Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations

Articles

Article>> A Peace Plan Within Our Grasp

By: Hosni Mubarak ... IT’S been 10 long years since the Palestinians and Israelis last came close to establishing a permanent peace, in January 2001 at Taba in Egypt. During my career in the Egyptian Air Force, I saw the tragic toll of war between the Arabs and Israel. As president of Egypt, I have endured many ups and downs in the...

Al-Zaytouna || Article The Palestinian Resistance between Heightening of the Consciousness and Burning into the Consciousness

By: Dr. Mohsen Saleh ... An old story says that a woman used to complain much to her husband about living with her children in one room which was too narrow for them and for their needs. As the husband lacked money and did not have the means to improve the situation of his family, he decided to teach his disturbing wife a lesson. One day, he...

Article>> An immodest – and dangerous – proposal

By:Henry Siegman ...Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's foreign minister, recently startled his fellow cabinet ministers - and Middle East analysts everywhere - with a proposal that Israel end its status as an occupying power in the Gaza Strip and allow Hamas to establish an independent Palestinian state in that enclave. Most everyone dismissed...

Al-Zaytouna || Article Fadlallah's perspective on the Palestinian Issue

By Dr. Mohsen Moh'd Saleh... The past few months have provided an opportunity to review the ideology of the late scholar Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, who died recently in Lebanon, and his vision of the Palestinian situation. There is no doubt that Grand Ayatollah Fadlallah was one of the greatest Shiite authorities in the world. His personality was...

Analysis || Dr. Mohsen SalehTen Israeli Negotiating Strategies

Israel has a negotiating strategy that is designed to prolong the negotiations allowing more time for the construction of facts on the ground, putting it in a position to impose its will on "final status" talks. In fact, the strategy can be broken down into ten distinct strategies, summarised thus: ...

Al-Zaytouna || ArticleFatah: The First Bullet… The First Settlement

By Dr. Mohsen Moh'd Saleh... Fatah had succeeded for decades in representing to a large extent the sector of non-ideological Palestinians (i.e. non-leftists, -nationalists, or -islamists), giving priority to the national Palestinian affairs over other affairs. Thus, it maintained the large popular support it enjoyed among the Palestinians in...

Article>> The Palestinian Security Bodies' Crisis in the West Bank

The crisis about the formation and role of the Palestinian Security bodies in West Bank and its implications have surfaced back into focus after the Qalqilya events, when six fighters from Hamas and five members of the Palestinian police were killed in violent clashes between the two parties. An essential reform of the Palestinian security...

Book Review American Foreign Policy and the Muslim World

‘American Foreign Policy & the Muslim World’ is a compilation of academic essays and articles aimed at ‘dispel [ling] naïve ideas and misconceptions…about US foreign policy’. The editors were hoping that in compiling this edition, it would equip students within the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia with more understanding and knowledge of...

Article>>Fatah Sixth Convention and the Elements of Disruption and Delay

During the past year (2008) and at the present, so much talk was raised with respect to the convening of Fatah movement’s sixth general organizational convention. The movement had held its first three general conventions in 1967, 1968, and 1971, respectively. Fatah movement also held its fourth general convention in 1980 and its fifth general...

Article>>The PLO: Palestinian Liberation Organization, and not the Palestinian Settlement Organization

Those who are shedding tears on the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) should first release their tight grip off it, before asking the Palestinians to believe them. They have to stop talking on behalf of the PLO, against its will and against the Palestinians' will! Those who hold the reins of the PLO have to respect the minds of the...

Article>>Egypt and Hamas (2/2): The Movement is a Strategic Asset, Not a Burden

Is it possible that Egypt deals with Hamas as a strategic asset that serves its top interests and national security; and not as a source of trouble and embarrassment and a burden that it wishes to get rid of?

Article>>Egypt and Hamas (1/2): The Nature and Development of their Relation

Due to a number of communalities - Arabism, Islamism, language, history and geographical proximity, Egypt and Palestine are bound to have relations with each other. Egypt knows very well that its national security partly depends on the security of its eastern front - Palestine. Due to its potential human, economic and leadership...

ArticleThe Invaded Palestinian Legitimacy

Historically, the legitimate representation of the Palestinian people was partial, suspended or invaded. In most cases it could not - and was not allowed - to express itself in a democratic manner. Moreover, it was not permitted to take a legitimate path because of the occupation, massive Palestinian Diaspora and / or the policies and behavior of...

Article>>The Experience of the Hamas-Fatah Dialogue: What is the Problem?

The people who have followed the eighteen years of dialogue between Fatah and Hamas might have became discouraged or frustrated, since the two movements haven’t, till now, been able to reach a national “treaty” or “agreement” that forms a binding reference. They also haven’t been able to establish work mechanisms that hey both would respect and...

Article>>The Zionist Project Crisis

More than half a century ago, specifically in the year 1956, one of the most important figures in the Zionist Movement, and a key role player in the establishment of “Israel”, as well as its first prime minister; Ben-Gurion told Nahum Goldman; president of the World Zionist Organization (1956-1968): “The Jewish state will survive for the next ten...

Article>>Reading into the Israeli Demographic Dilemma

The Israeli entity is celebrating its 59th establishment anniversary, whereas the Palestinians are commemorating the same anniversary with sadness, pain, and hopes of freedom and return. The Zionist project was built on the idea of the immigration of Jews from around the world to Palestine and the displacement of the Palestinians and seizing...

ArticleThe Lost Settlement Course

With Sharon adopting the idea of unilateral disengagement and the withdrawal of Israel from the Gaza Strip, the Israeli convictions in the need of stepping over the Roadmap project and clearly preferring moving on to unilateral solutions more decisively. This thought is no longer exclusive to the Kadima party, which was established by Sharon....

Article>>The Crisis of Hamas and the Crisis of Fatah

Speaking about the crises Hamas or Fatah is facing should be always put in its proper context. It is unfair to keep ourselves engaged in accusing either, since both of them contributed much to the Palestinian Issue and Nation. The core of the crisis is the Israeli Occupation and its practices of killing, destroying, imprisoning, besieging,...