This week in palestine november 223 2016 by monjed abusharar

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alestine November 2016

High Tech in Palestine

In this issue

High Tech in Palestine 4 The Telecommunication and IT Sector in Palestine 12 Interview with Abdul Majeed Melhem 16 The Sector of Hope: Palestine’s HiTech Industry 20 Heating Up the Fight against Cancer 24 e-Government in Palestine 30 Unleashing the Digital Economy in Palestine 36 Venture Capital and High Tech in Palestine 42 Clusterpreneurs and IT Clusters in Palestine 46 Revolutionizing Municipal Services through GIS 50 Mobile-Number Portability Is Key to Customers’ Right to Choose 54 Top Five Challenges to Software Projects in Palestine 60 PayPal for Palestinians in Palestine 62 ICT Sector in Palestine Facts and Figures 64 Native Advertising is in Town 66 Technology Curriculum Reform 70 Book Technology: Real Intelligence 74 In the Limelight 80 Reviews 84 Events 86-94 Listings 95-97 Maps 98 The Last Word

The views presented in the ar ticles do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Maps herein have been prepared solely for the convenience of the reader; the designations and presentation of material do not imply any expression of opinion of This Week in Palestine, its publisher, editor, or its advisory board as to the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area, or the authorities thereof, or as to the delimitation of boundaries or national affiliation.

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alestine November 2016

High tech and information technology have been hailed as the way out of Palestinian dependence on foreign aid. Given scarce natural resources and the restrictions placed on the movement of people and goods by the occupation, the Internet may provide us with the opportunity to engage with the “outside world” and participate in development and progress. This issue explores where we stand at this time and what possibilities the future may hold. Although we have access to many IT services that are enjoyed in other places around the globe, some are still missing or in the making; software development and outsourcing of Internetbased services into Palestine may prove to become major pillars of the economy of a future Palestinian state. Read about developments since the signing of the Oslo Accords and the accomplishments, challenges, and restrictions that the sector faces today. Read about mobile phone services, Internet service providers, the development of geographic information systems, the long road towards being able to enjoy 3G services – and the impact that restrictions placed by the occupation have had on economic development. Some authors stress the importance of education and investment in our human capital and caution against the possible adverse effects of employing too much high technology. Be impressed by success stories in high-tech development, especially in medical technology, and benefit from cautionary advice for the improvement of software development.

High Tech in Palestine

Cover: Taisir Masreh.

Telefax: +970/2 2-295 1262 info@turbo-design.com www.thisweekinpalestine.com www.facebook.com/ ThisWeekInPalestine Publisher: Sani P. Meo Art Director: Taisir Masrieh Graphic Designers: Shehadeh Louis, Hassan Nasser Editor: Tina Basem TWIP Coordinator: Yara Alloush Printed by: Studio Alpha, Al-Ram, Jerusalem Maps: Courtesy of PalMap - GSE Distribution in the West Bank: CityExpress

Contributing authors to this issue include a former minister of telecommunications; an Internet-security expert who holds nine patents; an entrepreneur developing a new cancer treatment that uses nanotechnology (if it proves successful, it might well lead to a Nobel Prize in medicine); a veteran electronics engineer who coordinates Palestine’s e-Government program; a lead ICT specialist and an IT consultant at the World Bank; the director of GIS and IT at the Ramallah Municipality; a number of specialists involved in the entrepreneurial ecosystem supporting Palestinian startup firms, software development, and IT specialists; social media and online marketing specialists; founders of IT and high-tech companies, and more. Our personality of the month is an entrepreneur and president of a high-tech company that deals with technology used in brain research and surgery, as well as in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, depression, and other illnesses. Our book of the month invites you to engage in heartwarming explorations of Palestine’s traditional cuisine. Thanks go to these authors for their contributions to this issue and to Palestinian society! Warmly, Wishing you a good month ahead from the entire team at TWiP,

Tina Basem Editor

Forthcoming Issues December 2016: Religious Celebrations in Palestine January 2017: Palestine and the Common Good February 2017: Access to Justice in Palestine

Advisory Board

Riyam Kafri-AbuLaban

Nasser Al-Kidwa

Mazen Karam

Chairman of Board of Directors, Yasser Arafat Foundation

Managing Director, Bethlehem Development Foundation

Naseer Rahmi Arafat

Bassim Khoury

Cultural Heritage Enrichment Center

CEO, Pharmacare LTD

Ola Awad

Abeer Odeh

President of PCBS / President of IAOS

Minister of National Economy

Principal of the Friends Boys School

The Telecommunication and IT Sector in Palestine By Mashhour Abudaka

he development of the Palestinian telecommunication and information technology sector, like everything else in Palestine, is subject to the asymmetrical power relationship between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). This relation is manifested in the Oslo Accords and the associated telecommunications and postal services agreements and their annexes, namely Annex III, which deals with telecommunication technology. The telecommunication agreement, while acknowledging the Palestinian rights to build and operate their own telecommunication infrastructure, gives the Israeli side total control over the international telecommunication gateways, the electromagnetic field (frequency spectrum), the telephone numbering plan, the access to areas labeled Area C, and the importation of equipment â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all under the pretext of being necessary for security reasons. After 1967, the Israeli military authority managed the telephone networks in the West Bank and Gaza. Jerusalem was declared to be part of the state of Israel and thus management and ownership was handed to the Israeli Telecommunication Company, Bezeq, the national monopoly. Much of the technical work in Gaza and the West Bank was outsourced to Bezeq, and backbone and international gateways were in the hands of Bezeq. In 1994, the total volume of the network capacity in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (excluding Jerusalem) was estimated at around 80,000 telephone lines. It is worth mentioning that before 1994, the Israeli occupation forces imposed tough legal and military restrictions on infrastructure use. The Palestinian public, for example, was not allowed 4

the use of facsimile technology or data transmission technology (Internet). In 1995, the Israeli occupation authority handed the newly established PNA administration 83,000 functioning telephone lines in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, which was annexed to Israel. In 1995, with the signing of the Oslo Accords, Palestinians were promised direct control over their domestic and international telecommunication network. The newly established PNA was starved for cash and looking for immediate investment in the infrastructure to meet the populationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high expectations af ter the signing of the Palestinian-Israeli accords. In 1996, it awarded the Palestine Telecommunications Company (Paltel) a license to build, operate, and own all landlines, cellular networks, data communications, paging services, and public t e l e p h o n e s . H o w e v e r, the telecommunication agreement and the establishment of Paltel did not put an end to Palestinian reliance on Israel for domestic and international connections. Whereas Article 36B(4) of Annex III of the 1995 Interim Agreement outlines the Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n Agreement and states that the Palestinian side has the right to build and operate a separate and independent telecommunication system, the agreement simultaneously introduces conditions that make the building of an independent system impossible: Photo courtesy of PalTel.

“The Palestinians can only adopt their standards and import equipment when the Palestinian telecommunication network is fully independent from Israel.”* To date, the Palestinian network is not truly independent because the Israeli government legitimizes imposing its restrictions by claiming that it is abiding by Article 36 and the associated annexes and, in the process, keeps the Palestinian telecommunications network dependent on Israeli networks.

The total control over the Palestinian frequency spectrum given to Israel in the above-mentioned Telecommunication Agreement carried the condition that Israel release spectrum to the Palestinian Authority when needed and within one month of the request. However, Israel has turned a deaf ear to repeated Palestinian requests for additional frequencies, whether for telecommunication, radio, or TV. Frequencies were released for the official Palestinian TV and radio stations; one earth station for Palestine satellite TV upload has been allowed. Currently there are more than 100 radio and TV stations that broadcast from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the former using the FM frequency range and the latter stations using

In its drive to increase productivity, Paltel has kept up with technological development and increased its profits, managing to reduce cost through outsourcing many of its services. In 1999, Israel granted the PNA, and thus Paltel, frequencies to launch Jawwal, the first Palestinian mobile telephone service in Gaza and the West Bank. The second Palestinian mobile operator Wataynia was granted its license in 2006, but actual operation star ted in 2008 after Israel agreed to free frequencies for its operation only in the West Bank. Both mobile operators provide second-generation (2G) services; the Palestinian operators cannot provide 3G services in the West Bank and Gaza due to Israeli restrictions on frequency allocation. In 2009, the Palestinian Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Technology (MTIT) started to initiate fixed-line liberalization by separating the Internet services from line access, a process called Bit Stream Access (BSA). For the first time, Internet Services Providers (ISPs) were able to compete in the Internet market, while Paltel services in the area of data remained confined to providing line of access. Today, about ten companies compete to provide Internet services in the Palestinian territories. The 2006 internal division between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip has had a negative impact on the sector; two ISP licensing and taxation procedures have been created in the West Bank and in Gaza, respectively.

Photo courtesy of PalTel.

UHF frequency range. Israel considers these stations to be broadcasting illegally and contrary to the signed agreement (Article 36 of Annex III). Frequently, the Israeli armed forces raid stations’ premises and confiscate their equipment, accusing them of interfering with the communication of Israeli air aviation control. 6

Israel’s refusal to grant Palestinian access to the radio communication spectrum wreaks havoc on Palestinian mobile telecommunication. Palestinians have no access to 3G, 4G, LTE, or future spectrum bands, a situation that also limits the ability of Palestinian operators to deliver mobile data services and widespread mobile access to the

Internet. Furthermore, and contrary to the signed agreements, Israeli operators cover most of the West Bank and Gaza Strip without licenses from the Palestinian Authority or paying fees or taxes or contributing any value-added services to their Palestinian customers. Some of the Israeli operators use confiscated privately owned Palestinian 7

Watanyia has 700,000 lines in the West Bank alone. Currently, Internet penetration within Palestinian society is estimated to be around 60 percent, and services were provided mainly by Paltel subsidiary Hadara until 2010, when a dozen ISPs were established to share the market with Hadara.

industry. Active expatriate Palestinian ICT professionals have played a significant role in developing the sector; a few businesses were started and are still managed by Palestinians who live in the United States and Europe. In some cases, Palestinian-owned ICT businesses outside Palestine are outsourcing software development and the research-and-development side of their businesses to Palestinian companies in the West Bank and Gaza. Access to the Palestinian market and free movement of people and goods, such as computer hardware, is hindered by Israel’s strict control of borders, especially in and out of Gaza.

Re c e n t l y, t h e I s r a e l i m i l i t a r y administration agreed to release 2G frequencies for Watanyia to use in Gaza and to release frequencies for both Jawwal and Watanyia to provide 3G services in both the West Bank and Gaza. It remains to be seen if the Israeli military authority will honor this promise. It’s expected that the new services will be available to the Palestinian public in mid-2017.

Palestine is a young society; youth comprise 30 percent of the total population, 38.1 percent of whom are adolescents (15–19 years old) and 61.9 percent are youth (20– 29 years old). With human capital regarded as the most important input for IT development, modernizing the education system is vital to the creation of a suitable and sustainable enabling environment.

Similar to any growing economy, the development of the Palestinian telecommunications industry leads to the need to use advanced IT services. Despite the severe Israeli restrictions on technology import and export, the information technology industry in the Palestinian territory has witnessed rapid growth since 1994; the sector currently employs around 8,500 individuals working in 600 companies. It is estimated that the sector has a total volume of production of around US$ 900 million, which is 6.1 percent of the Palestinian GDP, and is still growing rapidly, with an annual increase of around 10 percent.

Photo courtesy of Wataniya Mobile.

land to erect their towers. In the meantime, Palestinian operators are not allowed to build infrastructure in Area C (that today constitutes more than 60 percent of the West Bank area), which leaves their Palestinian residents with no alternative but to use the available Israeli service providers.

Despite the Israeli siege of the sector, unfair competition from Israeli operators, and the restriction on infrastructure development in Area C, Paltel operates 400,000 fixed lines in the West Bank and Gaza. As for the 2G services, Jawwal provides more than 2 million lines, and its competitor 8

However, recent studies have revealed that the private sector is not able to absorb a sufficient number of ICT graduates; the unemployment rate among computer science graduates and related disciplines is estimated to be 45.8 percent in Gaza and 17.6 percent in the West Bank.

