The peaceful uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt have inspired many in the Muslim Middle East to think critically about how they might transform their countries into a better place for themselves and their children.

The protests have led some authoritarian regimes to reconsider their ways, and have driven others...

After two decades of failed political moves, the Palestinian Authority represented by its top leadership is hoping to avoid the inevitable: paying a heavy price for corruption of all kinds, alienating the Palestinian people, and failing to negotiate an end to Israel's occupation.

Threatened and undermined by Al-Jazeera's

A wave of popular uprisings in the Middle East is sending a clear message to those in power − and those who aspire to be in power -− in the Arab world. Together with the release of several sets of leaked secret documents, they are making it clear that one...

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced earlier this week that he will consider Israel fully to blame for the collapse of the negotiations that were scheduled to commence yesterday, should it resume construction in the settlements. That statement could be seen as a reiteration of last week's reports by several...

After spending a month in Palestine visiting the government sector, the private sector, and the NGO sector, I am convinced of the following: Palestinian women are the biggest hope left for the future of Palestine.

Among many meetings, I met Mrs. Diala Saadeh, the Vice President of Global Operations...

Can you imagine defending your land and resisting occupation with windmills, solar panels, and recycled car tires? If you live in Palestine, this is not an eco-Utopian dream - it is the reality of a few West Bank communities squeezed by settlements and occupation.

The Israeli occupation uses force and...

I sat down with the Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad at his office in Ramallah for aPalestine Note exclusive interview.

Ramallah - For three years, Salam Fayyad, the Prime Minister in the West Bank Palestinian Authority (PA), has been a focal point for Mideast debate.

In Nathan J. Brown's recent commentary published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Brown accuses Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad of authoritarianism and says his governance has failed to ensure democracy and institution building.

Brown argues that, "what Fayyad has managed to do is to maintain many...

Why would an American youth who grew up in Hollywood, worked there as an assistant director on TV shows, a graduate of Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International studies want to live and work in the West Bank city of Nablus?  

I have been trying to reach my friend J for several days but with no luck. Today I was finally able to reach him. The first words out of his mouth were: "I am sick of this life, this work. It gets dirtier every day. I have been living in...

"If only the Palestinians believed in nonviolence." That is the common refrain regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the US. How many times have we heard, "Oh, if you just practiced nonviolence, you'd have your state in no time." Or, "Look at Gandhi and Martin Luther King. They got what they...

Following the deadly Flotilla attack, several reports were circulated indicating that Israel will succumb to international pressure and lift the Gaza blockade. With so many deal breakers dominating the scene, I don't see this happening anytime soon for the following reasons:

1- The United States and Israel view Gaza's...

Israel's deadly attack on the "Freedom Flotilla" is proof of how Gaza continues to give Israel a taste of its own medicine. Intended to help solve Israel's problems with Hamas, the three-year-old siege of Gaza is developing into a siege of Israel, while it causes tremendous damage to the country's...

I have been in the West Bank for the past two weeks meeting with several members of the Palestinian leadership about the peace process, Palestinian state-building, and the role of the United States in moving both peace and independence forward. My conversations with PA President Mahmoud Abbas, PM Salam Fayyad,...

Hasib Sabbagh, 88, a prominent Palestinian businessman, activist, and philanthropist died Jan. 12.

Hasib Sabbagh's story is the story of Palestine. His death today is a loss for all Palestinians. His world-wide achievements on the business and philanthropic fronts make his words when he used to describe himself as...

Ambassador Maen Areikat is the PLO's Chief of Mission to the United States. He spoke with Palestine Note in an interview with Fadi Elsalameen.

Steve Clemons, Publisher of The Washington Note, and I interviewed J Street Executive Director Jeremy Ben-Ami about a number of issues in the wake of J Street's highly successful

For the past several years Palestinian Prime minister Salam Fayyad's name on the streets of the West Bank and Gaza has become synonymous with the words credibility, honesty, and transparency.

His hard work on building and reforming Palestinian institutions has paid off: Palestinians see him as a serious leader...

Late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat used to tell a story that sums up the Palestinian situation today. The story was about a Palestinian man who moved to India and became a popular god.

One day, the Palestinian man and Arafat met in India and had the following exchange:  

Palestinian...

After many years of deepening suspicion and estrangement, dramatic political developments in both the Middle East and the United States are starting to improve the perceptions Arabs and Americans have of each other.

Arab states are beginning to rethink their national interests, especially regarding Israel. At the same time, across...