Time is one of the most crucial elements of effective diplomacy. A diplomatic act can have disastrous consequences if executed at the wrong time, but can be successful if the timing is correct. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al Malki was quoted Tuesday as saying Palestinian

Politicians holding down the floodgates against a public display of support for the state of Palestine were embarrassed in recent weeks. As soon as these political gatekeepers allowed their rank and file to express their positions, tremendous backing came for Palestine and its p

In 1977, the UN General Assembly declared November 29 the international day for solidarity with Palestine. Last year, the UN secretary general added to this, declaring 2014 the international year for solidarity with Palestine. As we approach one day and almost the end of the ye

It is not clear whether Israeli prime minister’s portrayal of the latest violence as the battle of Jerusalem was a description of what was happening or an electoral wish.

In the spring of 1994 I had the privilege of having an exclusive interview with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The chairman of the Plestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) was still in Tunis at the time and the interview was arranged for me by three local West Bank leaders I kn

For a few days last week Gaza Strip turned into a large prison. Ever since October 24, the Rafah crossing point has been closed by the Egyptians following the huge attack on the army in north Sinai. Israel has also closed all its crossings with Gaza on November 2, allegedly fol

For years, governing powers in the Middle East have worked hard at decimating the leadership structure of any opposing group.

“My homeland is not a suitcase and I am not a traveller,” wrote Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish. But for many Palestinians living in the besieged homeland, the right to movement guaranteed in the University Declaration of Human Rights (Article 13) is just ink on pap

After the collapse of the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, in April, the July war on Gaza, the August drowning of hundreds trying to emigrate to Europe and the September war of words between their two major factions, Palestinians welcomed this week a series of unexpectedly good n