Only after the establishment of the PNA was the Palestinian IT industry able to emerge. After 1995, the newly established PNA administration and the private sector invested in hardware and software. The development of enterprise-resource-planning (ERP) software packages (financial and accounting packages) boomed, and a number of independent ISPs emerged. All 13 universities in the West Bank and Gaza now have ICT departments, with a total enrollment of over 8,000 students, graduating 2,500 students annually to meet the demand for a qualified workforce able to drive the new ICT

The Palestinian education system gives students minimal interaction with technology and does not stimulate problem-solving skills or innovative thinking. Various in-depth analyses of the Palestinian higher education system have revealed serious flaws in the three main components of the education process: assessment methods, curriculum design, and teaching methods. As such, the skills of Palestinian graduates currently fall below the skill requirements of local companies. Moreover, the high cost and long hours required to train new graduates discourage local companies 9

Photo courtesy of PalTel.

from investing in capacity building as they cannot expect a quick return on their investment, especially when considering the volatile political and economic environment. The international community, governments, NGOs, and big international IT corporations such as Cisco and Google have invested in training Palestinian graduates and have in some cases provided venture capital for young entrepreneurs to start their own software businesses. Others have outsourced programming and services to Palestinian IT businesses.

released by Israel, and the PNA needs to provide an enabling environment, take the lead in building the e-Government infrastructure, and move this matter beyond the political division between the West Bank and Gaza. Mashhour Abudaka holds a master’s degree in engineering from the Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, UK, and a PhD and DIC in engineering from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine at the University of London, UK. He has taught at Birzeit University, was executive director of the Palestinian IT Association of Companies (PITA), and served as Minister of Transport (2007–2009) and Minister of Telecom (2009–2012).

For the IT industr y to seriously advance, move forward, and provide desperately needed jobs for thousands of unemployed young graduates, 3G and 4G frequencies have to be

THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN INTERIM AGREEMENT ON THE WEST BANK AND THE GAZA STRIP, Annex III - ARTICLE 36, Telecommunications, Article D, September 1995, available at http://www.miftah.org/Doc/ Documents/IPInterim.pdf.

Connecting Palestinians since 1999

aunched in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 1999, Jawwal, the Palestine Cellular Communications Company Ltd., is the first and leading mobile operator in Palestine. It offers its services to 2.9 million subscribers, employs more than 900 people, and has a network that covers 99 percent of urban Palestine with an extensive roaming network of 436 operators in 170 countries. Jawwal boasts 24 major showrooms in Palestine – 16 in the West Bank and 8 in Gaza; 5 service centers for strategic clients; 400 main and sub-distributors;

Abdul Majeed Melhem, general manager of Jawwal, Palestine Cellular Telecommunications Company Ltd.

and literally thousands of points of sale. Jawwal is an integrated economic entity of Palestine Telecommunications Company (Paltel Group), which in turn is a telecommunications leader in Palestine, established in 1997 as a public shareholding company. The group is the number one employer among the private sector, with around 3,000 employees in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, making it the largest employer after the Palestinian government. Being a pioneer in promoting international

standards of environment preservation in Palestine, Jawwal was awarded the globally recognized International Environmental Management System Certificate (ISO 14001) in 2006. At the helm of Jawwal is Abdul Majeed Melhem who was appointed as general manager in October 2014. Mr. Melhem is entrusted with maintaining the company’s strategic market positioning while strengthening its commercial and financial reputation and expanding its influence throughout the IT sector in Palestine. In order to carry out this formidable task, Melhem worked ceaselessly to strengthen the company internally by adopting the following as Jawwal’s mission statement:

Jawwal headquarters in Ramallah.

• We listen to our subscribers, individual and corporate alike, and strive to satisfy their changing needs • We actively work to develop a national network that is reliable and trusted • We are committed to setting a leading example of professionalism and integrity by grooming a worldclass team of professionals • We constantly showcase innovation in overcoming the challenges we face, aiming to realize desired growth and fulfill our vision. 12

Professionalism is at work at the Jawwal headquarters.

Jawwal does not simply follow up on technological advances, but more importantly, as Melhem notes, Jawwal in fact leads technology in Palestine. It seeks to keep pace with the most modern developments through upgrading and strengthening its own network in addition to providing Jawwal subscribers with the latest smart applications to benefit individuals, corporations, families, and students. Sahlana Hayatak (We made your life easier) is an umbrella term that is used for a number of applications developed internally at Jawwal, along with applications developed by major international companies. The Fleet Management System, which is based on the GPRS system and gives corporations control over their fleets, is one example of an application included under this umbrella. The Hisabi (My account) application, another example, allows both individuals and corporations to monitor and manage their accounts with extreme ease. In addition, Jawwal tailors programs for various segments of society and offers competitive prices based on the needs of each segment. One such program is the Ana Hurr (I am free) package that offers Palestinian youth (16- to 25-year-olds) unlimited airtime and messages with nine other subscribers for one shekel per day. Jawwal misses no opportunity to sponsor every major technology exhibition that is held in Palestine, and launches technology-related educational initiatives to support young Palestinians, such as the We code initiative, which aims to teach young Palestinians

coding skills with the aid of international experts, and the Hour of Code global initiative, which introduces computer science and basic coding to around 200 Palestinian schools through Paltel Foundation. Furthermore, Jawwal is a major sponsor for sports and youth activities across Palestine. Similar to all telecommunication companies around the world, Jawwal faces the challenge of over-the-top (OTT) services, which result in the decrease of voice calls and messages due to platforms such as Viber and WhatsApp, etc., which bypass the operator in the control or distribution of the content. Although just about every other telecom company worldwide can compensate for its losses through selling data via 3G and 4G technology, politics weighs in heavily here and Palestine stills awaits Israeli permission to acquire 3G technology. Melhem notes that Palestine is possibly the only country in the world that is still investing to acquire 3G, let alone 4G! Unfair competition is yet another challenge that Jawwal faces. Major Israeli telecom operators strengthen their signals in illegal settlements in Palestinian territory, thus providing open access to 3G and 4G services. In addition, the Israeli authorities impose numerous restrictions on the import of key equipment and create other obstacles that hinder Jawwal’s ability to package and offer value-added services. Yet since its inception in 1999, despite continuing political and economic 14

instability, including fierce illegal competition, Jawwal has been able to grow and develop, gaining market recognition for operating in highly adverse conditions and winning the trust of more than 2.90 million subscribers to date. It would be an understatement to say that the journey has not been easy; however, Jawwal’s achievement is a result of rigorous planning and determination in the face of huge challenges. Jawwal’s team has long set its heart on providing the best service to subscribers and fulfilling their needs.

a key role in expanding the footprint of Paltel regionally in neighboring countries by signing agreements with major international companies. Melhem has had more than seventeen years of professional experience in the telecommunications sector, holding several key managerial positions. He is currently a member of the executive committee of Paltel Group. He is also a board member of VTel Jordan and Palestine Industrial Investment Company (PIIC). He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Hebron University and received his executive training from renowned international institutions such as Harvard Business School and INSEAD.

Prior to assuming his current position as general manager of Jawwal, Abdul Majeed Melhem spent four years as general manager of Paltel, the Palestine Telecommunications Company, the national fixed-line operator. He played

Photos courtesy of Jawwal.

In a highlighted box Jawwal Milestones • 1999: Commercial launch of Jawwal in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip • 2000: Jawwal network utilizes a frequency of 4.8MHz, the minimum frequency required for any GSM operator • 2001: Israeli authorities seize Jawwal equipment • 2002: Jawwal halts the sale of lines to maintain a quality, dependable coverage that matches network capacity • 2005: Jawwal installs switches and base stations in London, UK, enabling further expansion of line sales • 2005: Jawwal exceeds the 500,000-subscriber mark • 2006: Jawwal was granted the International Environmental Management System Certificate (ISO 14001)

• 2 0 0 7 : J a w w a l r e s u m e s commercial sales • 2007: Jawwal crosses the 1 million-subscriber mark • 2007: Jawwal stops sales in the Gaza Strip following the destruction of infrastructure by Israeli aggression on the Strip • 2 0 1 0 : J a w w a l c u s t o m e r base surpasses the 2 millionsubscriber mark • 2 0 1 1 : J a w w a l i m p r o v e s network support through new equipment and stations • 2 0 1 2 : J a w w a l p r o v i d e s professional and quality services to more than 2.45 million subscribers • 2 0 1 6 : J a w w a l p r o v i d e s professional and quality services to more than 2.90 million subscribers

The Sector of Hope Palestineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hi-Tech Industry By Yahya Al-Salqan

uring the 1960s and 1970s, Palestinian educators throughout the Arab world were helping in the creation of many modern countries. In the 1980s, Palestinian universities became the first choice for Palestinians to receive their higher education, including engineering and technological sciences. In the 1990s, especially after the formation of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), many software companies were established. Towards the end of the year 2000, the second Palestinian Intifada started, and it continued for many years. Even during those harsh days almost all the Palestinian hi-tech companies resorted to the cyber world. Today, Palestinian hi-tech companies are the only ones in the Arab world that have an R&D relationship and engage in projects with many multinational companies. Microsoft Cortana, the speech interface of Microsoftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mobile operating system, is developed in Ramallah. The Intel Small Business Advantage (SBA), more than 40 million copies of which were sold worldwide by Intel, was also developed and maintained by Palestinian engineers. In addition, many other similar projects are being executed by Palestinian companies for the benefit of such businesses as Cisco, HP, Fujitsu, and Oxford University, to name just a few. The majority of Palestinian homes are equipped and linked to the Internet, and the usage of smartphones is growing fast, beating their economic abilities and GDP math and statistics. Almost every year, Palestinian universities release 3,000 graduates with computer engineering and science degrees into the job market. I believe we have a choice to make: either we utilize this flux of engineers to build a knowledge- and innovation-based 16

economy, or we convert them into a new wave of migrants. I argue, based on almost 20 years of experience in this field, that Palestine is in need of all possible talent in order to build a smart, hi-tech, innovation-based economy. I would even argue that we really have no other choice but to capitalize on our human capital where hi-tech is a clear manifestation of our talented young nation.

he private sector and government need to continue to expand their current efforts to create an innovationenabling environment by providing incentives to the hi-tech sector, enacting the Telecommunications Regulator, and making sure that our organizations are using local products and solutions. I am confident that the introduction of 3G service, hopefully soon, will be a push towards more mobile apps and innovations.

I know itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not easy. It involves the government, the private sector, and the educational apparatus to build a successful economy. We, for example, at the Palestine Information Technology Association of Companies (PITA), believe that we carry a heavy burden on our shoulders. On the one hand, we need to continue the growth we have witnessed during the past several years and create more jobs, especially for our fresh graduates. We must expand our market reach beyond the Palestinian market both regionally and internationally; we must work with the government to foster an innovationsupporting environment by changing the legal and legislative framework to include more progressive laws, convert governmental services to e-services, and allow innovative solutions to find their way into government services and solutions. In addition, we must give priority to the local hi-tech sector, especially to software solutions.

For example, during the second Intifada, the vast majority of the IT private-sector companies endured the hardships associated with many years of closures, some of them actually continued to hire during those years. Recognizing the importance of innovation and the role that startups play, PITA established the non-profit incubator Palestine Information and Communication Technology (PICTI. StartUPs). Since 2002, PICTI.StartUPs has been nur turing the star tups ecosystem and providing the needed training in order to put entrepreneurs on track to succeed.

The private sector has done a great job in developing the hi-tech industry.

Internet service provision is another good example that shows the willingness of the private sector to invest heavily in this high technology. Before 2010, we had only a few Internet Service Providers (ISPs); today, after the introduction of the bitstream access model, we have around twenty, which constitutes an increase of more than 200 percent. The cost of the Internet has dropped by at least 4000 percent, and the average Internet speed has jumped from 128 Kbps to 8 Mbps (a 6250 percent increase), whereas the number of Internet users has increased more than 200 percent. Of course, this progress could not have been achieved without the huge investment that has been put forward by the private sector. In fact, many ISPs are still investing in infrastructure even though they need to recoup their original investment. Thus, the infrastructure for Internet delivery through fiber and broadband has been significantly revitalized and modernized to the point that the delivery of highspeed broadband is now attainable.

