International Politics - Dialogue & Crises
Introduction
The Middle East can be a volatile region. For the past several decades, the Arab-Israeli conflict and its Palestinian dimension has hampered sustainable social and economic development in the region. Israeli military occupation, Palestinian uprisings, and wars and war crimes are dominating the political agenda. Regional power relations and interests are further complicating the situation. Islamic movements emerged and established themselves as de-facto political powers adding new layers to the already complicated political conflicts and social struggles.

Recently, the new US administration added a new momentum to the stalled peace process in the Middle East. This initiative is seen as a last chance to put into effect political dynamics leading to a comprehensive settlement of the conflict, based on the two- state solution and the borders of 1967.

The hbs contributes to political debate and dialogue in this context. Through cooperation activities with our partner organizations, hbs sheds light on underlying causes of conflicts. Activities include conferences, research studies, debates, and expert meetings on national and regional levels. On the international level, hbs programs are contributing to the political and cultural dialogue between Europe and the Middle East.

Foreign policy and policy analysis

Article by Nadia Al - Sakkaf/ Chief Editor of the Yemen Times

Yemen’s revolution: The lack of public reasoning

- The sound of heart beats was deafening in Sanaa’s 20th street when protestors moved in the demonstration’s forefront. Around 15 snipers were positioned on rooftops on two sides of Dairi street intersection with 20th street. Protestors planned on Friday, March 18th, to expand the sit-in area and to erect new tents at the intersection.

An account of the people’s revolt in Yemen prior to the departure of Ali Saleh by Nadia Al-Sakkaf/ Chief Editor of the Yemen Times......

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Comment - Effects of the Arab Spring - by Joachim Paul

- The international magazine D+Z Development and Cooperation published a comment on the effects of the Arab Spring on the Palestinian reconciliation deal by Joachim Paul, the Director of the Arab Middle East Office of the Heinrich Boell Foundation. for the full text please press here.

Joachim Paul in a conversation with Tobias Armbrüster

Director of Heinrich Böll Foundation in Ramallah advocates cooperation with Palestinians

- May 12, 2011 - Joachim Paul, Director of Heinrich Boell Foundation in Ramallah, says, he cannot understand the skeptical approach of the Federal government to the reconciliation of Fatah and Hamas. The new situation demands the exploration of possibilities for constructive cooperation.  Joachim Paul, Director of Heinrich-Böll-Foundation in Ramallah in a conversation with Tobias Armbrüster; listen to the interview (in German)  more»

Print and Online Publication

Perspectives #2 May 2011, Special Issue: People's Power - The Arab World in Revolt

- Perspectives - Political Analysis and Commentary from the Middle East is a publication series of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung’s offices in Beirut and Ramallah provides a platform for analysis and viewpoints of experts from the region.  The self-immolation of young and jobless Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi in the provincial town of Sidi Bouzid, being deprived of his vegetable stand and humiliated by the authorities, triggered popular movements and historic events in the Arab World completely unexpected in their magnitude…
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Egypt: The End of a Dynastic Republic? By Joachim Paul
Democracy protests in Egypt:EU has to decide whether it will continue with its support for authoritarian Arab regimes and their security apparatuses that, for decades, have prevented democractic change? or whether they are willing back a difficult, possibly chaotic process of democratic change.

                        

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2010 conference: "(Re)searching Palestine: Research Gaps & Horizons" (by the Institute of Jerusalem Studies and Institute for Palestine Studies)

The Institute of Jerusalem Studies in cooperation with the Institute for Palestine Studies organized its annual conference on the topic of: "Re-searching Palestine: Research Gaps and Horizons" at Birzeit University, 30th and 31st of October. For the full programme and abstracts please check here. more»
john ging

Open the crossing points to Gaza!

 - In an exclusive interview John Ging, head of the United Nation's Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip and speaker at Heinrich-Boell-Foundation's international conference "The Transformation of Palestine" in March 2010, points out the humanitarian crisis due to the ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip by Israel, which is in violation of international law, and laments the ignorance of the international community. more»
george giacaman
Voices from insight: Dr. George Giacaman, Co-Founder and General Director of The Palestinian Institute for the Study of Democracy (Muwatin) in Ramallah, writes about the political implications of the event with the aid flotilla for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, its political aftermath and the consequences for the international community. This article is also available on the hbs main website www.boell.de (in German).

 

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taghreed
New article: Taghreed al-Khodary "Heinrich Böll Fellow" at the Middle-East-Institute des Carnegy Endowment for international peace details what’s happening on the ground in Gaza and how the incident will shape politics in the area. more»
Person in front of the gate

Conference on Jerusalem

 - In 2009 the Institute of Jerusalem Studies conducted in cooperation with the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation a conference which discussed different aspects of the political, cultural and social circumstances of Jerusalem. more»

International Conference on Palestine in Berlin

International Conference on Palestine in Berlin

"This international symposium in the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung took a close look at the Palestinian history and it significance for today’s politics and life conditions of its people. A distinguished group of Palestinian political representatives, international officials, Palestinian and international researchers, contributed to an analytical debate of the complexity of historic and current Palestinian existence (...)." For the full conference dossier please click here

Visit

Visit of the German Green Youth (23rd- 24th of March 2011)

On the occasion of their visit to the region, 15 members of the Grüne Jugend (Green Youth), the political youth organization of the German Greens, spent two days in Palestine. Heinrich Böll Stiftung Arab Middle East Office Ramallah organized meetings with Palestinian politicians, partner organizations and a tour to the Jordan Valley. more»
mueller
Latest visit: The former Minister of State at the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kerstin Müller visited in her position as a Member of the German Bundestag and the foreign policy spokesperson of the Greens/ Alliance 90 parliamentary group the Palestinian Territories for the second time. more»

Visit of Sven-Christian Kindler MoP and Jan Phillip Albrecht ME

 - In the frame of their first Israel-Palestine trip as newly elected parliamentarians, the two young Greens, Sven-Christian Kindler MoP (22) and Jan Phillip Albrecht MEP (27), spent two days in the Westbank and East Jerusalem in order to get a first-hand impression of the situation “behind the wall”. more»