Tag: Khaled Abu Toameh

It remains to be seen whether the new access to the job market is permanent or merely intended to cover the urgent need of the medical sector in Lebanon.

The visit follows a promise at the UN by Mahmoud Abbas to hold parliamentary elections in PA areas of Judea and Samaria, Gaza "and in eastern Jerusalem."

Israel wouldn't allow Ismail Haniyeh's sisters -- who live in Israel -- to travel to Gaza to see his brother, who died last week.

Hamas believes Fatah is hoping Gaza will remain embattled in order to avoid its negotiating its own independent peace terms with Israel.

If a deal is reached with other regional Arab leaders without his participation, Abbas will undoubtedly whine that a "solution" was imposed on his people.

It's Ramadan, and the PA wants everyone Sharia compliant.

The decision was made following warnings by Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.

11 have been wounded in a clash between the Abbas PLO forces and Mohammed Dahlan supporters in Gaza.

Worst Celebrations of Special Days: AFP, which dedicated its International Women’s Day coverage to the hardships of Arab women whose husbands are held in Israeli jails.

The children were protesting against power cuts in Yamoun, Jenin.

AP banned its reporters from quoting pro-Israel Professor Gerald Steinberg and his NGO-Monitor regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict.

ADL reports big jump in anti-Israel campus activity, other experts say it's far greater than the report states.

Khaled abu Toameh, who for years has been the leading journalist reporting accurately on the Palestinian Authority, its many divisions and opponents, as well...

U.S. and similar EU efforts to retain Fayyad have instead worked to discredit him in the eyes of many Arab Palestinians.

Facebook allows Hamas leaders and other known terrorists to maintain pages.

Looking ahead, there's more than a little reason to take a sober view of the future.

In March last year, thousands of Palestinians, inspired by the "Arab Spring," launched their own protests in the West Bank to demand reforms, democracy, and regime change. But the Palestinian revolt was short-lived. Abbas's security forces, backed by Fatah thugs, attacked the young men and women who were protesting in the center of Ramallah, torching their tents and beating them with clubs and rifle butts.

Like many Arab countries, Lebanon has always been treating Palestinians as third-class citizens. Nearly half a million Palestinians live in Lebanon's 12 camps. Though born and raised in the country, they are denied political, economic and social rights.

In the short term, the Palestinian Authority may succeed in restoring law and order to areas under its control in the West Bank. But in the long term, its current clampdown will increase bitterness and frustration among a large number of Fatah gunmen and security officers who feel betrayed by Abbas.

Any land that is handed over to the Palestinian Authority would end up in the hands of Hamas.

The Middle East is becoming quieter. No, the swords are not turning into plowshares, it’s not that kind of quiet. Instead, it is the sound of truth that’s slowly being silenced. And it’s happening not only because the PA grows stronger, but also because the West grows weaker.

The Palestinians have been radicalized to a point where it is almost impossible to talk about peace and coexistence with Israel. For Palestinians, the true heroes are suicide bombers who blew themselves up in cafes and buses, killing innocent civilians. Peace activists, human rights advocates, moderates, journalists and reformers have almost no say and are often denounced as "traitors" and a "fifth column."

Today, most of the anti-regime demonstrations throughout the kingdom are being initiated and led by Muslim Brotherhood supporters whose goal is to turn Jordan into an Islamic republic. Many Arabs feel that President Barack Obama's endorsement of the Muslim Brotherhood has emboldened the Islamists and increased their appetite to drive moderate and secular rulers out of the Arab world.

In many ways, the status quo seems convenient for Fatah and Hamas. Fatah has a mini-state in the West Bank and is benefiting from hundreds of millions of dollars that are poured by international donors on Salam Fayyad's government. Hamas, for its part, is happy that it has exclusive control over the entire Gaza Strip, which has been turned into an independent Islamic emirate.

Try $100 million.

At a time when many Western governments, the World Bank, and various international organizations are continuing to heap praise on the Palestinian Authority for implementing reforms, the deputy speaker of the Palestinian parliament, Hasan Khreishah, announced that financial and administrative corruption was now more widespread than ever.

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate wants Palestinian journalists to serve as soldiers on behalf of the Palestinian cause. Journalists, according to the syndicate, should first and foremost be loyal to their president, prime minister, government, homeland, and cause. As for the truth, it appears at the bottom of the syndicate's list of priorities.

If the Western journalists and donors continue to ignore the reality on the ground, the West Bank could soon fall into the hands of gangsters and armed clans, as has been the case in Jenin -- among the main reasons the Palestinian Authority collapsed in the Gaza Strip in 2007, speeding the rise of Hamas to power.

As far as most Palestinians are concerned, the "friend of my enemy is my enemy." Palestinians hate the US because of its continued support for Israel. The Palestinians want the US to endorse all their demands and force Israel to give them everything. As one of the leaders of a recent anti-US demonstration explained, "The US will remain our enemy for as long as it does not fully support the Palestinians."

Instead of going after top officials suspected of embezzling public funds and abusing their powers, the Palestinian Authority government has chosen to wage an unprecedented clampdown on those who dare to raise their voices in support of transparency and freedom of speech.