Nevertheless, there remain a number of highly important issues that must be resolved in order to enable this sector to continue its growth: The Telecommunications Regulator is yet to be established. The “law on the encouragement of investment” came up short in acknowledging in its last amendment the fact that the hi-tech sector’s main assets are human capital and the R&D effort – and not machinery or any other type of assets. Palestine suffers from the lack of a legal framework to drive e-commerce, e-government, and mobile payment such as e-signature; there is an urgent need for laws to address such issues as anticompetitive practice, e-crime, and cybercrime, just to name a few. It is my belief that the ICT sector (hi-tech sector) is our main hope for an innovation- and knowledge-based economy. The Palestinian brain is our treasure, and the hi-tech sector is the embodiment of the creative output of our collective national brain. The question is: Will we be able to pull it off and truly build a modern society? Are we truly ready for an innovation-based economy? I think we can, we should, and we are because I think we have no other options.

Mobile operators show great perseverance as they continue to invest in infrastructure; they have done all that is needed to invest in a 3G network, even though they are lacking access to frequency and are severely hampered by heavy restrictions imposed on the impor t of equipment, especially to Gaza. Even though almost a year has passed since an agreement was signed with Israel stipulating the release of 3G frequency, Palestinians have yet to experience 3G service – while users worldwide are embracing and enjoying 4G networks.

Let’s hope that 3G service will be launched soon. I would like to call upon all sectors of our society to take advantage of this impor tant change: banks could provide FinTech – financial services with better utilization of technology; government could provide e-gov and m-gov services; the educational sector could improve the digitization and modernization of the educational and school system; entrepreneurs could provide mobile solutions and apps to address the challenges we face in daily life and business. Needless to say, lots of work

As the private sector is ready to further invest in hi-tech infrastructure and its related services, the good news is that, under PITA’s leadership, a solid partnership exists with the government.

Jordan – whose borders and airports are open for export and import, who own their own frequencies, and who are wide open for all the Gulf businesses – are doing all the above, don’t we need to do the same or even more?

is required to revitalize, or even start, our health informatics system. We are not the only ones in the region who look towards hi-tech as an impor tant factor for economic development. Lebanon for example, a country with which Palestine shares several commonalities, has recently launched a $400 million stimulus package for banks called Circular 331 that aims to boost investment in startups. It has worked. Today, the entrepreneurship scene in Lebanon is unrecognizable compared to what it was three years ago. Circular 331 encourages investment in local startups by offering to private banks seven-year interest-free government loans that can be invested in treasury bonds. The deal is that the banks must then invest their own money (up to 3 percent of their total capital holdings) in local startups, either via funds or directly. The central bank guarantees 75 percent of any capital invested. The program’s main objectives are to slow and eventually reverse Lebanon’s famous brain drain and stimulate entrepreneurship. Circular 331 has, by and large, significantly reduced the capital hurdle that Lebanese entrepreneurs had been facing in the past. There are now investors, accelerators, incubators, and startups in the entrepreneurship ecosystem that create a pipeline of startups and supporters at and for different stages of growth. In a nutshell, Circular 331 has changed the landscape of technology and entrepreneurship in Lebanon. Jordan, on the other hand, has canceled taxes on the hitech sector, which has provided a significant push to the Jordanian ICT sector that is hoping to become more competitive not only in Jordan but also in the region. Since Lebanon and

Finally, I believe that the development and advancement of the Palestinian hi-tech sector is a national security and sovereignty issue. It should no longer be accepted that this sector has no incentives. And this is a call to our organizations, government, businesses, banks, and NGOs to measure the level of modernizing their systems and what percentage of which are local products. If Intel, Cisco, Microsoft, and many others trust Palestinian talent, don’t we also need to hire our hi-tech solutions? I believe that we have all the success components to build a modern Palestine. I am hopeful. Dr. Yahya Al-Salqan is the chairman of the board of the Palestine IT Association of companies- PITA, chairman of Palestine ICT Incubator-PICTI.StartUps, and CEO and co-founder of i-Jaffa. Net – a leading software-development company. Dr. Al-Salqan is an Internet security expert with nine internationally (USA, EU) registered patents. Before starting Jaffa.Net Software, he worked as senior engineer at Sun Microsystems in the Silicon Valley, USA, and as a NASA consultant. He chaired 6 IEEE international conferences in the United States (at MIT and Stanford), Korea, and Tunisia, and has published more than 50 refereed articles. He has been invited to speak at many international conferences (RSA, JavaOne). He has a B.Sc. in electrical engineering from Birzeit University, an M.Sc. from American University, Washington DC, and a Ph.D. in EECS from the University of Illinois, USA. He enjoys painting and modern art in his free time.

Heating Up the Fight against Cancer A High-Tech Startup Based in Jerusalem By Anan Copty

reast cancer is the second most common cancer in the world. There are about 1.7 million new cases worldwide each year. Although breast cancer is mainly an issue for women, men are affected in 1 out of every 100 cases. It ranks as the fifth most prevalent cause of death from the overall types of cancer, yet the survival rate in developed countries can reach 80 percent. Poor countries have a lower survival rate of 40 percent, mainly attributed to a late-stage detection of tumors. Women over the age of 40 are generally recommended to have a mammogram (an X-ray image of the breast) at least once a year. Traditional treatments of breast cancer include surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. For early-stage cancers, when the tumor is less then 4 cm in size, surgery known as lumpectomy is usually recommended. Typically, the tumor is removed along with an extra margin of tissue from the breast to ensure that no cancer cells remain. The procedure is followed by radiotherapy to terminate any cancer cells that were not removed by the surgery. In some cases, when the cancers are more advanced and invasive, mastectomy or complete removal of the breast tissue is performed. This may be followed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy, according to the oncologist’s recommendation. Today, the patients are more involved in the treatment options due to the emotional and lifestyle changes associated with the treatment process. Women patients and their families need to make educated, well-researched decisions that meet their specific needs and should challenge the accepted norms if they find them inappropriate. 20

The application of noninvasive medical treatment against cancer used in NIMD. Image courtesy of the author.

According to researchers in the field, too many patients have opted for a complete mastectomy while a minimal lumpectomy would have provided the same results according to the latest clinical studies.

oninvasive medical treatment used in NIMD applies nanotechnology by administering nanoparticles that, due to their specific size, attach to cancer cells only. When heated with microwave radiation, these particles destroy the cancer cells, leaving the surrounding tissue intact with minimal side effects.

After witnessing many local friends from Jerusalem impacted by this deadly disease, I began to explore the possibility of creating a more viable treatment for cancer. Using my background in localized microwave interaction studies with human biological tissue during my doctoral studies in physics, my prior experiences in Boston at Harvard Medical School and at a research and development company, I embarked on extensive research on the topic of cancer treatment in order to eventually develop a suitable technology. In January 2015, two Palestinian scientists from Jerusalem – myself, a physicist, and Dr. Butros Hallac, a physical chemist – established a startup company for this purpose. The two of us met while working at Intel Corporation. After examining the technology and the market needs, we quit our secure jobs and were fully dedicated to establishing NIMD (noninvasive medical devices) in January 2015.

and nanotechnology. Nanoparticles, about 1,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair, are injected into the patient’s body either through direct or intravenous injections. The nanoparticles are able to find their way to the tumors through a specialized biological process called the “enhanced permeability and retention” effect and attach to cancer cells only. A microwave system with a microwave antenna or applicator is placed just above the patient’s skin. A microwave beam from the applicator is focused on the tumor where the attached nanoparticles absorb this beam more effectively than the surrounding tissue. In this way, only cancer tissue is heated to ablative temperatures (or temperatures above 50°C) that kill

NIMD Ltd, a new Jerusalem-based startup, has come up with an innovative medical device to help tackle the cancer treatment problem. The solution is based on microwave radiation 21

cancer cells while healthy cells remain unaffected as their temperature remains close to normal body temperature. The technology may be applicable to breast cancer, skin cancer, head and neck cancer, and other localized solid-tumor cancers.

devices was embraced by local cancer specialists from the Palestinian, Israeli, US, and European communities. We are currently expanding our advisory board and board of directors to include wellrespected physicians, strategists, and business experts. NIMD is also actively raising capital and looking for strategic partners to continue its operations at home and abroad.

We have tested the technology on human-like models and on mice injected with breast cancer cells. The results were exceptional, and we are currently conducting more advanced animal studies in preparation for human clinical trials. With this technology, we believe that we can provide an alternative to surgery, preserving the shape of the breast and improving the quality of life for patients. Furthermore, as the procedure uses microwave frequencies, just like the ones used in mobile phones, the radiation is nonionizing and may provide an alternative to conventional treatments which are costly and have side effects.

We believe that our device can also be extremely helpful for the medical community in Palestine as it can, in many cases, provide an alternative to radiotherapy and surgery for patients with early-stage breast cancer. At present, the Israeli government prohibits radiotherapy in the Palestinian territories. Cancer patients from the West Bank and Gaza often travel to Jerusalemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Augusta Victoria Hospital to receive radiotherapy treatment. As the technology of NIMD is very low power, compact, and versatile, we hope that it can reach every cancer-treatment center in Palestine, thus helping to save lives and improve the quality of life for patients worldwide.

One of our main challenges was the almost nonexistent startup ecosystem that suppor ts such projects. Most startups in the Palestinian community in Ramallah or even Nazareth are focused on software development, information technology, gaming, and travel services, among others. This is also very common in the surrounding Arab countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt. Medical-device companies require a substantially higher investment and are multidisciplinary and multi-national in nature. In order for a medical-device company to have its products penetrate the European and American markets, there must be a broad set of stringent regulatory standards, such as those of the FDA in the United States and CE marking in Europe. Clinical studies and research publications at wellrespected academic hospitals are essential, especially if the technology is considered innovative or disruptive. These requirements involve huge costs for a startup to reach its goals.

Anan Copty received a BS from Gordon College, an MS from Boston College, and a PhD in physics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has worked at the Harvard Physics Department in particle-trapping experiments, the Harvardâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Smithsonian Astrophysics Center, the Harvard Medical School, and as staff scientist at Radiation Monitoring Devices, Boston. During his PhD studies, he developed nearfield microwave applicators to study the interaction of microwaves with biological media. Anan joined Intel in 2004 where he worked in the area of research and development of new technologies and later on led the Intel device physics group in the startup phases of 45nm, 22nm, and 14nm technologies. Anan founded Noninvasive Medical Devices in 2015, a startup involved in cancer treatment through microwave heating coupled with nanotechnology (www.NIMD-Ltd. com). Anan is married and the proud father of two children.

The concept of noninvasive medical 22

e-Government in Palestine By Wassim Abdullah

he discussions about e-Government in Palestine started around 2005 at the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology (MTIT), and were followed by numerous studies and workshops that took place with a view to get acquainted with the experience of other countries. International organizations such as OECD, UNDP, and the World Bank supported the initiative. The experiences of many countries were studied, including Ireland, Italy, the United States, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, and Tunis, and although more than one repor t about the project was produced, there was no actual implementation on the ground because stakeholders were unable to reach consensus.

in IT systems – their development and application – as well as in data security. It has already left its mark in Europe and in many other countries as a model and training resource in e-Government. It is remarkable that Estonia’s population is smaller than that of Gaza (less than 1.4 million), yet Estonians have created one of the most developed e-Government systems. President Toomas Ilves, who met with Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and President Mahmoud Abbas in June 2010, said during a speech in Ramallah that information technology, e-Government, and e-Governance enables a country with a small population to advance and to play in the larger League of Nations on equal footing.

