes, come on Saturday, there will be an instructor,” answers Ibrahim Jammal. The boy asks if he needs to bring anything. “As always, habibi, you don’t need to bring a thing.” Although he tries to appear…

Abbas' decision to dissolve the parliament and hold elections within half a year is an attempt to present a friendlier, more democratic face to Palestinians in the West Bank, many of whom lost faith in their leader long ago. By Menachem Klein Mahmoud Abbas’ decision last week to dissolve the Palestinian parliament and hold elections within half a year are meant to give the Palestinian president a veneer of democracy and the rule of law. Abbas’ decision appears to be a response to a ruling handed down by the Palestinian Constitutional Court, yet it is clear to all that the decision to dissolve the Palestinian Legislative…

Netanyahu understands that keeping Hamas in power comes at a heavy political price. But as long as it thwarts the possibility of a Palestinian state, it’s worth it for him. By Meron Rapoport Weak. Giving into to terror. Those were the words Avigdor Liberman used to describe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his press conference on Wednesday announcing his resignation as defense minister. The severe remarks came a day after Netanyahu agreed to a ceasefire with Hamas, following the most violent flare-up on the Gaza border since the 2014 Gaza war. [tmwinpost] Liberman’s resignation, first and foremost, stems from political…

A new report by Human Rights Watch documents dozens of cases whereby the Palestinian authorities in both the West Bank and Gaza use arbitrary arrest and torture to repress critics. A new Human Rights Watch (HRW) investigation published Tuesday draws on 86 cases of arbitrary arrest, abuse, and torture by Fatah and Hamas authorities in the West Bank and Gaza to call for an International Criminal Court probe, as well as a suspension of aid to Palestinian security forces. According to the report, acts of repression by the two Palestinian authorities against Palestinians engaged in peaceful speech and nonviolent protest “may amount to…

Dr. Khalil Shikaki, director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research and one of the most well-respected Palestinian analysts, talks about the strategy of the Gaza return march and what to expect in the coming weeks.  By Meron Rapoport Gaza’s “Great Return March” has the potential to change the Palestinians' strategy. If Hamas can ensure that the protests remain nonviolent and bring 100,000 people to the border to demand freedom and an end to the siege, it will be a nightmare for Israel — and a serious challenge to the status quo. [tmwinpost] This is what Dr. Khalil Shikaki, director…

Trump's Jerusalem declaration provides those who believe in one democratic state across Israel-Palestine a golden opportunity. Now is our chance to promote a vision of peace that could save the future generations from endless bloodshed. By Awad Abdelfattah In declaring Jerusalem the official capital of Israel last month, President Trump dealt a knock-out blow to the illusion of the two-state paradigm, and to the lie of the United States as an honest broker. But Trump’s declaration has also offered new opportunities, providing those who advocate for a democratic, one-state solution in Israel-Palestine the political moment to regroup, unite, and engage in an…

It is also hard to see the Palestinian president agreeing to participate in negotiations headed by an American president who humiliated him so. By Elhanan Miller In the zero-sum game of Palestinian politics, every attack on Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority is interpreted as aiding his ideological rivals in Hamas. Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and his announcement that the U.S. embassy will move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, along with other recent steps taken by the American government, thus weakened Mahmoud Abbas’s “diplomacy only” approach and increased the likelihood of a new outbreak of violence.…

The current Palestinian reconciliation agreement looks like it could actually hold, largely due to regional and internal changes over the past few years. What does this bode for the peace process? A former minister in the Palestinian government explains. By Ashraf al-Ajrami This is not the first time the two large Palestinian political movements, Fatah and Hamas, have come to a reconciliation agreement. There is a great deal of skepticism about whether it will succeed, particularly following the failure of previous reconciliation agreements. However, many feel that this time the two parties are serious, and success is possible. [tmwinpost] This is based…

With Russian involvement, American support, and Israel's tacit agreement, the Palestinians are taking active steps toward national reconciliation. By Menachem Klein While all eyes were on the horrific massacre in Las Vegas on Monday, an interesting development took place in the Gaza, whose magnitude goes beyond reconciliation between the rival Fatah and Hamas factions. [tmwinpost] As opposed to previous attempts at national reconciliation, this time the Russians are involved. A Russian representative is taking part in reconciliation talks in Gaza. Not long ago, a Hamas delegation visited Moscow, and it is likely that what we are currently seeing was spoken about in Russia's…

Fatah-affiliated security forces arrest five journalists in the West Bank; Hamas forces are holding at least one journalist in Gaza. Palestinian rights groups demand both parties keep journalists out of their political rivalry. Palestinian Authority security services arrested five Palestinian journalists in the West Bank Tuesday night in what appears to be a worrying manifestation of escalating tensions between Fatah and Hamas. [tmwinpost] Fatah-aligned PA security forces accused the five journalists of “leaking sensitive information to hostile parties,” presumably Hamas, according to a report on the official Palestinian Authority news agency WAFA Wednesday. Several of the arrested journalists work for…

A new leaked document reveals a new plan to solve the crisis in Gaza: appointing Mohammad Dahlan, once responsible for crushing Hamas and now Mahmoud Abbas' greatest threat, to run the besieged Strip. By Elhanan Miller In the beginning of June, former Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan met with representatives of the Egyptian government and leaders of Hamas in Cairo. The details of the mysterious meeting became clear this week, after a leaked document revealed understandings reached by both sides. According to the document, Dahlan — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' arch nemesis — would be appointed to the prime minister of…