Middle East

NABLUS, West Bank - The Palestinian fighter ran a finger approvingly over the cold metal of the assault rifle, embossed with the seal of the Israeli army. He squinted at the lettering in Hebrew,...

Summary and Analysis There is a subtle but definite change in VOP coverage of the American- Palestinian-Israeli talks in Bolling Base in Washington. Although the reporting is very low-key, and although the PA repudiates reports...

Summary and Analysis VOP returned Wednesday to its traditional news openings, focusing on local reporting and lists of martyrs, funerals and wounded-especially civilian youths and security personnel. At the same time, it gave generally low-key...

Analysis of Nabil Sha'ath's remarks Nabil Sha'ath's remarks (below) are a strikingly bold and candid exposition of the Palestinian negotiating position, but even more so, they are a window on the mood of the Palestinian...

Summary and Analysis Perhaps because the Palestinian Authority has some internal divisions about contacts with Israel, VOP has been largely downplaying this subject. One point was stressed however: Yasser Arafat himself was quoted as denying...

Most recently, I went to my friend Fatima's house to visit her and see her new baby. It was the first time in about 3 weeks since I'd been there, the second time in...

Summary and Analysis Beginning Saturday Night, December 16, the Voice of Palestine has reported in detail on the appointment of Colin Powell as U.S. Secretary of State-Designate with a certain amount of concern. VOP has underscored...

Where Will They Go? Palestinian refugees say international law guarantees them a right of return to their homelands. But the law has no teeth, and the refugees fear they have no champion. Near a checkpoint...

Summary and Analysis VOP focused again on the relatively large numbers of martyrs and wounded following Friday prayers-demonstrations-riots, charging Israeli escalations. VOP continues to pursue a low-key/skeptical line regarding talks with Israel. "Nabil Abu-Irdeineh, the spokesman of...

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright startled some of her interlocutors when, in her conference call with Jewish leaders last week, she mentioned in passing that Europeans and Russians were wondering what role Bill Clinton...