-Government is normally defined as the services shared between government ministries and institutions, n a m e l y, g o v e r n m e n t to government (G-G), government to businesses (GB), or government to citizens (G-C).

to Estonia for training and a firsthand look at the way things were done. The project is ongoing, and Palestine has adopted the Estonian model of e-Government based upon the X-Road concept of interconnections.i

The relationship between Palestine and Estonia started in May 2008 with the Palestinian Ministry of Interior and the e-Governance Academy under the watchful eye of the Estonian Foreign Ministry. A number of consultants came from Estonia to train Palestinians, and numerous teams from the various ministries and IT departments went

To ensure the continuation of the e-Government program with the Estonians, it was transferred from the Ministry of Interior to the MTIT after the cabinet reshuffle in September 2009, and the appointment of Dr. Mashhour Abudaka as the Minister of

When the Annapolis conference about the Middle East took place in the Unites States in November 2007 followed by the Paris conference in December 2007, a total of $7.4 billion in assistance to the Palestinian Authority was pledged, well over the pre-conference goal of $5.6 billion. The foreign minister of Estonia, Mr. Urmas Paet, pledged a contribution of 12 million Kroon (0.8 million Euros, about one million US$) to Palestine. A letter was sent to him signed by the Minister of Interior at the time, Brigadier General Abel Razzaq Al-Yahya, asking for this money to be used for the development of e-Government in Palestine. An immediate positive reply was sent back, and this initiated long-term cooperation between Palestine and Estonia.

The Five Main Layers of e-Government; CIRT refers to a computer incident response team. Graph courtesy of Palestinian Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology.

Estonia is among the most advanced countries 24

Telecommunications and Information Technology. The program then continued at full throttle with more technical cooperation and two-way visits to Estonia. In addition, a most valuable and necessary addition to the e-Government program was the cooperation with Birzeit University and the phenomenal work done by Dr. Mustafa Jarrar and his team to develop the most comprehensive “interoperability” program and project that defined and unified all the terms, words, institutions, and names, etc. that e-Government personnel, computers, and the general population will use to inter-communicate accurately and seamlessly. The culmination of this project was embodied in ZINNAR, the interoperability framework, a first in the Arab world.ii

e-Government in Palestine are those that provide a small number of G-G services. Additional services are in the pipeline for more G-G services as well and the introduction of some G-B services with the cooperation of the private sector. It goes without saying that there are many infrastructure and hardware requirements needed in order to implement the X-Road, in addition to the proper security system to access it and communicate over it. For this reason, the success of the project starts by defining a particular service that is needed by the government, by a business, or by a citizen; for instance, obtaining or renewing a driver’s license. Numerous items are

necessary: an ID (from the Ministry of Interior), the previous driver’s license or proof that the applicant passed the driving exam (from the Ministry of Transport), the results of an eye exam and a blood-sugar test (from the Ministry of Health), proof that all fines have been paid (from the Ministry of Finance), etc. Each piece of information is stored on a different ministry’s server. The X-Road system allows access by authenticated and authorized personnel to check and obtain this information before the application has been processed and the new driver’s license is issued. Any other service provision must go through the same process of authentication and interconnection

between the various databases in order to be complete. For the database of each ministry or institution to be connected to the X-Road, it must have a security server and an adapter server whose function is to convert only that part of the data needed to complete a service into the appropriate format for use over the X-Road. Thus the integrity of the original data on that database remains intact. (See diagram.) The project, which is still under the direction of the MTIT, has benefited from a number of cabinet resolutions. However, it is wor th investigating the real reasons that the program is moving forward at such a slow pace.

Although there were numerous studies and attempts to develop e-Government in Palestine, the various Palestinian ministries and other governmental institutions were not starting from zero; in other words, each ministry already had its own system, computers, and servers, and its own operating software to do its work. Each IT employee was sitting in his or her comfort zone and was reluctant to change. These were the real difficulties that prevented any success prior to the Estonian X-Road model. The X-Road model star ts with the impor tant concept of keeping each database as is and avoids any interference into the inner working of each IT depar tment. The X-Road concept concentrates on HOW to interconnect the various databases in a secure and safe manner. It took numerous training and discussion sessions among ALL stakeholders to reach a unified vision and understanding, eventually leading to their accepting that this would be the best way to go for Palestine. Thus everybody got on board and the project started to move from the theoretical into the practical domain. The Estonian Government supports the Palestinian Authority in the implementation of e-Government services via its X-Road concept on interconnections. Graph courtesy of Estonian e-Governance Academy.

So far, the functioning programs of 26

A thorough investigation into those who benefit from a system that is not automated and not transparent should be initiated. Such hurdles may be found in all governmental and nongovernmental institutions, and only a serious and sustained effort to overcome these delays can lead Palestine to implement many more services for all sectors of the population. This is a vital project for Palestine. Other countries that started after Palestine are already ahead of us.

the electronic ser vices and the government portal is being prepared. Difficulties remain, however, such as the legal framework, private-public par tnerships, a national center for certifications and digital signatures, cer tif ying authority, electronic payment, e-security, PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) policy, and of course, the necessary finances and know-how to avoid any false sense of security and arrive at a trustworthy, functional, broad, and secure system.

Much of the infrastr ucture for the gover nment networks and interconnections is already complete and functional: Fiber optic cables and VPN networks link more than 94 government institutions and 606 branches, the X-Road network, the Government Computer Center, the Technical and innovation training center, etc. In addition, a national committee for ZINNAR has been established, and another technical committee, PALCERT, has also been established for data security and data protection; the system of identifying i

Eng. Wassim Abdullah is a veteran electronics and telecommunications engineer with over 40 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience in varied projects in European and Middle Eastern countries. He has worked as the ICT consultant to a number of ministers in Palestine, including two ministers of telecommunications and information technology and the minister of interior. He initiated the relationship between Estonia and Palestine and was the coordinator of the e-Government project in Palestine, which is presently under the leadership of the MTIT.

For more information on X-Road and the Estonian eGA, please visit https://e-estonia.com/component/x-road/ and www.ega.ee.

For more information, please visit www.zinnar.pna.ps.

Unleashing the Digital Economy in Palestine Lifting Restrictions and Fostering Better Regulation

By Carlo Maria Rossotto and Xavier Decoster

World Bank report issued in February 2016 estimates that over the last three years the total accumulated revenue from the Palestinian mobile sector would have been over US$ 1 billion higher if the restrictions on this sector had been lifted. The associated fiscal losses of the Palestinian Authority (for the same period) are estimated at as high as US$ 184 million, counting non-collected VAT alone. This amount equals up to 3 percent of the GDP. Israeli operators transmit towards Nablus and capture a significant segment of the West Bank market. Photo courtesy of the World Bank.

The report “Missed Opportunities for Economic Development” highlights how the Palestinian telecom sector suffers from a number of constraints that claim a heavy toll on the economy, the consumer, and the Palestinian Authority. The sector has been hindered by years of delay in launching mobile broadband,i the presence of unauthorized Israeli operators in the Palestinian market, restrictions on importing equipment, and the absence of an independent regulator.

Israeli operators are currently capturing around 30 percent of the West Bank market in volume.ii Restrictive Israeli measures have significantly affected the development of the Palestinian telecommunications sector. These include restrictions on the import of equipment for telecom and ICT companies, the prevention of Palestinian service providers to access (and thus fully operate in) Area C, the more than 60 percent of the West Bank that is under Israeli control, and the requirement that Palestinian operators go through an Israeli-registered company to access international links. The second Palestinian mobile operator, Wataniya, has not been able to start its operations in Gaza due to Israeli restrictions on accessing a spectrum and importing material. As a result, Gaza remains a mobile-monopoly market structure, when most countries in the world have healthy competition in this market segment.

“With the unemployment rate at 26 percent, the Palestinian telecom sector has the potential to boost the economy and create job opportunities,” said Steen Lau Jorgensen, World Bank Country Director for West Bank and Gaza. “In order for that to happen, Palestinian operators should be able to access resources similar to those of their neighbors.” In late 2015, an agreement with Israel was reached to release 3G spectrum to the West Bank. This agreement has not yet been implemented (October 2016), however, and even when it is put into operation, the Palestinian operators will remain at a competitive disadvantage because Israeli operators have 4G / LTE capabilities and are able to attract higher value customers. Unauthorized

Despite these constraints, the Palestinian authorities have adopted a liberal licensing regime for Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and there are more than 20 ISPs that have rights to invest directly in and operate a broadband infrastructure. Few other countries in the MENA region have

Israeli towers in Psagot Settlement. Photo courtesy of the World Bank.

adopted such an approach. “The liberal approach could significantly improve Internet access if existing bilateral and regulatory constraints are alleviated,” said Carlo Rossotto, Lead ICT Policy Specialist at the World Bank. “The potential economic returns will be significant if the regulatory obstacles are addressed. In particular, full access to spectrum resources is essential for the development of the broadband industry nowadays. It is not a nice-to-have item anymore. Every expert would agree that it is a must-have.” The independent regulatory authority has yet to be established, as stipulated by the 2009 law. At present, the Palestinian Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology remains the sole regulator, responsible for all pricing, licensing, and operational issues. The Palestinian Authority has taken steps to liberalize the market, but there are significant concerns of market dominance and a high pricing regime. Carlo Maria Rossotto is Lead ICT Specialist at the World Bank and currently leads its activities in the Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Middle East and North African regions, covering broadband investment and telecom reform, eGovernment and IT in government, and IT industry development. He studied at the London School of Economics and at Università Bocconi in Milan and speaks Italian, English, and French, also has some knowledge of Spanish, Arabic, and Russian. Xavier Decoster is a consultant and ICT Policy Specialist in the World Bank’s Global Practice for Transport and ICT. He is an ICT engineer and holds a master of international affairs (Paris Institute of Political Science). He has been working for the bank since 2015, and has more than 10 years of experience in regulatory economics and spectrum policy. i

Wimax equipment in Gaza is installed but not operational due to the lack of access to broadband. Photo courtesy of the World Bank.

The Oslo Agreement states: “Israel recognizes that the Palestinian side has the right to build and operate separate and independent communication systems and infrastructures including telecommunication networks, a television network and a radio network.”

World Bank Group, “Telecommunication Sector N o t e i n t h e Pa l e s t i n i a n Te r r i t o r i e s : M i s s e d Oppor tunity for Economic Development,” February 2016, p. 7, available at https://openknowledge. worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/24019/ Te l e c o m m u n i c a t 0 e c o n o m i c 0 d e v e l o p m e n t . pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.

Venture Capital and High Tech in Palestine By Laith Kassis

time during which these experts share their wealth of knowledge on business strategies and markets. Angel investors provide moneys via convertible notes and SAFEs (simple agreements for future equity, equity constituting shares that form an ownership stake). They do so primarily in order to reduce legal costs, cut transaction overhead, and save time in closing a deal, because such agreements transfer equity in the company to the investor only at a later date – and sometimes, in the case of a failed startup, not at all.

onver tible notes and SAFEs are ideal structures to be used for seed and VC funding in Palestine to accelerate more companies as friction-free mechanisms.

the initial investment – which can be accomplished through a merger, acquisition, or initial public offering (IPO). Hence, part of the selection at the outset is to have an exit plan for the venture.

VC firms or funds invest in early-stage companies in exchange for equity in the companies in which they invest. They target entrepreneurial startups and small businesses that are believed to have long-term growth potential. VC is generally used only in high-growth industries, where risk is much higher.

