Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Oraib Al-Rantawi
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What Netanyahu is saying is this…
A few days before the formation of his sixth government, Benjamin Netanyahu has defined his ceilings for the solution to the Palestinian issue: self-rule for the Palestinians and security and sovereignty for the Israelis. He did not mention Jerusalem, which has already been declared to be Israel’s “united eternal...
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Israel looks to change from a right-wing government to another, perhaps even more, right-wing government
At the time of writing, there is still uncertainty about a new government being formed in Israel. Current and perhaps soon-to-be former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is panicking. The Biden administration has told the Israeli defence minister to make sure that he doesn’t launch missile strikes against Iran’s nuclear...
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Is there a way out of the Palestinian election impasse?
It is evident that no one bought the official Palestinian narrative about postponing the legislative election scheduled for later this month, with the exception of the Fatah nucleus close to the leadership and affiliated therewith. There are currents in Fatah which are angry and are rebelling against the decision;...
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Strategic patience trumps maximum pressure
The Israeli security and military delegations flocking to Washington in the past few weeks have returned disappointed following their failed efforts to dissuade the Biden administration from returning to the Vienna Agreement with Iran and lifting the imposed sanctions. Israeli security and military believe that Washington is determined to...
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The possibility of the Palestinian election being postponed is growing
The possibility that the Palestinian legislative election scheduled for next month maybe postponed is dominating the news about the internal debates. The chances of such a scenario increase daily with suggestions that the “deciding moment” may be upon us within a week or ten days at the latest. It...
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Jerusalem and Sheikh Jarrah on Land Day
As an event, Land Day has been and gone. However, as one of Palestine and its people, and as a symbol of existence loaded with significance and lessons to be learned, Land Day will remain present in the minds and hearts as long as Palestinian land is still under...
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New winds are blowing in Turkey and the Arab world
New “peace-making” winds are blowing on Arab-Turkish relations and helping to ease the tension in the search for common ground. Flattering messages are being exchanged between Ankara, Cairo, and Riyadh, and similar messages will inevitably follow from other Arab capitals if things go well. It seems that the various...
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Spiteful voting: The 2021 version
The 2006 Palestinian legislative elections witnessed the phenomenon of spiteful voting, where those angry with Fatah and its ruling, and those who were disgruntled with the corruption of the Palestinian Authority (PA), cast their votes in favour of Hamas. Even ballot boxes, placed in mainly Fatah locations, contained votes...
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What is better for Fatah, a united or two separate electoral lists?
On the eve of the legislative elections, the internal Palestinian situation resembles moving sand dunes; as soon as one of them settles, it is blown by the winds of speculation, changed and transported from one place to another. It seems that we must wait a few more weeks, perhaps...
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Fatah’s own divisions overshadow the rift with Hamas
Fatah’s internal divisions are overshadowing and diverting attention away from the rift with Hamas. News, leaks and analyses address the Fatah divisions, while the Fatah-Hamas split receives less attention. The latter seems to have been put on hold under the guise of a “truce”, “management” and “containment”, but not...
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Washington and Tehran: Who will make the first move?
From the outside, the heated debate between Tehran and Washington seems as though it could be summarised by the question: Which side will make the first move? Tehran wants Washington, which was responsible for violating its obligations and inflicting heavy losses on Iran, to start by lifting all additional...
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Syria and Israel: Between Biden and Putin
Israel has been talking about Syrian messages, indicating Damascus’s desire to normalise relations with it. Meanwhile, Syrian sources from Ankara spoke about a meeting sponsored by Moscow at Khmeimim Air Base, between Ali Mamlouk with Gadi Eisenkot. Damascus denied news of the meeting, reaffirmed that the Golan Heights is...
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The ‘Munich Quartet’ should continue to remind them; it may help some
The fourth meeting of the “Munich Quartet” — Germany, Jordan, Egypt and France — ended in Cairo this week. It was mainly concerned with the Palestinian issue. The fifth meeting is expected to take place in Paris, after the bitter transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden...
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Third parties and heightened tension between Washington and Tehran
Just one drop will be enough for the cup of tension between the US and Iran in Iraq and the Gulf to overflow. Everyone’s fingers are on the trigger as each side accuses the other of preparing to launch a pre-emptive strike; any sense of trust is completely gone....
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Elections or a referendum?
We have witnessed increased speculation that the Palestinian elections (mainly for the legislative council) are likely to take place within the next few months. With this speculation we are witnessing increased rumours and calls for the need for the two main factions, Fatah and Hamas, to run with a...
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While war in the eastern Mediterranean is unlikely, a limited engagement may be necessary
Neither Turkey nor Greece wants to slide into a comprehensive conflict with the other in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey has been pushing the confrontation to the edge of the cliff for the past ten years, but is keen to avoid slipping off the edge. Whenever it is about to...
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Ten weeks away from the ‘bazaar’
We are only ten weeks away from one of the most dangerous and important American presidential elections. The capitals are undoubtedly waiting to see the “white smoke” rising from the ballot boxes, each with their own preferences. Tehran, who has been burned the most by the fires of “major...
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Tunisia is in the middle of a hot regional conflict
Tunisians are preparing to welcome the tenth prime minister of their second republic. The average length of post-revolution governments in Tunisia is no more than the historical average of Jordanian governments during the first hundred years of the state. Tunisia is competing with Jordan to top the list of...
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One phone call, two versions of the discussion
Yesterday, Palestine’s Wafa news agency and Turkey’s Anadolu published two separate articles about the phone call between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In the Palestinian coverage of the call, neither the Hagia Sophia nor the decision to turn it back into a mosque...
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Are annexation and the deal of the century really behind us now?
Public opinion polls in Israel and the US no longer carry good news for either Trump or Netanyahu. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, both men thought that they were in the lead, and both prepared for an additional term. Netanyahu started his fifth term, albeit burdened with the conditions...
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Iraq: Is Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi facing the same fate as Lebanon’s Rafic Hariri?
Political and media circles in Iraq and beyond have been disturbed by the vile attack that claimed the life of Hisham Al-Hashimi, a researcher into terrorist groups and armed “Islamic” movements. The concern arises not only because it was an attack on a fellow citizen and the assassination of...
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Israel negotiates with itself to swap Palestinian land for some other Palestinian land
What are the “doves” in Israel’s ruling right-wing coalition proposing to the Palestinians? An offer from Benny Gantz and Gabi Ashkenazi of the Blue and White party has been leaked by the Israeli media. They are apparently on the verge of suggesting a swap of some large settlement blocs...
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Israel should be worried about the global uprising against racism
Israel should be worried as it watches the global uprising against racism and racial discrimination. It should fear for its future as it sees symbols of slavery, racism and ethnic cleansing fall in the United States and Europe. It should be taking serious notice of the popular revolution against...
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Is the PA exchanging security coordination for civil coordination with Israel?
The presenter on Palestine’s Ajyal Radio asked me: “What are Israel’s options for dealing with the President Mahmoud Abbas’ convoy? Will it be intercepted when it heads for Jordan or will it move between the Palestinian cities?” It seems that the presenter’s question was based on the Israeli reports of a...