Zuhdi Shubeitah
العربية

Topic

Public Affairs & Politics

Politics, history, culture and regional affairs.

316 articles in English · 59% of the English edition · all articles in Arabic

2223242526
  1. Oversight & AccountabilityTranslated from ArabicState Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB) Report — Part Five (2017)This article examines findings from the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB) 2017 audits of Palestinian local authorities, highlighting recurring weaknesses in municipal governance, financial documentation, revenue collection, debt accumulation and integrity of local councils.
  2. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicFourth Arab Economic Summit in BeirutExamines divisions and limited influence of the Arab League, recalling the 2002 Beirut summit episode with Yasser Arafat and the recent Fourth Arab Economic Summit in Beirut marked by low leader attendance.
  3. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicAntennas After MidnightThe writer describes a habit of writing after midnight, reflecting on the stillness of night, inspirations that follow, and encounters with Israeli military patrols and checkpoints in Ramallah and Al-Bireh.
  4. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicJustice in the Distribution of Wealth: Between Success and Failure — Part ThreeThe article examines political and economic theories on wealth distribution, inequality and the state's role in market economies. It reviews perspectives from Piketty, Kuznets, Ricardo, Marx and others on causes and remedies for inequality.
  5. The Palestinian Economy in FiguresTranslated from ArabicJustice in Wealth Distribution: Between Failure and Rectification — Part TwoThe article examines how market-driven policies, private-sector practices and capital flight contribute to unequal wealth distribution, and notes the complicity of some public-sector actors in these outcomes.
  6. The Palestinian Economy in FiguresTranslated from ArabicJustice in Wealth Distribution: Between Failure and Rectification (Part One)This article examines rising global and domestic inequality in wealth distribution, its causes—inheritance, returns on capital, migration, weak government intervention, corruption—and consequences such as poverty and debt burden on the poor.
  7. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicColombia and Venezuela: Between Neighborliness and UncertaintyThe article examines historical and geopolitical ties between Colombia and Venezuela, their relations with the United States, and recent political and social tensions shaping the region.
  8. Finance & BankingTranslated from ArabicPreliminary Banking Data in Palestine 2018 — Part TwoThis article examines 2018 banking credit facilities in Palestine, detailing their distribution by region and sector. It presents totals and changes for the West Bank and Gaza Strip and highlights concentrations by governorate and loan purpose.
  9. Finance & BankingTranslated from ArabicPreliminary Banking Data in Palestine, 2018 — Part OneExamines preliminary 2018 banking data from the Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA), detailing customer deposits in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and their geographic and account-type distribution.
  10. The Palestinian Economy in FiguresTranslated from ArabicPreliminary Review of Government Revenues and Expenditures in Palestine, 2018 — Part TwoThis article examines the Palestinian National Authority’s 2018 budget data (from the Ministry of Finance), analysing spending composition, outstanding arrears, developmental project allocations, and implications for public debt and private-sector borrowing.
  11. Oversight & AccountabilityTranslated from ArabicBetween Trade Monopoly and Administrative FailuresThe article examines the Public Petroleum Authority’s rising public debt (896 million shekels in 2018), its borrowing from social funds, and longstanding concerns about secrecy, oversight, and governance.
  12. Oversight & AccountabilityTranslated from ArabicBetween Attention and Neglect in the War over MoneyThe article examines how Israeli deductions from Palestinian clearance revenues and accumulated local government unpaid utility bills ("net lending") have strained the Palestinian National Authority’s budget, drawing on State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB) findings.
  13. The Palestinian Economy in FiguresTranslated from ArabicComparative Analysis of Government Financial Data: January 2018/2019A review of government cash revenues, expenditures and financing for January 2019 compared with January 2018, using data posted by the Ministry of Finance and Planning – Ramallah. Notes the general budget for 2019 had not been issued and highlights changes in revenues, expenditures, clearance transfers and external support.
  14. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicArab Public Sentiment: Between Wink and InsinuationThe piece follows Nazeih Al-Ahdab’s program "Fawq al-Sulta" on Al Jazeera and reflects on its critique of the Tunis "Summit of Determination and Solidarity." It highlights the host’s remarks about leaders’ conduct and the coverage of Haftar’s visit to Riyadh.
  15. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicHow Tonight Resembles YesterdayThe article responds to Al Jazeera’s special episode “The Last Lunch,” recounting the 1977 assassination of President Ibrahim Al-Hamdi, alleged conspiracies involving Yemeni officers and foreign influence, and reflections on the broadcast’s timing and impact.
  16. Finance & BankingTranslated from ArabicFacts and the Geography of Palestine's Banking Sector at the End of 2018The article examines customer deposits, lending and the geographic distribution of banking activity in Palestine at the end of 2018, with preliminary figures for Q1–Q2 2019, based on data published by the Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) and the Palestinian Banks Association.
  17. The Palestinian Economy in FiguresTranslated from ArabicReading the Palestinian Economic Situation in 2019This article examines Palestinian banking-sector data at the end of 2018 and through mid-2019, comparing deposits and lending in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and noting effects on Palestinian National Authority deposits and clearance revenues.
  18. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThe Government’s Red Eyes: The Clusters ProjectThe article examines the Palestinian government’s Clusters Project in Qalqilya Governorate, intended to support farmers—including those on lands in Area C—and describes confiscations, road damage, and threats to agricultural infrastructure.
  19. Oversight & AccountabilityTranslated from ArabicInjustice and Corruption in the 1438 Hajj SeasonThe State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB) audited the 2017 Hajj (Hijri 1438) and documents selection abuses, improper visas and accommodations, extra costs borne by pilgrims, and noncompliance with procedures by the Ministry of Awqaf and related actors.
  20. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicWhom Shall We Complain To?The author reports an Israeli army raid on the industrial city of Al-Bireh on 23/10 at 12:30 that used stun grenades and describes frequent raids on Ramallah and Al-Bireh involving arrests, killings and property damage, arguing that agreements and protocols have been disregarded for decades.
  21. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicAutomatic switch to winter time in PalestineThe article describes how smartphones and computers in Palestine did not switch to winter time automatically in late October 2019, occurring an hour later than in Israel. It notes a possible dependency in communications infrastructure and calls for steps toward disentanglement.
  22. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThe Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Was Wrong in OsloThe article reviews Dr. Nabil Shaath’s remarks about shortcomings of the 1993 Oslo Agreement—especially settlement issues, the West Bank’s division into Areas A, B and C, and related political consequences.
  23. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThe Leader's Death Does Not Mean the End of the OrganizationThe article examines regional reactions to the reported killing of al-Baghdadi, allegations about control of Syrian oil, worries about new militant reorganizations, and criticism of Arab League silence and the sidelining of Palestine.
  24. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicHow Democracies DieThis article discusses Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt’s How Democracies Die, summarizing its argument about threats to democracy—drawing on U.S. examples—and compares those warnings with democratic erosion in the Arab world and the responsibilities of citizens.
  25. Public Affairs & PoliticsTranslated from ArabicThe Arab Crisis and Their FutureAn analysis of a 7 December 1995 lecture by the late Heikal that examines Arab political choices since 1973, comparing “Vichy-like” accommodation and “Gaullist” resistance, and assessing the effects of Madrid, Oslo, economic normalization and debates over Jerusalem.