Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Oraib Al-Rantawi
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Gaza has a date with bullets and smoke
Israel is, once again, beating the war drums against Gaza. This time it is on the grounds of the missiles from Sinai that hit Israel, which it claims came from Gaza (or rather its launchers). However, it knows with certainty that Hamas, or any other known Palestinian group, have nothing…
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Diplomacy on the firing lines
In a comprehensive strategic sense, Jordan has a number of interests that need to be taken into account as Syria engages in an open civil-sectarian war; first of which is the unity of the Syrian state, society, and land. Otherwise, Jordan will not be isolated from the repercussions of the…
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Jordan’s monarch on reform and violence
King Abdullah has chosen to speak about two of the most important “domestic challenges” faced by Jordan today: the future of the political reform process and democratic transformation, and the disorder and chaos experienced in some of the Kingdom’s regions and universities. The king reminded us of positions he had…
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Shamir 1991; Netanyahu 2013; history repeats itself
Unlike the Palestinians, Netanyahu’s government does not depend on negotiations. The importance of the negotiations goes beyond tables and press conferences. It is more important for Israel to be praised in the process and to negotiate for negotiation’s sake, nothing more, nothing less. This issue does not concern Netanyahu or…
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What peace are they talking about?
The construction of 1,200 housing units in the occupied West Bank does not threaten the peace process, although Israel finds it difficult to accept the “unfair accusations” that activities of the sort are “expansive” and “aggressive”. The “Arab idol” winner Mohammad Assaf sang about a “flying bird” and threatens the…
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Negotiations… What if?
Most of the readings of and predictions for the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations anticipate that the two sides will reach a dead end. These predictions are largely based on pessimistic statements made by officials on both sides, as well as on the trends in Israeli public opinion. However, this pessimistic outlook has…
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Kerry’s Jordanian approach
Some sources have mentioned US Secretary of State John Kerry’s new approach to his peace-making task, noting that Jordan plays a vital role in solving the “complications” of the Jordan Valley. America and Israel have symbolic roles. I do not know if this formula was proposed officially by the Americans…