Arab Thought Forum

Implication of the article 212/5 of the Israeli planning Law on residents of Jerusalem

The Arab Thought Forum held a public meeting in Silwan to highlight the implications of Article (212/5) of the Israeli zoning and planning law. Speaking at the meeting was Khalil Tufakji, Abdel-Rahman Abu Arafeh Director of the Arab Thought Forum, lawyer Mohammed Alayan, Attorney Hamid Qaraen, and Suleiman Abbasi Chairman of the Committee for the Defense of Land in Silwan. Noor Dkeidik of the Arab Thought Forum moderated the meeting. ...

Former President Carter meets with the Arab Thought Forum and the Central Election Commission

During his visit to Palestine, Former President Jimmy Carter met on April 15th, 2008 with Dr. Hanna Nasir, the Chairman of Central Election Commission and Mr. Abdel Rahman Abu Arafeh the Director of the Arab Thought Forum. ...

Israeli Police Ban Palestinian Event

On Tuesday March 25th, Palestinian organizers planned to announce the winner of a contest to design a logo for the cultural campaign at the Palestinian national theater in east Jerusalem. But when they arrived, the doors were locked and police stood outside. ...

ATF implements Training courses on addressing public complaints

The Coalition for integrity and accountability - AMAN held five training sessions divided between the West Bank and Gaza Strip between 27th and 31st of December 2007. The sessions were implemented by the Arab Thought Forum, and established a project for preparing a model complaint system for the public sector in direct cooperation with complaints department at the Ministerial council ...

The Autumn Conference: A Serious Initiative or a Mere Facelift 1
(Analysis Paper)2

A few months before the end of his term in government and in light of the recurring crises, the US President has called for an international conference dedicated to the Middle East ...

New Agreement signed

An agreement was signed on November 1st, 2007 between the Arab Thought Forum and Markaz Tatweer at the Welfare Association ...

The Autumn Conference

"The Autumn Conference " suggested by the United States has been discussed in a public meeting organized by the Arab Thought Forum on October 1st, 2007. ...

ATF participated in observing Morocco’s 2007 elections

The ATF participated in the international delegation to monitor the election in Morocco on September 7th, 2007. The delegation was organized by the National Democratic Institution (NDI) ...

Strengthening the Transparency and Accountability of Local Government

The project implemented during 2007/2008 aims at strengthening the transparency and accountability of the Palestinian local government. The project is implemented in partnership with AMAN...

The Israeli policies in Jerusalem

The initiative which started in 2006 is part of the “Civic Coalition for Defending the Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem” ...

Create awareness against the Israeli destruction of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem

The objectives of this project, started in 2007, is to create awareness of and promote opposition to Israeli plans to destroy Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem -particularly in Silwan- under Article 212 of the Israeli Planning and Building Law ...

Good Governance

The following three initiatives are part of the civil society participation being implemented in 2007...

The Board of Trustees of the Arab Thought Forum held its 28th Annual meeting

The Board of Trustees of the Arab Thought Forum held its 28th annual meeting on July 21st, 2007 ...

New issue of ATF periodical "Shu'un Tanmawyyeh"

The new issue number 33 of "Shu'un Tanmawyyeh" has been published recently...

Hatred Incitement: “Militant Islam Monitor”

Academic freedom as part of the human rights, are now under a totalitarian attack attempting to restricts, pressure and intimidate opinions and the presentation of views with the aim to contain national sites and force them to left their free choice ...

Supporting Jerusalem's institutions

Supporting Jerusalem's institutions was the topic of a round table meeting organized between the Arab Thought Forum, the Development Studies Center (Beir Zeit University) and The Civic Coalition for Defending the Palestinians’ Rights in Jerusalem ...

The Arab League declared Jerusalem the Arab Cultural Capital for 2009

The Arab Thought Forum organized work shop in Jerusalem on February 24, 2007 to explore the scope of this event and the necessary preparation for the associated activities ...

Nazareth meeting of the national institutions as a starting point for defending Palestinian rights in Jerusalem

A meeting was held in Nazareth under the title “Defense of Palestinians' rights in Occupied Jerusalem"...

Strategic Planning Work Shop

The Civic Coalition for Defending the Palestinians Rights in Jerusalem organized a workshop on February 14th, 2007 ...

Jerusalem protest against the Deteriorating Relationship between Fateh and Hamas

Citizens and representatives of political parties and civil society organizations gathered in Rammallah on February 7th, 2007 ...

A Plea from Jerusalem to Stop Palestinian Bloodshed in Iraq

Acts of violence are escalating day after day in Iraq threatening the safety of tens of thousands of innocent citizens including thousands of Palestinian refugees staying in Iraq ...

Public debate
Ranking of Palestine on the World’s Corruption Perception Index

This Public debate focused on discussing the low rank of Palestine on the annual Corruption Perception Index issued by Transparency International...

Middle East Peace: Enter the historians, finally

By Timothy W. Ryback
JERUSALEM: Last week, Kofi Annan gave the Middle East a history assignment. Speaking in Istanbul, the UN secretary general identified the competing historical narratives of Palestinians and Israelis as central to the Middle East crisis and the alleged clash of civilizations between Muslim and Western worlds. ...

Postwar Reconciliation in Europe: Lessons for the Middle East?

A lecture given by Dr. Timothy Ryback was organized by the Arab Thought Forum on November 9th, 2006 in Jerusalem....

Call to declare the third of November as the “Palestinian Women Day”

On November 3, 2006, peaceful demonstration composed of more the 150 Palestinian women have been attacked by the Israeli Occupation army, two women were killed, and other several women were wounded...

Call for mutual understanding between Fateh and Hamas

Leaders of several Palestinian parties and the Palestinian community call for an immediate understanding between Hamas and Fateh. The call came in a round table meeting organized by the Arab Thought Forum (ATF) on November 1st, 2006 ...

Statement against Solana's meeting with Lieberman

We, the signatories of this letter representing a number of Palestinian civil society organizations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories express our deepest concern and disappointment over the meeting held between ...

Peaceful transmission of power after the Yemen election

To explore the realities and possibilities of the peaceful transmission of power, the Arab Thought Forum (ATF) organizes public debate on the issue on October 18, 2006 ...

Direction of the Palestinian Compass in the Midst of The Historical Transformations of the Year 2006

Summary of the political meeting organized by the Arab Thought Forum ( ATF) under the title, “ Direction of the Palestinian Compass in the Midst of Historical Transformations for the Year 2006” which was held in Ramallah on 23 August 2006 ...

The Phased Return of the Palestinian Refugees

Half a century has passed since the dispossession and expulsion of the Palestinians from their homes in 1948. This event shaped the history of the area ever since, and remains, until today, the major issue of Middle East politics ...