By Ghassan Khatib There has always been a very strong correlation between internal Palestinian issues and Palestinian-Israeli relations. This is true because Israel is a key player in all aspects of Palestinian life. Israel’s troops are on the ground in the West Bank, and occupy the Gaza Strip by air and sea. But Israel’s occupation was …

By Ghassan Khatib The two main Middle East-related events of 2011 appear to be continuing into the new year. One is the complete stagnation of the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, and the other is the roiling wave of Arab revolutions and uprisings, which also carry weighty implications for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In spite of the renewal of …

By Ghassan Khatib The Palestinian Authority has been plagued this year by various financial troubles that are affecting, in turn, its ability to fulfill some of its financial obligations. The most recent source of these problems has been a decline in PA revenues. The Palestinian budget is usually composed of two sources of income. One is …

By Ghassan Khatib One of the motives behind the Palestinian appeal to the United Nations is to gradually escape the United States’ monopoly over mediation in the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis, seeking instead an even-handed mediation that is sensitive to the position of the international community, international law and the agreed-upon peace process terms …

By Ghassan Khatib Perhaps surprisingly to some, the exchange of prisoners negotiated between Israel and Hamas, with Egypt’s mediation, might not have any impact at all on the peace process. This deal was most remarkable in its overwhelmingly positive reception by the Israeli and Palestinian publics. Israelis were a little bit cautious but mostly supportive. Palestinians, …

By Ghassan Khatib This past week witnessed the culmination of the Palestinian political move to the United Nations. We have seen key speeches by US President Barack Obama, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, in addition to the submission of the Palestinian application for state membership to the United Nations and, finally, …

By Ghassan Khatib There is no doubt that the dramatic and revolutionary changes that are underway in Egypt will have an impact on the way Egypt handles its relationship with neighboring Gaza and Israel. However, real and far-reaching change will have to wait until things settle down; transformations are still underway and are expected to take …

By Ghassan Khatib Ten years after Israel started building a Wall in the occupied West Bank, the project has not proven Israeli arguments in its defense, but rather illustrated the Palestinian view that this is one more component of illegal Israeli settlement expansion. Israel, for the most part, said that the Wall was needed for its …

By Ghassan Khatib Palestinian politicians and analysts were divided in their understanding and evaluation of last week’s Quartet failure to agree on a statement promoting the resumption of a Palestinian-Israeli political process. Some Palestinians expressed disappointment and frustration because disagreements within the Quartet that prevented consensus indicate that the international community is not going to be …

By Ghassan Khatib The content of the article “Buying into Palestinian statehood” by a group of prominent Israelis represents a new, mature and responsible level of debate between Israelis and Palestinians — even when compared to official exchanges between the two sides. Recently, discussion either ignores the substantive aspects of the conflict and escapes to ideology …

By Ghassan Khatib After its last meeting, the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization announced officially its intention to go to the United Nations to seek the help of the international community in ending Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, achieving freedom and independence and enjoying the legitimate rights of self-determination in …

By Ghassan Khatib After its last meeting, the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization announced officially its intention to go to the United Nations to seek the help of the international community in ending Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, achieving freedom and independence and enjoying the legitimate rights of self-determination …

By Ghassan Khatib Several important dates have been observed in recent weeks. In one, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians became refugees when Israel was created, their lives and futures altered in a way that was catastrophic for the Palestinian nation. The second date that recently passed was the occasion of Israel’s occupation of the rest of …

By Ghassan Khatib US President Barack Obama’s long-awaited speech on the “Arab Spring” and the Arab-Israel conflict has created controversy and spurred contradicting reactions in Israel, Palestine and the Arab world. The immediate and most prominent reaction was that of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who objected publicly to Obama’s reference to the borders of 1967 …

By Ghassan Khatib While examining the possible consequences of the reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas, it is important to understand that Hamas is like any other political entity: it includes within its ranks different tendencies. These, in turn, can be developed or stunted, creating moderation or radicalization. The recent history of Hamas has shown that …

By Ghassan Khatib After eight months of no negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, it is useful to clarify that recent experience has demonstrated that the existence of a peace process does not necessarily mean moving towards peace. The peace process that was launched in Madrid in 1991 included declared objectives of reaching a peace settlement between …

By Ghassan Khatib Palestinians look at the approaching September deadline as a very critical and decisive crossroads. It is the end of the one-year time-frame for the bilateral negotiations that started upon the initiative of the United States last September. It is also the end of the two-year plan of the Palestinian government for achieving national …

By Ghassan Khatib The horrible murder that took place in the Israeli settlement of Itamar in the West Bank and the killing of a family, including three Israeli children, by an unknown assailant was condemned in the strongest possible language by many Palestinian officials, opposition and opinion leaders and journalists. The exploitation of the deaths of …

By Ghassan Khatib Fourteen days into the massive public protests against Egypt’s regime, it is still too early to deeply analyze the situation. Let us instead touch on some of the questions and problems that the revolution — as they call it in Egypt — is creating and trying to overcome. First, for many of us, …

By Ghassan Khatib The prospect of posing a referendum in the respective societies on any agreement reached between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators is not a new idea. Periodically it has surfaced in the political landscape, arising for different and sometimes contradictory reasons. Because any final agreement between Palestinians and Israelis will involve a major compromise …

By Ghassan Khatib Palestinians attach great importance to the recent series of Latin American states that have recognized an independent Palestine on the 1967 borders. Although Israel is downplaying this phenomenon, Palestinians look at it as part of general change in the attitude towards the Palestinian-Israeli conflict of many prominent members of the international community. While …

By Ghassan Khatib The recent shift in the American approach for running the peace process left the Palestinians with different and sometimes contradicting reactions. Initially, the Palestinians were very worried after news leaked about possible American-Israeli negotiations over a deal that would involve American incentives to convince Israel to freeze settlement activities for two or three …