Zuhdi Shubeitah
العربية

Archive

382 articles in 2022 · 534 of 534 available in English (full Arabic archive)

  1. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicFrom the Bookshelves (5): Short Life InstructionsThis piece reviews Jackson Brown's Short Life Instructions, a collection of 1,530 daily notes the author wrote to his son Adam. It gives a brief sample of the book's practical advice and reflects on the father's hope that his son would follow it.
  2. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicFrom the Depths of Books (6): Islam in CaptivityAn excerpt from Dr. Al-Sadiq Al-Nihum's book "Islam in Captivity" examining how Arab states' centralized control of funds and governance prevents citizen participation, likening the state to a prison and advocating for freedom and public ownership.
  3. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThe Elderly and the Very OldThe article examines how elderly people in Arab societies are marginalized by law and custom, denied participation and institutions, and often lack representation despite their capacity to contribute.
  4. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicHypocrisy: Is It a Necessity of Contemporary Life?The essay examines the prevalence and types of hypocrisy in contemporary society, citing media examples and religious sayings, and asks how hypocrisy can be reduced.
  5. Oversight & AccountabilityTranslated from ArabicDistribution of Schools in Palestine’s Northern GovernoratesThis article examines shortcomings in the Ministry of Education’s procedures for assessing and prioritizing the need for school buildings in the northern governorates and summarizes the findings and conclusions of the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB).
  6. The Palestinian Economy in FiguresTranslated from ArabicGlobal Public Debt and the Implications of Reaching the Brink in 2022Examines the sharp rise in global public debt in 2022 (IMF and IIF figures), its share of global GDP, and the risks this poses to debtor countries’ economies, sovereignty, and geopolitical dynamics.
  7. Oversight & AccountabilityTranslated from ArabicManagement of Public Transport Lines at the Ministry of Transport and Communications in PalestineThis article reviews the SAACB’s 2021 findings on weaknesses in the Public Transport Lines Department and the General Administration of the Traffic Inspector, including planning, permit allocation, monitoring, transfers, and coordination with partners.
  8. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThe International Dimensions of Palestinian Independence: the All-Palestine GovernmentThe article examines Arab and international roles in Palestinian efforts toward independence, focusing on the 1948 All-Palestine Government, its funding, political divisions, and legacy.
  9. Finance & BankingTranslated from ArabicThe United States: Between Public Debt and External Debt, 2022This article examines the United States' public debt and its external creditors in 2022. It outlines debt composition—intragovernmental holdings versus debt held by the public—and lists major foreign holders such as Japan and China.
  10. Finance & BankingTranslated from ArabicFreezing and Confiscation of Palestinians’ Bank Account Balances at Banks Operating in 1948This article draws on a Harvard doctoral dissertation that examines what happened to the financial assets and bank accounts of Palestinians in 1948, including freezes and seizures affecting accounts, deposits, trust funds, and the collapse of the Palestine Currency Board.
  11. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicIntellectual SleepLooks at Al-Sadiq Al-Niyahum’s idea of “intellectual sleep,” comparing widespread social conformity in many Arab states to hypnotic suggestion and discussing how regimes shape public belief and erode freedoms.
  12. Oversight & AccountabilityTranslated from ArabicRaising the Level of Secrecy on Classified Documents in Western CountriesThe article examines how Western governments classify and withhold historical documents, the different time-based secrecy rules (30–75 years), and researchers' legal efforts to obtain disclosure.
  13. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThe American JASTA LawThe article examines the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), its 2016 ratification by the US Congress, its challenge to state sovereign immunity before US courts, and the potential risks it poses to Saudi and Gulf investments and deposits in the United States.
  14. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicFrom the Archive of Arab Politics: Atlanta Library, United StatesThe article reports on Jimmy Carter’s 1998 lecture and archival material at the Carter Library in Atlanta about the Camp David Accords, including Saudi private support, Sadat’s conditions, and Carter’s call for a Palestinian homeland in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
  15. The Palestinian Economy in FiguresTranslated from ArabicThe International Monetary Fund: A Great Power on the World StageThe article reviews the history and role of the International Monetary Fund since its founding, outlining four stages of its policies and their economic and social impacts on member countries.
  16. The Palestinian Economy in FiguresTranslated from ArabicCurrency Wars: Cross-Border Capital Flows and Currency Devaluations — Part FourThe article examines how currency devaluations influence cross-border capital movements, capital flight, and the impact on depositors and savers, and when foreign investment may return once conditions stabilize.
  17. The Palestinian Economy in FiguresTranslated from ArabicCurrency Wars: The Balance of Payments and Currency Devaluation — Part ThreeThis article examines how balance of payments deficits lead countries to seek IMF and World Bank assistance, the conditions attached to such financing, and the role and limits of currency devaluation as a policy response.
  18. Finance & BankingTranslated from ArabicCurrency Wars: Exchange Rate and National Currency Devaluation — Part TwoThe article examines the international monetary system from Bretton Woods to the end of dollar–gold convertibility, explains how exchange rates and currency pegs work, and uses the Jordanian dinar’s peg to the U.S. dollar as a case study, including IMF involvement and devaluation as a policy tool.
  19. The Palestinian Economy in FiguresTranslated from ArabicCurrency Wars: National Currency Devaluation — Part OneThe article examines how coordinated devaluations and speculative attacks—known as "currency wars"—are used to boost export competitiveness or to destabilize national economies, and outlines typical policy responses.
  20. Oversight & AccountabilityTranslated from ArabicActivities of the Committee for the Resistance of the Wall and Settlements under the Strategic PlanThe article examines audit-identified weaknesses in the Committee for the Resistance of the Wall and Settlements’ planning, internal systems, staffing, disbursement procedures, vehicle management, and attendance controls.
  21. Oversight & AccountabilityTranslated from ArabicReport on Appointments and Their Impact at the Land and Water Settlement Commission in PalestineThe article examines how appointment practices at the Land and Water Settlement Commission have affected its work, including lack of strategic and annual plans, unclear staffing needs, procedural violations in hiring, and large deviations in salary spending versus the general budget.
  22. The Global EconomyTranslated from ArabicMiddle East and North Africa: Universal cash transfers outperform subsidy systemsThe article examines subsidy systems across MENA and argues that uniform cash transfers to all citizens can reduce leakages, fiscal burdens and economic distortions while improving targeting and political acceptability.
  23. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicA Financial and Political Siege on the Palestinian National AuthorityThe article examines how converging financial and political pressures—including a US aid freeze and proposed Israeli deductions from clearing revenues—are affecting the Palestinian National Authority. It cites preliminary PCBS and Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) data for Q1 2018.
  24. The Palestinian Economy in FiguresTranslated from ArabicPalestinian External Investment Assets and Foreign Liabilities in Q1 2018This article reviews preliminary results from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) and the Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) on the international investment position and external debt for Q1 2018, including asset and liability balances and sectoral distributions.
  25. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThank You, IrelandThe article reports on the Irish Senate’s July 2018 approval of a draft law banning the import or sale of goods produced in "occupied lands," notes the vote (25 for, 20 against, 14 abstentions), and describes next parliamentary review. It also expresses solidarity with nonviolent struggle against occupation.