Thirteen years ago, the Vienna-based International Press Institute held a regional conference in Amman to deal with press freedom issues in the Arab region.

At the time, I was invited to speak at the conference about my work: using the Internet to fight censorship. I was...

Whether the Jordanian government likes it or not, the Jordanian-Palestinian agreement and the mood of the people regarding Jerusalem require it to take a new look at the situation in the holy city.

Forty-six years ago Israel occupied Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank. Since then...

One of the hardest decisions that a political leader has to take is when to engage in negotiations and when to refrain. This has been the dilemma facing Palestinian leaders for decades. At times they are blamed for refusing to engage and at other times their engagement has given the...

Palestinian residents of Jerusalem have been frustrated for years as they are caught between Israel's unilateral decision to annex East Jerusalem and the inability of the Ramallah-based Palestinian leadership to help them.

Positive homegrown leadership in Jerusalem has not found a way forward due in part to the...

After months of consultations a new/old government has finally received the vote of confidence.

The 82 for, 66 against vote from Parliament gives Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour's second government the confidence to carry out its program, which includes removing subsidies on electricity tariffs and dealing with the explosive...

Israel may say that it wants peace, but the reality has become clear. Once U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry left the region, Israel felt protected by the charm handed to it for free by Obama and subsequently ignored his advice on how to...

This week, hundreds of Palestinians attempting to return home using the only crossing point allowed to them, the King Hussein Bridge, found themselves stuck for hours and hours at the bridge.

It appears that Israeli bridge officials were not ready to accept Palestinians, which included many umra pilgrims.

On Sunday...

The agreement signed between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and King Abdullah regarding Jerusalem came at a highly sensitive time.

Jerusalem's holy places, and especially Al Aqsa Mosque, have been under an escalating threat from radical forces, some of whom are now senior members of the Knesset...

The issue of Jerusalem has always been a hot topic at Arab summits. If there were a Guinness Book record for the number of times the city of Jerusalem was mentioned at these meetings -- not of the actual support, however -- this would probably be a winner.

The Arab...

The visit of U.S. President Barack Obama to the Middle East has elevated interest in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict at a time when other regional issues have taken over regional and world interest and should be welcomed.

Having the presidential office interested in this conflict needs a totally different approach to...

One of the most important decisions regarding the future of Jordan is being taken with most of the country in total darkness.

The Washington Post reported last week that within the next month, the Jordanian government will decide which of two consortiums will be building Jordan's and the...

Maghdis was living in the U.S. when the Gaddafi regime fell in Libya. A linguist by profession, Maghdis had established an NGO to help his community of Imazighen. Muammar Gaddafi had banned his people from using their language. With Gaddafi gone, Maghdis decided to return to the white...

Why can't Palestinians travel between West Bank and Gaza?

The question should be asked now as everyone is preparing for U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to the region.

During a visit to Gaza, I was surprised by the number of Palestinians I met who were in their '20s and '30s,...

February 13 has been declared World Radio Day by UNESCO. In addition to traditional public statements and protocol activities, there are some concrete things that can be done to help make the world a better place to live in with the help of radio.

Radio is a fabulous...

If the agreed timetable for Palestinian reconciliation is adhered to, we are promised to witness the reemergence of the Palestine Liberation Organization as the embodiment of the aspirations of Palestinians.

The new PLO, in which Hamas and other Islamic movements are to participate as well, will...

"The people have spoken, the voters have decided and I bow to the will of citizens and accept the election result."

This sentence or a variation of it is often delivered to the press by candidates who lose elections, often after having made a congratulatory phone call to the winning...

Even before a single vote was counted and results announced, it was clear who were the main winners and losers. And for the most part, they were not the candidates.

The biggest winner in the Jordanian legislative elections was the state. It bargained on the public and the international community...

Israeli security officials have been unable to clearly identify what is happening in the occupied state of Palestine, as the lack of a credible peace process leaves a big vacuum.

Early in January, Colonel Yaniv Alaluf told soldiers the third Intifada has already begun. His statement, which was...

The decision by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to go to the UN to seek statehood recognition has become a defining element in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

After nearly 20 years of time wasted in useless negotiations, the Palestinian leader has finally decided, in a measured way, to buck the system and...

After months of discussions and debates, the parliamentary election season in Jordan is finally upon us, and it exposes numerous flaws and weaknesses.

Jordanians spent the better part of 2012 arguing about the best elections law for the country. In the aftermath of the Jordanian Arab Spring, many wanted an...