Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations

Strategic Assessment

Strategic Assessment # 25 Freedom Flotilla and Breaking the Siege:Implications and Possibilities

It seems that the attempts at breaking the siege on GS, especially in the light of the attack on Freedom Flotilla, have started to embarrass the USA in addition to being a real pressure factor on Israel. This means that the future of the siege would be apparently linked to the pace of aid flotillas attempting at breaking the siege, the nature of...

Strategic Assessment # 24 Indirect Proximity Talks Between Palestinians And Israelis: The Background And Prospects of Success And Failure

Two decades after the Madrid Conference and the launching of the peace process in its current framework, the American sponsor has failed to bring together the Palestinians and the Israelis at one table. Even though the Obama administration announced that a Palestinian state was now in the US national interest, it did not act quickly to provide...

Strategic Assessment # 23 Israel and the Possibilities of War in 2010

The possibility of witnessing a new war in the Middle East region has been recently the subject of increased debate, namely the possibility of Israel launching a war against any -or all- of Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Gaza Strip. Such debates were fuelled by the numerous Israeli statements in this context, and the Israeli line of speech against Iran...

Strategic Assessment # 22The Turkish Regional Role and its Implications on the Palestinian Issue

The arrival of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) to power in Turkey, in 2002, marked the start of a new phase in Turkish foreign policy. This phase is distinct by being more autonomous, open, and multi-dimensional. In addition, Turkey has forted significantly in improving its regional status and relations. It no more focused on being a part...

Strategic Assessment # 21The Future of the Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations in light of Continued Israeli Settlement Activity

The issue of the Israeli settlements is considered one of the core issues in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, especially in light of the heightened settlement activity in the West Bank. This activity deems any future Israeli-Palestinian negotiations regarding the borders of the 'promised' Palestinian state to be effectively devoid of any...

Strategic Assessment # 20The "Steel Wall" with Gaza Strip: Purpose and Implications

It seems that the Egyptian government is determined in its stance towards continuing the construction of the "Steel Wall", regardless of the wide local and international dissent; and regardless of the resulting aggravation of suffering for the approximately 1.5 million Palestinians besieged in Gaza Strip.

Strategic Assessment # 19The Goldstone Report: Prospects and Implications

Despite the existence of numerous international reports that support the Palestinian rights, the Goldstone report garnered special attention as it was issued by an international body that enjoys an official capacity. This allows for the possibility of prosecuting Israel and its leaders in international courts and in a number of Western countries,...

Strategic Assessment # 18 The Palestinian Elections: Possibilities and Inferences

The predicament of the Palestinian elections is that these elections are legally established on the basis of Oslo and the following agreements; for the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) leadership and the Palestinian Authority (PA) in Ramallah, the elections is an opportunity to furnish for their legitimacy and continue with the peaceful...

Strategic Assessment # 17 The Future Prospects of the Palestinian State under the "Two-State Solution"

The two-state solution has been put forward since 1937 and confirmed in November 1947 by the UN resolution No. 181, whereby the "State of Israel" was established, but the international plotting and the Arab attitude prevented the establishment of the "State of Palestine". In spite of Bush adoption of this vision, the...

Strategic Assessment # 16The Future of Jerusalem in light of Judaization Measures

Dreaming about "Orshalim" as the unified capital of the Jewish State, has been an indication of the extent to which the Hebrew state is established in Palestine. Despite the passing of 61 years since the establishment of the Israeli occupation state, the Islamic and Christian monuments still have strong presence in the holy city. n the...

The Security Coordination between the Palestinian Authority and the Occupation and its Effect on the Palestinian Situation

Strategic Assessment # 15The Security Coordination between the Palestinian Authority and the Occupation and its Effect on the Palestinian Situation

The Oslo Agreement restricted the Palestinian Authority’s task to controlling the populations of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and preserving the security of the Israeli entity. Moreover, the Road Map committed the Palestinian Authority to fighting the resistance and destroying its infrastructure, in exchange for a promise of “the possibility...

Strategic Assessment # 14 The Jewish Identity of Israel: Consequences and Implications

The leaders of Israel think that the Jewishness of the state is mainly imposed by the status quo, and the de facto situation on the ground. Despite that the Jewish character of the state -with its racial content, purposely put by the Zionist project- contradicts with the humanitarian values and international laws; there is complicit or tacit...

Strategic Assessment # 13Israel Striking the Iranian Nuclear Program: the Possibilities and Implications

The Israeli leaders are arguing about how to deal with the Iranian nuclear program; some call for preparing a military attack; others admit the incapacity of Israel at the moment to hit the program; while a third group considers that the solution of the Iranian dilemma is not through military. In addition to the many impacts such a strike...

Strategic Assessment # 12The Arab Scene and its Repercussions on the Palestinian Division

The Arab street in general, and the Palestinian in particular, is in a state of expectation of what might be the outcome of the Arab peace initiative launched by the Saudi King Abdullah. It is no secret that the conflicts between the Arab states are largely affected by the policies of the American administration pertaining to the Middle East...

The Future of the Relationship between the Obama Administration and Netanyahu’s Government and the Impacts on the Palestinian Track

Strategic Assessment # 11The Future of the Relationship between the Obama Administration and Netanyahu’s Government and the Impacts on the Palestinian Track

The Obama Administration is trying to establish a more positive and pragmatic image of the United States, without the need to use the stick or create enmities. Occupied with the financial crisis that has hit the American and the global economies and with getting itself out of the Afghani and Iraqi swamps, the American administration knows that...

Strategic Assessment # 10The Political Economy of Gaza Reconstruction Enterprise

Sharm el-Sheikh summit was held under the title "the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip". The conferees departed emphasizing the political terms that require "commitment" from Hamas movement. In light of Hamas' upholding its right to resist occupation, not recognizing "Israel", and not allowing the others to...

Strategic Assessment # 9The Future of the Palestinian Resistance

The latest developments in Palestine and the region in general raise questions about the future of the Palestinian resistance, especially after the latest Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, and in the light of the decrease in the resistance operations in the West Bank. From a careful reading of the interaction of factors that suppress the...

Strategic Assessment # 8The Future of the Political Settlement between Israel and the Palestinian Presidency under Obama’s Administration

As early as during his first day in office, the American President Obama has sought to indicate his concern with finding a solution to the Palestinian issue. His appointment of George Mitchell as a special envoy to the Middle East was a significant indicator in that respect. But Obama's coming to presidency was not possible, had he not voted...

Strategic Assessment # 7Fatah ... The prospects for the Sixth Conference

The Fatah movement’s cadres, rank and file have been anticipating the convention of the movement’s Sixth Conference that has been awaited for about two decades, and much-talked-about in the past five years. If held, the conference would be burdened with organizing the internal files of Fatah, which suffer from corruption, disintegration, being...

The problem of the President Mahmoud Abbas's End of Presidency and its Implications on the Internal Palestinian Situation

Strategic Assessment # 6The problem of the President Mahmoud Abbas's End of Presidency and its Implications on the Internal Palestinian Situation

On January 8, 2009, the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's term in office will come to an end, under complex internal, regional and international circumstances, all affecting the directions of the crisis and the potential solutions. In light of the difficulty in holding presidential elections during the continued separation between the...