Crowdfunding is similar to VC in that it is ready to take on a high-risk idea, even when there is a probability that

n the context of our nation’s small size and geographical distance from many global commercial centers, with access further restricted by the Israeli occupation, and due to the limited natural resources available in Palestine, Palestinian leaders are well aware that the fostering of knowledge-based industries is vital to the nation’s economy. The Palestinian Authority has issued a vision statement for the economic future of a Palestinian state that asserts, “Palestinian economy is open to other markets around the world, striving to produce competitive goods and services of high value, and aiming over the long term to establish a knowledge-based economy.”i Knowledge-based economy and innovation are key to creating higher-paying jobs, new technologies, and better standards of living. As thoroughly reported in TWiP’s May 2016 issue themed Palestinian Startups, Palestine has developed incubation and acceleration programs that provide funding through development agencies in the very early stages of development. For small startups and up-andcoming businesses in emerging industries, seed funding and venture capital is generally provided by high-net-worth individuals (HNIs), also known as angel investors, by early-stage venture-capital (VC) firms, and by crowdfunding initiatives. The startup firms targeted usually promise future monetary value based on innovative technology or business models (intellectual property), frequently in high-technology industries such as information technology (IT), social media, or biotechnology. Angel investors are wealthy individuals, the majority of whom are business executives or entrepreneurs themselves. Their investment in startups follows or overlaps with the incubation and acceleration stages and involves not only monetary support but also mentoring 36

But these investors take on these risks in the hopes that some of the businesses they support will bring in high returns. For the startups, venture capital is an essential source of funds because there are generally no physical assets or personal guarantees from the entrepreneur that could qualify as collateral to secure debt financing from banks. The VC fund normally takes an active role, granting strategic advice and expert knowledge in areas from financing to business models and marketing. Importantly, it aims to exit the company after a period of time – typically four to six years after

the startup may fail. Crowdfunding investors may lose their investment if a pre-order product, promised by the startup, cannot be delivered in case a business fails. A financial wizard with a banking background will not necessarily be suitable to manage venture capital and seed funds. Venture capitalists (like incubator and accelerator managers) are expected not just to manage financial assets but also to create new venture value. Risk tolerance and people skills are essential to manage entrepreneurs’ behavior during the 37

and what they can offer, other than money, by comparing term sheets and percentage of equity share in exchange for funding. Some members of the entrepreneurial community argue that entrepreneurs should not be restricted to a few VC funds but have more options to choose from. This would allow for more flexible term sheets and might enable entrepreneurs to negotiate lower equity shares in exchange for investment funding.

application for Android and HTML5 that combines audio, video conferencing, and chatting, and runs on opensource framework that provides communication networks for private branch exchange (PBX). Bootstrapping is a way of self-funding a startup in which limited resources make the sustaining and commercialization of an operation much more challenging. However, it allows entrepreneurs to retain the full share of equity on their investments. different rounds of financing: seed, early stage, and growth stages. Venture capitalists are generally passionate about growing high-growth companies.

support alone does not “save” startups in the valley of death (see char t). Here, the startup is still at pre-revenue stages, focusing on improving its minimum viable product and preparing to go to early-stage markets. It may secure some early sales, but not enough to sustain it. Since Palestine does not have an angel-investor network that is engaged in supporting star tups and willing to take on the necessary risks, VC funds here fill in the vacuum and have become essential in helping entrepreneurs with followon investment during their star tup lifecycle – but entrepreneurs miss out on the mentoring provided by angel investors. For the benefit of Palestinian startups, VC funds play well because from day one on they act as global players, linking emerging businesses with the world’s markets, resources, talent, ideas, and opportunities. The fund is typically staffed by a team with experience in global relationships and transactions, frequently introducing a global advisory board that draws talent and expertise from the Palestinian diaspora. Funds focus on helping startups achieve success by leveraging international value chains, the diaspora, and a global network of advisers, mentors, and partners.

In Palestine, above all there is the challenge of assisting star tups in developing market traction in regional and global markets since Palestine’s market does not substantiate the growth patterns needed by most startups. The challenge is to link Palestinian startups with global value chains and to secure follow-on investment with overseas VC funds or investors. According to Ernst & Young, about two-thirds of all VC in the world is concentrated in the United States, specifically in the Silicon Valley where a VC fund there is typically not used for seed stages or early funding. These rounds include funding from the 3 Fs: Family, Friends, and “Fools.” However, hoping for high returns on their investments, some of these fools may get lucky! Seed financing can also be secured from angel investors, seed-stage financing syndicates, and firms, as well as from incubators and accelerators. Hence, incubators and accelerator programs are taking an ultra-high risk on their portfolio of companies, and failures are the norm in the industry.

It is important to note here, however, that not all startups are VC or seedcapital backed. For example, I am currently “bootstrapping” a secure unified telephone communication

The Palestinian eco-system supports startups in their very early stages with incubation and acceleration programs that provide seed funding, but this 38

In the United States, typical funding amounts in angel and seed-investing stages range from a couple thousand US$ all the way to one million US$, whereas venture capital usually amounts to millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions of dollars. Promising Palestinian star tups can apply for $40,000 seed investments from Ibtikar and in the next stage aim to gain access to a follow-on investment in the US$ 200,000 range, as was the case with Mashvisorii during its startup and early-stage development.

ook for venturecapital funds that are more empathetic to entrepreneurs. Startups are difficult to grow. Entrepreneurs need support and help from their investors – not the other way around.

In some cases, VC funds have invested in Palestinians who live in Israel but engage in the occupied territories and strive to be part of the Palestinian entrepreneurship and innovation eco-system in the West Bank. They

Palestinian entrepreneurs are advised to exercise due diligence and inform themselves regarding the reputation of the VC funds with which they engage, inquiring about their capabilities

Startup Financing Cycle. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.iii 39

have also assisted entrepreneurs in raising considerable follow-on funding from foreign VC funds. For example, the European investment fund Global Founders Capital has invested $3.5 million in the Middle East hotel-booking startup Yamsafer, working in cooperation with Sadara Ventures, which had been supporting the star tup in earlier stages, along with some undisclosed US-based investors.iv Other Palestinian success stories were repor ted on Wamda website, focusing on eight Palestinian incubation programs and highlighting their successful portfolio of incubation startupsv such as Edunation accelerated at Arabreneur, or Shoobiddak incubated at PICTI, or Pinchpoint backed by Sadara Ventures, or Indiepush and Redcrow accelerated at Fast Forward.

On a similar note, do we want VC fund managers who can work well with other funds on co-investments, or just be concerned with maximizing their own fund returns? As the VC industry continues to evolve from its nascent stage, all these points are relevant topics that can affect the behavior of the Palestinian high-growth technology entrepreneurship sector, its future culture, and its engrained “DNA.” Laith Kassis is the managing partner of www.EnterVentures.ps, which provides consultancy, mentoring, and capacity building to entrepreneurial ventures while validating a business model for a soft-turret phone technology application on Android tablets that integrates with IP based Asterisk PBX. He is also a consultant in economic and private-sector development, and the co-founder of www.RuWWad. ME, a platform to profile the business models and pitches of entrepreneurs. Laith is a certified business incubation management trainer by the World Bank infoDev program.

The startup eco-system needs to reflect on what it is trying to accomplish with these investment vehicles, and whether the design and business models of the current funding structures fit that purpose – albeit all VC funds in Palestine are foreign registered. Do we want to grow companies to make headlines, or use VC funds to collaborate with the Israeli technology industry and link them to Arabic-speaking markets, or to invest in Israeli entrepreneurs who would hire Palestinians in the hundreds as back office developers – and not in business positions. Do we strive to become globally viable high-tech competitors in deal structuring, or focus on content and e-commerce-oriented business models, or do we want to invest in existing IT companies to spin off new products through new startup ventures? Have we been effective in using these investment vehicles to tempt competent members of the Palestinian diaspora to return home and launch a startup?

“Building a Palestinian State: Towards peace and prosperity,” Palestinian National Authority, Paris, December 2007, available at http://www.undp.ps/ en/aboutundp/Prdp.pdf.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ elizabethmacbride/2016/07/31/a-palestinianentrepreneur-pivots-starts-succeeding-and-thenfeels-the-pressure/#1154a9742134.

iii

Kmuehmel, VC20, https://commons.wikimedia.org/ wiki/File:Startup_financing_cycle.svg. Natasha Lomas, Gobal Funders Capital Invests in Middle East Hotel Booking Startup Yamsafer, TechCrunch, June 2015, available at https:// techcrunch.com/2015/06/03/global-founderscapital-invests-in-middle-east-hotel-bookingstartup-yamsafer/.

Rafat Abushaban, Palestine’s to 8 incubators, Wamda, September 2015, available at http:// www.wamda.com/2015/09/palestine-s-top-8incubators.

Clusterpreneurs and IT Clusters in Palestine By Hasan Omar

he concept of “Business Clusters” is new in Palestine even though it has been prevalent in the business development community. Such clusters were implemented years ago and have flourished since the 1990s in European countries such as Spain, France, and Italy. For decades, they have been the subject of research that has been tackled by many scholars, the most prominent being Michael Porter, who wrote The Competitive Advantage of Nations (1990). Hence, the concept is called the “Porterian Cluster” and defined as “a geographically proximate group of interconnected companies and associated institutions in a particular field, linked by commonalities and externalities.”i In simple terms, clusters are groups of companies in a defined geographical area that are involved in the same/similar/complementary businesses that produce the same/similar/complementary products for the same/ similar/complementary markets. Many today still consider this to be the best definition. So why are IT clusters needed in Palestine? In the Palestinian context and its “doing-business” environment, which includes the local geopolitical and socioeconomic circumstances as well as the impact and consequences of globalization and international competition, clusters that are specialized in IT subsectors – such as the software industry, animation, mobile applications, gaming, etc. – are greatly needed and have the potential to perform very successfully. They constitute a tool and provide one of the best international models to enhance the competitiveness of high-tech small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs), enabling as well the transfer of research and technology through true partnerships and fruitful interaction between universities and the industry. Such clusters can and will play a critical role in building a dynamic knowledge-based economy and will enhance micro and small start-up companies in the IT sector. 42

Cluster development is a process that does not happen overnight; it typically takes place over a period of up to ten years. To move forward in a desired direction, a long-term vision is needed. However, one could expect that an IT cluster in Palestine would take less time because we are not starting from scratch due to the efforts and programs that have been developed over the past years. Building an IT cluster involves changing the mindset of enterprises so that they function with a high level of collaboration and cooperation, aiming to improve their competitiveness as a whole, rather than functioning as individual enterprises that try separately to make their way in the world. As the Palestinian economy is dominated by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME), and most of the enterprises are in fact micro and small (MSE), this is a huge and sometimes difficult mission. It can be thought of as collaboration for competition (co-petition). Therefore, persons charged with developing such economies must understand that cluster development is a strategic step that will take time; it is not a quick fix for resolving economic problems.

alestine has recently star ted the development of seven business clusters, but none of them – as yet – in the IT sector.

However, it is easier and will take less time in the technology field in general and in the IT sector in particular, due to the already existing communication channels and the best usage and utilization of telecommunications and other networks over the cloud. A few years ago, Spain started version 2.0 of clustering, “cross-sectoral clusters,” in which the cluster is not limited to geography, as in Silicon Valley. By the way, this model is the best scenario for an IT cluster in Palestine: develop a Software Industry Cluster for the whole of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza). This is doable in such a small country due to the nature of the IT industry, its players, and its value chain. 43

For example, the linkages that have been initiated recently by the Private Sector Development Cluster Project are a promising starting point, where one cluster was forged between the Furniture Cluster of Salfit and An Najah National University of Nablus, and another one between the Leather and Shoe Cluster in Hebron and the Palestine Polytechnic University of Hebron. The innovation cycle will contribute to the development of the firms in both clusters not only within their geographical areas but in Palestine as a whole and in terms of exports, jobs created, and research and development projects. This cooperation will also affect the development of related policies and regulations through a healthy and productive public-private dialogue. During the last few years,

clusters have become the focal point of many new policy initiatives, and the bottom-up approach is the most suitable one for Palestine. A proposed model of partnership and interaction is based on tri-integration and cooperation between the cluster, the university, and the chamber of commerce. Other related stakeholders, including the government, should also be involved. It is expected that such a model will provide more employment oppor tunities and increase the competitiveness of the clustersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; members through product differentiation, thus strengthening the cluster position in the domestic market and providing more opportunities to penetrate new export markets that are aligned with the local National Export Strategy.

