Zuhdi Shubeitah
العربية

Archive

228 articles in “Public Affairs & Politics” in 2022 · 534 of 534 available in English (full Arabic archive)

  1. Finance & BankingTranslated from ArabicThe Road of Plundering Peoples' Wealth: Switzerland's StoryThe article examines how Swiss neutrality and banking secrecy have made Switzerland a destination for funds deposited by autocratic rulers, and outlines the legal and procedural difficulties in tracing and returning those assets.
  2. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThe Palestinian Central Council and the 'Red Eye' Against the Occupation StateThe article examines Israeli deductions from Palestinian tax revenues to compensate alleged collaborators and legal rulings fining the Palestinian National Authority; it criticizes Israeli policy toward Palestinian institutions and society.
  3. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThe US–Turkey Divorce: Between Minor and Major SeparationThe article examines the diplomatic rift between the United States and Turkey over the detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson, and contrasts US responses to other cases involving American nationals such as Rachel Corrie and Samar Badawi.
  4. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThe Republican Party’s Strategic Thinker in the United States: Bradley BlakemanThe article reports on Bradley Blakeman’s remarks on Al Jazeera about the US reduction of aid to the Palestinian National Authority, his accusations of corruption and terrorism, and the implications for Palestinian finances and institutions.
  5. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicA Flight of FancyA first-person, dreamlike account of being asked to open an account called "Authority...1948" at "Bank of the People," discovering subsidiary accounts and passwords, and reflecting on the overlap of auditing and politics.
  6. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThe Culture of Bees and Contemporary Arab CultureThe essay compares the limited, coded communication of bee society with human societies to question the meaning of the phrase “contemporary Arab culture.” It examines divisions in heritage, history, language and political fate that challenge the idea of a single shared Arab culture.
  7. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicAn Official’s Visit: Between Zeal and ConscienceThe article compares public and private sector work habits and examines ministerial inspection visits, contrasting genuine supervisory oversight with staged, media-driven visits and calling for sustained accountability.
  8. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicHobbies of Old Times: From My MemoryA personal memoir recalling the author’s attempts to learn guitar while working at Arab Bank’s Jabal Al-Hussein branch, the social attitudes he encountered, and how his pastime shifted toward hunting under the influence of his manager, Ibrahim Shaheen.
  9. The Global EconomyTranslated from ArabicThomas Friedman's Article in The New York Times of 4-9-2018A reading of Thomas Friedman's New York Times column of 4 September 2018, “Crazy Poor Middle Easterners”, and a response to its call for the region to bury its past.
  10. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicA Rebuke: Oslo on the Silver JubileeThe article reflects on the 25th anniversary of the Oslo Accords using a parable about Caliph Umar and a mother with hungry children. It presents the story as a metaphor for a people's longing and the unmet promise of peace.
  11. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicWhat Yossi Beilin Said on the Silver Jubilee of the Oslo AccordsThis article translates Yossi Beilin’s Al-Monitor reflection on the Oslo Accords 25 years later, recounting the secret Oslo channel, key negotiations and figures, and why much of the West Bank remained under Israeli military control.
  12. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicTwo Parallel Lines... Do They Meet?A narrator recounts conversations with Umm Saber, an elderly Palestinian expatriate, who reflects on Arab League politics, inter-Arab conflicts, and the ongoing plight of Palestine.
  13. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicA Conversation of CrumbsThe article reflects on everyday social order, respect for authority, informal dispute resolution in traffic and community matters, employment and promotion practices, and the supervisory role of 'palace elders' in public life.
  14. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicRural Customs, the Reality of a Bygone EraA personal essay recounting neighbor Umm Jamil’s memories of rural matchmaking and social customs—how brides were assessed, expectations of female modesty, and how community ties have changed.
  15. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicIran: Between British Intervention Yesterday and American Intervention TodayThe article examines British actions against Iran around the nationalization of oil and the 1953 coup against Mossadegh, early American-Iranian ties, and parallels drawn with later U.S. pressure.
  16. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicA Friendship That Created a State in Eleven MinutesThe article examines how Eddie Jacobson, a longtime friend and former business partner of Harry Truman, lobbied the president—by letter and private visits—in the run-up to the UN partition vote and in 1948, helping persuade Truman to recognize the State of Israel.
  17. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThe Key of Return — From an Elderly Woman Who Left the CountryA first-person account of meeting an elderly woman who keeps the key to her home with her son in America. She insists on returning to her village and rejects compensation or private deals.
  18. The Palestinian Economy in FiguresTranslated from ArabicThe White Smoke and Davos Cabins in SwitzerlandThe article examines the annual Davos gathering (World Economic Forum), its evolution from European management meetings to a global economic and political forum, and debates how economics and politics influence each other.
  19. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicMy Friend "Thalaba" at an Istighaba SessionA first-person account of a conversation with the narrator’s friend Thalaba, who persistently speaks about politics. The piece reflects on deterrence from political speech, debates over legitimacy, Gaza’s blockade, and regional conflicts like Yemen.
  20. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThe Camel Works in My Watch ShopA brief anecdote about a man who sees a camel working in an American watch repair shop. The story is used as a metaphor to criticize putting unsuitable people in positions of responsibility in Arab politics and administration.
  21. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThe Crow's Caw... and the Owl's HootThe article contrasts folk beliefs about crows and owls with natural observations, recounting a visit to the Palestinian community in Chile and noting anecdotes and biological facts about owls.
  22. The Palestinian Economy in FiguresTranslated from ArabicPulses and Indicators: Unemployment in Palestine — Part FiveThis article reviews 2016–2017 higher education institutions, enrollment and graduate specializations in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, and reports unemployment rates cited by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) and the Palestine Monetary Authority.
  23. The Palestinian Economy in FiguresTranslated from ArabicPulse and Indicators of Unemployment in Palestine — Part FourThis article examines local causes of rising unemployment in Palestine, including the political division between Gaza and the West Bank, tax evasion, investment obstacles, low wages, high prices, and returned checks. It references impacts on the Palestinian National Authority and efforts by the Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA).
  24. The Palestinian Economy in FiguresTranslated from ArabicPulses and Indicators of Unemployment in Palestine — Part ThreeThe article examines structural and political factors driving unemployment in Palestine, including Israeli control of Area C, settlement expansion, movement restrictions between the West Bank and Gaza Strip, dependence on work in Israel and the settlements, and Israel’s withholding of clearance revenues to the Palestinian National Authority.
  25. The Palestinian Economy in FiguresTranslated from ArabicPulse and Indicators of Unemployment in Palestine — Part TwoThe article examines external causes behind worsening unemployment in Palestine, focusing on Israeli control over crossings, trade restrictions, currency and banking constraints, and impacts on the Gaza Strip.