Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Hani Al-Masri
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Holding and taking part in elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip is a duty
Hamas, the other Palestinian factions, civil society, public figures and writers who oppose the idea of having partial local elections are right to do so, because such polls seek to evade a comprehensive approach. They would also break the law, which requires elections for all municipal and village councils...
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Why did Hamas change its position on the Palestinian elections?
Ismail Haniyeh’s message to President Mahmoud Abbas included Hamas’s agreement to hold legislative, presidential and Palestinian National Council elections, respectively, within six months of the issuance of the election decree or decrees. So why did Hamas change its position and agree to successive elections, and does this change pave...
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The Palestinian Authority must change if it is not to collapse
The Israeli cabinet has decided to deduct the stipends paid to Palestinian prisoners and the families of martyrs from the tax revenues collected by the occupation government on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. These payments amount to more than half a billion shekels a year, which is roughly $138...
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Why did the Hamas bloc win in Birzeit?
Despite Hamas suffering from arrests and threats from the occupation authorities and the PA, the suffocating crisis it has been living under after the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood in the region, and the intensification of the siege on Gaza, the Al-Wafa Bloc, affiliated with Hamas, won the elections...
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The farcical ‘organisation’ of settlement colonialism
The American-Israeli meetings have resulted in agreeing on understandings regarding “controlling” settlements, but instead resulted in further settlement expansion. This was manifested by the farce reflected by the recent decisions, including the establishment of a new settlement colony in the heart of the West Bank, the approval of tenders...
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Reading Mahmoud Abbas’ mind
Given my position as director general of the Palestinian Media, Research and Studies Centre, Badael, for over 10 years, between 2005 and 2011, and my current position as Director General of Masarat, the Palestinian Centre for Policy Research and Strategic Studies since 2011, along with the experience I gained...
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How did moving the embassy become the lesser of two evils?
There have been developments regarding moving the embassy, as there has been a trade-off between the Israeli government and American administration involving postponing the move of the embassy in exchange for the White House giving Israel the green light to execute its largest colonial settlement attack. This began with...
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Where is Fatah heading: Liberation or authoritarian movement?
A week from now, on the 29th of this month, Fatah is set to hold its seventh conference, however there are still discussions underway as to whether or not it will be held or postponed. The only thing that will prevent the conference from being held on the scheduled...
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Should Abbas’ term be extended or is a change needed?
I won’t be exaggerating when I say that the upcoming months are going to be critical in deciding the fate of the entire Palestinian political system, which was established after the signing of the Oslo agreement. These months can pave the way for a bright future or a dark...
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Fatah unity: why and how?
In the coming days, Fatah will be holding a series of meetings of the Central Committee and the Revolutionary and Advisory Councils to discuss the current situation following what is known as the Arab Quartet Committee’s plan, which included a call for Fatah unity by means of restoring those...
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Is there a chance Sisi’s initiative will succeed?
Suddenly, with no prior notice, the Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi proposed an initiative to achieve a true Palestinian reconciliation, in preparation for achieving a Palestinian-Israel peace agreement. This agreement aims to open the door to make deep changes in the region and turning the cold Egyptian-Israeli peace into...
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Lessons on the anniversary of the Nakba
On the anniversary of the 1948 Nakba, I think it is appropriate to share what I consider some lessons to be learned from the Palestinian experience since the establishment of Israel on the land of historic Palestine. For a start, it is a lie to say that the Palestinian and...
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Reviving the Greater Israel scheme
Israel’s Maariv newspaper has revealed that the government of the Zionist state is planning to drop a political bombshell in the coming weeks by presenting a bill in the Knesset (parliament) calling for the annexation of land occupied since 1967. It is likely to have the support of the...