Pooled purchasing

Skilled workforce

to participate in the establishment of innovation centers, patenting offices, technology transfer offices, business parks, and techno parks. Hasan Omar is a serial entrepreneur, economic empowerment exper t, business enabler, and SME consultant. He is the executive co-founder of the first business incubator in Palestine as well as of Glow Innovations, the first private business accelerator. Mr. Omar is a public speaker, a public-private dialogue and clusters development expert, a Global Business Incubation Management certified trainer by the World Bank, and an entrepreneurship and innovation trainer. He is a computer engineer with a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in international cooperation and development. i

CLUSTER

Industry advocacy

BENEFITS Access to the latest technologies Improved know-how Improved market access Higher levels of innovation and creativity Improved access to capital Higher productivity Lower cost

Clusters involve a number of partner entities. Graph courtesy of Canadian Sailings.ii 44

Michael E. Porter, On Competition, 1998.

Access to high-cost resources

Technical solutions

Market intelligence

There is a strong link between IT clusters and academia. Not limited only to universities, academia is a key driver of cluster development and includes all stages of education. For the effective development of IT clusters, collaboration between academia and industry is essential, and academia needs to move towards tailoring its activities to support specific, identified clusters. As leaders in research and development, universities should look for possibilities to exchange information and technology with clusters, e.g., university students and staff should be placed as members in the companies that belong to a cluster, study tours to international research centers should be organized, and selected cluster firms should be invited to participate. Business ideas, such as software and mobile applications, should be pulled from the industry and developed through graduation projects. Joint research and development projects with clusters should be formed in order

Alan M. Field, A Cluster of Possibilities throughout Ontario, Canadian Sailings: Transportation and Trade Logistics, January 2013, available at http:// www.canadiansailings.ca/?p=5807.

Revolutionizing Municipal Services through GIS

umbers from Ramallah’s GIS Database at a Glance:

• Area of Ramallah City is 18.7 km2 • Ramallah City has 8,596 parcels • Ramallah City has 4,623 buildings, 125 of them are preserved historical buildings • Solid waste containers number 1,218 • Streetlight poles number 3,895 • The length of sewage pipes is 107.3 km • Wastewater collection system has 4,236 manholes

By Safaa Zakaria Karaki Aldwaik

amallah City has emerged as the political, commercial, and cultural center of the Palestinian territories, and as a result has experienced population growth and urban expansion. Ramallah’s current population is estimated to be approximately 70,000 full-time city inhabitants, with an additional average of 150,000 persons who visit the city every day. An estimated quarter of Ramallah’s landowners live abroad. In response to this growth, the Ramallah Municipality has sought to bring technological advancements for the benefit of its citizens and visitors through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The GIS platform, an integrated cross-sectoral platform, has revolutionized the way the municipality collects, manages, compiles, reviews, analyzes, and visualizes spatial data, using the power of maps to bring together information that describes city details ranging from parcels, land use, buildings, facilities, and landmarks to infrastructure such as water, sewers, roads, traffic signs and fixtures, emergency incidents, and even international relations. Data is updated in real time, enhancing the quality and inclusiveness of the database and providing reliable information for the purposes of planning and decision-making. Internal policies and procedures have been significantly reengineered to be compatible with the new technological tools. Each department at the municipality now has an application on the GIS which has become part of its work flow and documentation procedures. Thus, the GIS department has provided logistical support for other municipal services; for example, by providing optimized routes for municipal vehicles as they go from task to task. Similarly, the optimization of garbage pickup routes has cut 46

fueling costs, which allows monetary resources to be used for other projects.

Working in conjunction with the Ministr y of Telecommunications and Information Technology (MTIT), Ramallah Municipality has developed an application that illustrates the borders of the new postal-code zones and the full addressing system of the city. Ramallah Municipality is the first, and till now, the only municipality in Palestine to have implemented the postal-code zones with a full addressing system across the city. The MTIT supported the project and is working on disseminating it to other municipalities in Palestine. Thus, in the near future, citizens who live abroad will be able to have mail packages delivered straight to their relative’s homes in Ramallah.

The GIS department has been active since 2011, when it started to collect and process data from the surveying and planning sections. Initially, this data was used internally; however, in 2012 a decision was made to make some of it available to the public through the website www.ramallah.ps/gis. Since then, the Ramallah Municipality’s staff has developed a number of Web applications for the general public: Tourist Interactive Map, Municipal Mapping, International Relations, and Must See in Ramallah. The open information exchange with the public creates a number of benefits for both citizens and private businesses. For example, GIS allows citizens and visitors to give the municipality specific locations for any complaints or feedback, including malfunctioning city assets such as streetlights, sewage pipes, or garbage pileups.

T h e To u r i s t I n t e r a c t i v e M a p application, accessible to the public at www.ramallah.ps/navigation, is multifunctional and designed with the interests of visitors in mind. It contains all the landmarks such 47

shape, the designated land use, and relevant regulations and restrictions. The application displays a picture of any existing building on a property and related information, such as the address. If you own a parcel of land in Ramallah, you may apply for a user name and password that will give you access to the taxes function that displays any municipal fees associated with your account. The municipality has plans to streamline the process further by allowing electronic payments; at present, this option is still limited due to the lack of national laws pertaining to e-payment and e-signatures.

as tourist attractions, government facilities, and health sites, and includes a network feature that allows users to obtain directions to anywhere within Ramallah’s city limits. This is achieved by using the location of starting and destination points, either by street address, landmark name, or even a point placed on the application itself. The application is capable of processing multiple locations, and the route can be optimized. The output shows either a map that demonstrates the best route or written directions. Citizens can use the Municipal Mapping application (accessible at www. ramallah.ps/e-maps) to locate and obtain important information about any parcel of land, such as its area and

GIS applications that are used to report and track incidents and complaints have proven very useful during emergencies and snowstorms. The International

Launching free Wi-Fi with the governor, the mayor, and the private sector.

include the Special Achievement in GIS Award of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) for the exceptional application of geospatial technology.

Relations application (www.ramallah. ps/pr) has contributed to the promotion of Ramallah by showing the world cities that have twinning agreements with Ramallah Municipality and providing detailed information about those agreements. Must See in Ramallah is a bilingual application that contributes to the promotion of tourism and economic development. It illustrates the most impor tant touristic places within Ramallah City and can be accessed at www.ramallah.ps/must-see.

Ramallah Municipality remains dedicated to promoting technological advances that will benefit citizens both in Ramallah and worldwide. It is working on integrating the aforementioned applications with the e-municipality program, which will give citizens even more power to conduct interactions with the municipality. Furthermore, in full cooperation with Paltel and MTIT, the municipality has implemented the first phase of installing a citywide fiber network that provides a wireless access zone on all main streets and within the facilities of the municipality, providing 24-hour free access to all GIS applications through the “Ramallah Smar t City” network. The smar t application that includes links to these GIS applications is available on Google Play and in the Apple Store. To locate it, simply search “RAMALLAH.”

Through the GIS, Ramallah Municipality has revolutionized its data-management system and significantly improved the quality of its services. It has innovatively overcome challenges posed by the complex political and security context, providing, for example, alternative means of navigation, as access to Google Maps is restricted in Palestine. Ramallah is now a leading city on GIS applications that inspires other cities in Palestine and beyond. Invited to participate in many international events to present its unique experience and success stories, Ramallah has an international reputation that was secured when it was elected deputy chair of the Committee on Smar t Cities (2014 to present) of United Cities and Local Governments for Middle East and West Asia (UCLGMEWA). Ramallah has been awarded prestigious international honors that

Safaa Zakaria Karaki Aldwaik holds two master’s degrees and a PhD from Clark University in Massachusetts (USA) in geography, with a concentration in GIS, Land Change, and Remote Sensing. Aldwaik is the director of the GIS and IT Department at the Ramallah Municipality. She can be reached at saldwaik@gmail.com. 49

Information Technology Special Interest Group (ITSIG), and in May 2008, the Palestinian Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology (MTIT) held a workshop that focused specifically on the issue of MNP. A decade of research and preparatory work has been done by the MTIT and experts in the area; now is the time to act.

Mobile Number Portability A Key to Customers’ Right to Choose By Dr. Durgham Maraee

obile number portability (MNP) enables mobile telephone users to retain their mobile telephone numbers when changing from one mobile network operator to another. In other words, when this readily available technology is introduced to Palestine, customers will be able to change mobile operators without needing to change their mobile numbers, avoiding all tasks that such a change currently entails, such as informing all their contacts of their new number, changing their business cards, replacing signage and letterheads, and replacing advertising material, just to name a few. MNP serves customers and reduces costs. Ever since 2009, Palestine has had two licensed national operators. However, the customers’ freedom of choice has been hindered so far by the inability to maintain the same number when they switch from one operator to another. The introduction of MNP into the Palestinian market, through establishing the needed regulatory framework, is long overdue. It is about time to establish MNP in Palestine in order to protect the customers’ right to choose their service providers without obstacles. MNP is today commonplace in most of the world. In Palestine, the issue was first raised in the sector in October 2006 by way of a discussion on the

The direct benefits that customers will enjoy from the offering of MNP cannot be underestimated. First and foremost, it will improve the competitive environment in the sector, and that will directly translate to an increased quality of service and lower prices. In addition, as noted, when customers change operators while maintaining their mobile numbers, they will not incur any additional costs related to the disruption of their communications: no need to call and advise all your family and friends of a new number, no need to inform your business clients of a change in number, no need to reprint your signs, business cards, or advertising materials. In short, MNP allows customers to look at one and only one thing when choosing an operator: which one serves them best. Bottom line, MNP puts the customer, not the operator, at the center of the service.

Durgham Maraee, CEO of Wataniya Mobile.

potential of the sector is even greater. Due to the impor tance of this sector, the MTIT recently requested technical assistance from the World Bank to assess the performance of the telecommunications sector, identify specific issues, and make recommendations for further development and reform. On February 1, 2016, the World Bank released its repor t titled, “Telecommunication Sector Note in the Palestinian Territories: Missed Opportunity for Economic Development.” The report mentioned the need for MNP five times and referred to it as “an important measure.”

Our MTIT is staffed with qualified telecommunication engineers and experienced regulatory staff who have already been trained on MNP. There should be nothing to prevent the immediate implementation of this service in Palestine. It simply requires regulations from the MTIT so that both licensed operators, Wataniya and Jawwal, make the minor preparations required to bring number portability to all customers. With MNP operational, both mobile operators will be poised to benefit from this service, but most importantly, customers will have a choice to move between operators, which would only increase the quality of service that is provided by each operator.

The report also noted that in April 2010, the MTIT published a statement called “The Palestinian National Authority Statement of National Telecommunications Policy.” (PA Statement, 2010). In this PA report, the MTIT highlighted “pressing matters” that were being attended to, including “several regulatory requirements that enhance competition, such as carrier selection and number portability.” (PA Statement, 2010, pp. 6–7).

The telecommunications sector is a pillar of the Palestinian economy. It not only represents a significant percentage of our GDP, it also employs – directly and indirectly – thousands of people. The

We would all be well advised to learn from the past. Market entry of the second mobile operator was seriously delayed for years, despite the fact that customers and sector stakeholders repeatedly called for the MTIT to prepare for a second operator. The market had been ready for the introduction of a second operator since 2002; however, a license (for Wataniya) was not issued until 2007, and Wataniya was not able to launch its services until 2009. This delay negatively impacted the overall growth of the sector, the cost of service to customers, and tax revenues that the PA could have realized. It is imperative that we do not delay MNP any longer, especially since this is one of the few tools that can be implemented without Israeli interference.

ottom line, mobile number por tability puts the customer, not the operator, at the center of the service.

tools available to us and enhance customer choice and service. MNP is one of the strategic tools that squarely serves customers. It gives customers the right to choose, allows the cost of switching operators to remain limited, and enhances fair and free competition among the operators to the benefit of the customer. All across the region, and globally, when countries adopted MNP, their customer satisfaction in telecom increased, and the competitiveness that the service ultimately introduced into the market served to make the sector more efficient overall. Many countries in the region, such as Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, have implemented MNP to maintain the competitiveness of their telecom markets and eventually to provide customers with better service.

