IMEU Institute for Middle East Understanding
Q&As
Political analyst Diana Buttu weighs in on the national unity talks between the Fatah party of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas.
on October 9, 2017
High-octane debates are nothing new in the tangled history of the Middle East’s oldest conflict. But Monday’s vote by MPs on whether to recognise the state of Palestine comes at an unusually sensitive moment. And whatever its outcome – it is part of a growing international trend.
on October 13, 2014
Q&As
Diana Buttu and Mouin Rabbani offer their insights on the ongoing differences between Palestinian Authority President and Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party and Hamas.
on September 11, 2014
The first hurdle in the national unity deal has been overcome, but the fact that it was touch and go - even briefly - highlights the monumental challenges that lie ahead.
on June 11, 2014
Fact Sheets
Based on the agreement announced on April 23, the new government is composed of a consensus cabinet consisting of individuals agreed upon by all of the major Palestinian political parties. The cabinet does not include members of the two largest Palestinian parties, Fatah or Hamas. Instead, it’s made up of independent technocrats whose job is to prepare the groundwork for elections for the PA.
on June 4, 2014
The two rival Palestinian political factions of Hamas and Fatah swore in a new unity government today, marking a major step forward for inter-Palestinian relations after seven years of bitterly divided rule.
on June 2, 2014
Fact Sheets
In November 2012, Arafat's body was exhumed in order for medical examiners to take samples of his remains to test for polonium, part of a murder investigation launched by French authorities at the request of Suha Arafat following the discovery of traces of the highly toxic substance on some of his personal effects. Over the years, he had survived numerous assassination attempts by Israel.
on November 6, 2013
Many insist that Palestinian bids for autonomy are only possible if Palestinians recognize Israel as a "Jewish state". The IMEU puts this demand in historical context.
on September 28, 2011
Palestine 101
Photo: Palestinian local elections, West Bank (Ryan Rodrick Beiler/ActiveStills)
on November 23, 2005