The development of the telecommunication sector has been hindered for many years not only because the Israeli authorities have delayed the release of frequencies needed for 3G services and the introduction of Wataniyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operations in Gaza, but also because our market is facing illegal competition from five Israeli operators. Wataniya has been working hand in hand with the MTIT and the relevant Palestinian authorities to remove these constraints and to secure the frequencies and approvals needed to launch 3G services and to initiate our operations in Gaza. However, despite all the outside constraints placed on our economy, and in particular the telecommunications sector, which are outside our control, there are still significant improvements that can made in the sector, improvements that reside totally in our hands as Palestinians. Although frequencies and importation of equipment are all issues under the full control of the Israeli occupation authorities, there are other matters that are in our hands, and there are tools that we could use to improve services to our people. This is all the more reason for us to act on regulating the sector with the

November 2016 marks the 20-year anniversary of our telecommunications sector; the timing for all of us to act on making MNP a reality has never been more opportune. Dr. Durgham Maraee is the CEO of Wataniya Mobile. Prior to joining Wataniya, he ser ved as Chief Investment Officer of the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF). Earlier in his career, he worked as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Dr. Maraee holds a Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and a PhD degree in International Law from Harvard University.

+970 (0) 568002000 www.wataniya.ps info@wataniya.ps

Top Five Challenges

to Software Projects in Palestine By Huthaifa Afanah

or the past 15 years, many have considered the software industry in Palestine to be promising. I, however, take this claim to be only partially true. The software industry will fall short of its potential if we fail to identify the issues that are holding back its growth in the developing Palestinian economy and do not take corrective measures very soon. This article will outline the top five reasons for the failure of software development projects in Palestine. Some will consider my judgment too harsh, others will criticize me for having omitted important aspects, and I admit that in some cases I do not have the solutions for these problems. But if we acknowledge what is wrong, we can work together to try to remedy the situation.

identification of requirements through design, implementation, testing, and maintenance. In Palestine, complex and national-level software projects have been initiated with improper requirement analysis, inadequate testing, insufficient understanding of end-user needs, and lack of long-term software-extensibility planning. Over the last ten years, we have simply not witnessed enough progress in the application of software-engineering practices in the local software industry.

he local sof tware industry must have a greater appreciation of software-engineering best practices.

municipalities and semi-governmental organizations) are the large clients in Palestine, these institutions will be the focus of this point in my discussion. Here, procurement is generally handled either directly by the governmental entities or through donor-related bodies such as foreign consulting firms or NGOs. Whereas procurement and contracting procedures vary widely, they constitute more often than not fixed-cost contracts that fit a waterfall approach; none are flexible enough to support the use of the agile development methodology.*

In 2010, for example, I arranged for the first Scrum training which was successfully carried out in Palestine: Coached by the finest Scrum trainers in the world, around 30 software engineers were graduated as Certified Scrum Masters, having gained skills that enable them to successfully cooperate with global teams and work collaboratively on agile-based software development. But since then, no company has asked to conduct another training course (e.g., training for Scrum Master, Scrum Developer, or Scrum Product Owner), nor has any software-development company sent staff to pursue further training in this area. However, agile development is on the rise throughout the world.

Using a fixed-cost contract can work, but it is contingent on the vendor being given the ability to estimate correctly the project costs (e.g., effort and money). In order to be able to deliver what is needed on time and within budget, requirements must be clear, welldefined, and agreed upon among all parties. In the local Palestinian market, in many cases, terms-of-reference (TOR) documents do not cite enough technical detail, and the requirements

2. Inappropriate Procurement and Contracting Practices As the Palestinian gover nment and related organizations (e.g.,

1. Poor Software Engineering Practices In general, Palestinian software-company owners, senior developers, consultants, and software project managers possess higher education degrees and international experience in the software development domain. However, when software-engineering knowledge is to be applied to practice, the track record is less impressive. Local software vendors can choose agile software development approach to develop software systems through collaborative efforts of crossfunctional teams, providing flexible and continuously developing responses. Alternatively, they may utilize the traditional waterfall model, where in sequential manner a software program moves through various stages that follow a clear order, moving from the 54

are not clear enough. Moreover, it has become common practice to ask the software vendors to carry out the gathering and analysis of information to determine requirements under the same contract, which inevitably leads a project to fail.

t times, sof tware vendors do not speak out against required procedures that are counterproductive out of fear that their criticism will be counted against them and negatively affect their chances of winning this bid or future bids.

In fact, as they are searching for software solutions, many clients have no clear understanding of when they must procure services as opposed to goods; for example, when customerrelationship-management (CRM) systems are procured and implemented for ten organizations of different sizes, even when they are offering similar services. Customization requirements in such cases necessitate procurement of both goods and services.

caused the collapse, whereby the building’s initial design was flawed; or the execution was flawed, whereby an incident or a series of incidents led to the building’s collapse. The same logic applies to software project failures. Software projects do not happen in isolation. Palestine is a developing countr y under occupation, and software projects are usually part of larger development programs that may target the government, independent public institutions, community-based organizations, municipalities, or the private sector. One of the most common mistakes in software design is poor planning for the interdependence between different projects in the same or aligned programs.

My company was invited to participate in a tender where a donor-funded NGO, which was committed to applying international procurement practices, asked to implement within 5 months a business-process management solution for 22 of its beneficiary organizations. The sponsor considered this project a tender for a procurement of goods, and software vendors were asked to provide a single price tag in the form of $X for all services rendered. Given the scope of the project, neither a simple procurement-of-goods approach nor a one-price-for-all tag was feasible. However, the sponsor team insisted that this was the way to go. Most vendors did not argue the point, and the sponsor received several bids. Almost two years later, the project was still overrun and the quality of the implemented solutions not up to standard. Nevertheless, the sponsor has applied the same approach to other software projects!

For example, a donor decided to implement unified software for the 14 chambers of commerce in Palestine. One single software was to facilitate information exchange, simplify the interaction between business owners and the staff of the various chambers, and assist decision-makers with future economic planning. But when each chamber office asked for a major modification to its version, not one but 14 different systems were in fact created, defeating the original purpose of the project. A few years later, program management figured out the root cause and the decision was taken to reengineer and standardize the software ser vices. Whereas the sof tware vendor’s unrealistic can-do attitude

3. Poor Project and Program Management Practices When a building collapses while it is under construction, investigators will usually categorize the cause under one of two main scenarios or a combination thereof: Either a foundational issue 56

ability to update and adapt in order to suite the client’s needs. Second, poor software quality may result from an absence of quality assurance (QA) across the project’s life cycle. Third, it is very important to select the correct technology for the work at hand.

resulted in a shortsighted approach that lost sight of the overarching purpose, all parties involved had contributed to the failure by underestimating the complexity of the program. Project management is the glue that binds together all the moving parts. The impor tance of having a truly specialized project manager who possesses a solid understanding of all project technicalities is frequently underestimated in local software projects. Generally, clients elect someone from their institutional management ranks to handle the project during the pre-contracting and contracting phases; at a later stage, the software vendor is asked to provide a project manager to run daily tasks, which in most cases will be someone whose specialization constitutes a senior technical capacity. In neither case are sufficient project management skills the measure by which the selection can be justified. To compensate for this lack of specialized knowledge, two styles of project management may be employed – and both will lead to the failure of software projects in Palestine. 1. Overmanagement involves overloading the project with processes, paper work, and lengthy approval cycles on a micro level. The obsession with a rigid process causes delays in the execution and entails enforcing meaningless formalities of communication, e.g., repor ts, documents, and forms. 2. Reactive management lacks an underlying framework, and ad-hoc procedures dominate the management, preventing projects from achieving their full potential.

Of a more strategic nature is taking the correct decision about whether to use an off-the-shelf software program or develop a custom software solution from scratch, the typical buy-versusbuild debate. Off-the-shelf softwareimplementation ser vices are not widespread in Palestine, mostly due to the fact that clients worry about the associated high licensing costs. Others claim unrealistically that their business needs are unique and require a custom-built solution. But in many cases, implementing an off-the-shelf package implies less risk and requires far lower total costs than developing custom software.

5. Corruption and Power Monopoly Corruption is a global, border-crossing problem and not exclusive to the third world. We generally (should) admit that the Palestinian economy is affected by crony capitalism, and (based on my experience in the local market over the last ten years) I dare say that the IT sector is not much different. Corruption and power monopoly can threaten the success of a software project in multiple ways. First, choosing a software vendor based on favoritism does not place enough emphasis on whether the selected vendor is qualified to carry out the project, which may jeopardize a successful outcome. Second and unfortunately, corruption and power monopoly can be reason and “mechanism” for the failure of a software project, when obstacles may be deliberately created to put spikes in the wheel of, for example, a transparency-serving system. The resulting chaos in the absence of effective software and the dependence on paperwork instead serve to create

4. Lack of Proper Technical Software-Development Capacities The lack of technical software capacities creates issues that manifest themselves in different sizes and shapes. I believe that there are three main cavities that will lead a software project to failure: First, poor software design and architecture will restrict the software’s 57

an environment that is suitable for corrupt officials to hide their trails. A plan to implement software that increases transparency, proposes tight controls, and enables effective audits may be conceived as a real threat by some. Third, one of the main corruption threats for software projects is not embezzlement, the accepting of bribes, or a conflict of interests. The main corruption-related threat is the presence of under-qualified staff in decision-making positions in government offices, NGOs, donor organizations, and the private sector. This is the real threat, as it causes projects to fail, wastes millions of dollars, and delays progress – not only of the software sector – for many years.

ailing status quo as a substitute for better knowledge. We must educate our clients and workforce on how a software project should run, and we must be bold and honest enough to admit that by failing to insist on proper procedures and analytical groundwork, we create a snowball effect whereby everyone, from clients to software engineers and vendors, will be harmed! After all, “A problem clearly stated is a problem half solved.” Huthaifa Afanah is an entrepreneur and a business-development and IT projectmanagement professional with more than 12 years of experience in leading business operations from inception to execution. He directs operations in new business development and technology project management for clients across the real estate, government, and education sectors in Palestine. His experience in the Palestinian softwaredevelopment industry climbed from junior application developer to team leader and project manager before he eventually started his own software development firm.

Among these top five reasons, corr uption and power monopoly constitute the problems that the industry itself can do very little to fix. It is the government’s role to fight corruption and eliminate power monopolies. But given the complexity of the political situation in Palestine on both internal and external levels, progress on this front may be slow to come, I am afraid.

I will not get into the debate on the advantages of water fall vs. agile systems. Procuring a software project under a fixed-cost contract is common worldwide, although it brings multiple challenges. Software development is an inherently unpredictable process, uncertainty of requirements is unavoidable, and some degree of failure is inevitable in any project.

It is easy to say that things are wrong, but solutions generally are more valuable than criticism. It may be impor tant to consider whether Palestinian software engineers and vendors have thus far accepted the 58

PayPal for Palestinians in Palestine By Abed Almonem Fatafta

n late August and early September, Palestinian entrepreneurs and our supporters around the globe were involved in an effort to raise awareness about PayPal’s inadvertent complicity with discrimination against Palestinians. While PayPal has still not committed to making the necessary changes, we believe our efforts have been noticed. We hope to continue to nudge it in the right direction so that PayPal will make the right decision to serve all people who live in the West Bank and Gaza.

the only sectors with potential to grow under the status-quo conditions of the Israeli occupation. Given that IT products do not require many physical inputs or have to cross physical borders, they are less impacted by Israel’s severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian goods and people and access to natural resources such as land and water. These debilitating restrictions have resulted in destabilizing unemployment rates of 17 percent in the West Bank and 41 percent in Gaza. A 2013 report by Portland Trust, however, noted: “By 2030 the [IT] sector could expand as much as nine-fold, to approximately $960m in output and directly employ up to 20,000 people in high-skilled jobs.”

The effort to raise PayPal’s awareness on this issue began in August 2016 with a public letter that was sent to PayPal CEO Dan Schulman and signed by forty Palestinian startups, companies, and organizations. Simultaneously, a press release was sent out to hundreds of journalists. The Palestinian startup community then initiated two tweetstorms that generated thousands of #PayPal4Palestine tweets and millions of views. As a result of all these activities, 17 media outlets wrote about the issue, including premier tech publications such as TechCrunch and Motherboard. Although PayPal has still not publicly commented on our campaign or the issue of extending access, we are certain that our public campaign has been noticed. We are committed to continuing to raise this issue until PayPal commits to extending service to all residents of the West Bank and Gaza regardless of their ethnic or religious identity.

PayPal’s complicity with discrimination is par ticularly surprising given its record of commitment to human rights and equality. In North Carolina, PayPal scrapped plans to build a major operations center to protest recent passage of legislation (HB2) that invalidates legal protections for the LGBT community. Given its commitment to equal rights in North Carolina, we expect PayPal to be similarly committed to equal rights and access in Palestine.

Abed Almonem Fatafta is a computer systems engineer and social media and online marketing consultant specialist. Based in Ramallah, he is the founder of online business projects such as Bedejob. com, netaqe.com, and waffer.ps.

At this time, PayPal does not ser ve Palestinians. It does, however, serve the Israeli settlers living among us. This situation, where PayPal is in Palestine but only serves the privileged Israeli settler population, results in outright discrimination that hinders opportunities for Palestine’s tech sector. Without PayPal, tech startup companies are at a distinct disadvantage. Although other payment portals are available, PayPal is the most trusted and reputable option in the MENA region, which is the target market for most Palestinian IT products. Without PayPal, Palestinian companies lose customers and/ or revenues as they are forced to rely on traditional, cumbersome, and expensive bank transfers. These constraints on the tech sector are particularly troublesome as tech is one of 60

ICT Sector in Palestine Facts and Figures The data included in the following info graphics focusing primarily on the Palestinian ICT sector was compiled by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) using the following multiple sources: Population Projection 2016, Time Use Survey 2015, Household Survey of ICT 2014, ICT Business Survey 2011,Workforce Data Base 2004-2016, Youth Survey 2014, MOEHE Workforce Data Base 2004 - 2016, and a study by Social Studio titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Look Towards Social Media Tools in Palestine, 2015.â&#x20AC;?

Native Advertising is in Town By Ala Alaeddin

n the new digital era, people are becoming more and more resistant to traditional advertising. They change the TV channel once an ad appears, or even use IPTV that has zero advertisements. The time spent listening to the radio is becoming less frequent, and print newspapers have all but disappeared. One would think that traditional digital media advertising is the solution, but guess what? Readers have become more aware of all types of traditional digital advertising, such as Web banners, and they are learning how to ignore it. What is the solution, you ask? Native advertising. Native advertising is “paid advertising where the ad matches the form, feel and function of the content of the media on which it appears.”i “It has been found that the less an advertisement looks like an advertisement and the more it looks like an editorial, the more readers stop, look and read.” David Ogilvy, known as the father of advertising

the highest CTR (click-through rate). This has already been proven throughout Europe and the United States, and recently in the Arab World. In addition, 33 percent of readers are equally inclined to click on an article that comes from a brand as on an editorial article.ii

n the United States and Europe there are many significant native- and content-ad networks that dominate the markets, for example, Recontent, Outbrain, Taboola, and Gravity.

We can’t talk about native advertising without touching on content advertising. Although some people consider native adver tising a synonym for content advertising, it is in fact a totally different tool. Content advertising is the creation of content in order to promote some product or event, for instance. This content could be distributed through paid channels, such as Google ads or PPC, by placing it on certain websites. A good example is an article about tips on what to look for when buying appliances for the purpose of promoting a certain brand. The article would speak about this particular brand, highlight its advantages, and make comparisons with other brands. Content advertising can be direct or indirect. The above example that highlights a certain brand is called direct advertising since it mentions the brand in a very clear way. On the other hand, indirect marketing would convince the reader in a subtle way that this is the best brand, without directly highlighting it.

Advertisers can now use this tool through Digital Plus, with affiliation to MPI (Market Place Investment) powered by Postquare. There are more than 3,500 websites spread throughout the Arab world. Content advertising is found there as well. So next time you want to run a digital media campaign, make sure to include native and/or content advertising as one of the primary tools. Ala Alaeddin is an IT and social media expert and the founder of Intertech Co, Digital Plus Digital Media Agency, and Nmotion Studios.

And in case you are wondering: In Palestine? Yes! Native adver tising is available in Palestine and has already been installed on many Palestinian websites.

In other words, native advertising does not look anything at all like advertising; rather it appears to be part of the content and thus attracts the readers to click on it since it matches their interests. The success of native advertising depends on how well the promotional content dissolves into the real content and how difficult it is for readers to distinguish between the two. We have all seen native advertising on the Web, but for sure we haven’t realized it since it appeared to be genuine content rather than advertising. Next time you read an article on any news website pay attention to the section that follows that article, which might be labeled as “Content from Web,” or “Related Articles,” or “Other Articles.” In the midst of those articles, you can find very tiny grey sentences under which are found headings such as “Sponsored Content” or the name of specific advertisers. This is native advertising. Studies show that, compared to other tools, native advertising generates 64

Anders Vinderslev, Native Advertising Definition, Native Advertising Institute, March 2015, available at http://nativeadvertisinginstitute.com/blog/thedefinition-of-native-advertising/.

Jesper Laursen, “Native Advertising: The way to speed up content marketing,” #44, in Slideshare, June 2016, available at http://www.slideshare. net/ContentNorge/native-advertising-the-way-tospeed-up-content-marketing.

Technology Curriculum Reform

These findings compelled us to ask: What do we want from students who study technology throughout their school years, and how is what they learn connected to work and life outside school?

e want a national technology curriculum that builds students’ capacities and invites change. We could have imported and translated distinguished educational books from the best educational systems in the world, but that would mean accomplishing the vision of foreign educational systems rather than serving Palestinian society.

More impor tantly, we should ask: What are the characteristics, skills, and capacities of our graduates? Are they appropriate for the academic and professional requirements set by universities and colleges? Do they meet market needs and support the Palestinian economy?

The First Step in HighTech Development By Aref Husseini

he official educational reform process of the technology curriculum began in 2009, following two years of research, evaluation, and observation of the previous curriculum pitfalls. Its vision? To prepare students for the technological development of the twenty-first century and to convey how to live, learn, and work successfully and responsibly in a complex, technology-driven society. Today, the educational system has succeeded in producing high quality educational books that suit the needs of today and tomorrow. The technology curriculum in Palestinian schools had been provoking negative feedback from various members of society. Parents, teachers, and students all agreed on the need to change and update its content. In a pre-assessment study of educational reform and teacher rehabilitation, it was discovered that most parents of elementary-level students faced difficulties teaching their children the assigned content – and by teaching, we mean memorization – where parents of secondary-level students did not even see the purpose of the technology curriculum. The study also showed that teachers complained about equipment, time, and infrastructure. Others doubted the students’ willingness to learn the curriculum. Students thought that the technology curriculum was boring and too intense; they had difficulties studying it. 66

Student building her own robot at Al Nayzak’s technology lab.

General policy and collective responsibility require that the technologycurriculum reform supports our national goals and vision. If we are looking for graduates who excel at the consumption of technology, there would not be a need to teach an official curriculum because our children are default learners of technology consumption. If, however, we aim to produce competitive technologies, then we should incorporate

programming at an early stage of the educational process. If we aspire to increase local industrial and technological production, then our curriculum should build knowledge of and spark passion for automation, automatic control, and advanced mechanics; the subject matters we teach should aim to instill in our students enthusiasm for learning about artificial intelligence and engaging in robotic design. 67

all pillars are connected in order to motivate students to think critically and logically, and to enter the field of innovation and entrepreneurship. This curriculum, which includes the book, the active teacher, and the motivational learning environment, establishes the workforce that is needed for high-tech industries. In my personal opinion, we will only be able to advance when the next generation learns at an early age how to become professional producers of technology.

Students learn critical thinking and problem-solving skills using interactive learning tools.

Robotics training.

The reformed technology curriculum replaces consumption with production and instills a deep understanding of the process of technological production. It is built on six distinct pillars. The “thinking technology” pillar builds capacities in problem solving, encouraging students to examine how technology can be used and enhancing an engineering mentality by shedding light on technologies that affect daily life. The “agricultural technology” pillar connects advanced technologies with the development of agricultural production and encourages students to pursue this as a profession. The “construction and renewable energy” pillar explains how to use technology in new constructions. The curriculum also includes the “medical technology” pillar, the “automatic control, robotics, and logistics” pillar, and the “information and communication technology” pillar. The main purpose of the academic content is the interactive application of knowledge, where 68

We teach and educate our children for jobs that are yet to be invented, jobs that are highly related to advanced technologies. Our generation is the immigrant generation to technology, whereas future generations are the natives. They grew up among iPads and smart phones; they enjoyed various apps and registered social media accounts before they even turned ten. They shared their own content and productions with the world. We should employ this momentum and orient these skills and this knowledge to overcome the challenges that face advanced industries in Palestine. Privatesector companies should invest more in technology education and the provision of necessary tools and equipment for educational institutions. They should partner with universities and support technological research that in turn helps advance the technology industry. Our true capital is the knowledge, skills, and innovative ideas of technology professionals. This is how we can become proud of a Palestinian hightech sector in the near future. Eng. Aref Husseini is the head of the National Team for Technology Curricula Reform and a member of the National Committee for Education Reform. He is the founder of Al Nayzak Organization. Article photos courtesy of Al Nayzak.

Book Technology Real Intelligence By Manar Harb

he first time – in a long time – I held a pen to write a letter to someone was several years ago, after poet Suheir Hammad updated her Facebook status and shared her mailing address publicly. She invited her fans to mail letters to her. The idea intrigued me and propelled me to write. I found myself rehearsing, picturing the words on the page, and imagining them being read by Suheir. Erasing and rewriting, it took five tries before I arrived at the final version. Engaging with the pen and paper to communicate my message brought me back in touch with my senses. The ability to see the thinking process in front of me while preparing the letter stimulated my brain cells and created a more personal relationship with myself and the recipient. It takes about one month to mail a letter from Ramallah, Palestine, to New York, New York. Although modern technology may seem efficient, the idea about saving time through computer technology is an illusion. Time does not change. Our pace does, though, and so does our relationship with nature. Competing with machines and forgetting that we are mammals with beating hearts brings big cash money to the pockets of some. Look at the way computer technology is manufactured and treated. Standardized equipment operated through cheap labor at high operation costs produces large quantities of similar yet overpriced artificial products. Replacing the handmade quality of everyday items, such as clothing, shoes, and paper, has pulled ordinary people away from the tailored and custom-made elegance that has become a delicacy available only to the elite. However, embroidery and various other craft forms have the capacity to meet the demands and needs of a society. 70

Tapa, amate, rice paper, and papyrus are all precursors to the paper we use today. Tapa, a cloth-like material made mainly from the inner bark of the mulberry tree, but also from that of fig and breadfruit trees, was used for clothing, painting, and writing as early as 4000 BC, throughout the Pacific, southeast Asia, and Africa.i Rice paper refers to paper made from a variety of plants or from rice starch. While the former were used for writing and painting, the latter is used in a variety of East Asian cuisines. Amate has been produced in Central America from the time before the arrival of Europeans until today. Made from the bark of the amate tree, it was used for writing codices and given as precious gifts to distinguished persons. Papyrus was used in Egypt starting with the First Dynasty (around 3000 BC). Made from the pith (pulp) of the papyrus, it was used, like tapa, for a number of purposes besides writing. Documents were stored as scrolls; a blank roll, dated 3000 BC, was found in a tomb in Saqqara near Cairo. Of all the protopapers, tapa was and continues to be the most widely manufactured. More material has been experimented with and used for writing. Copper tablets

efore infor mation technology, there were books. Withstanding the test of time, these structures of folded or unfolded pages come in many shapes and styles and contain a wealth of knowledge.

and pottery with proto-Indic writings dated to 2200 BC were found in the Indus Valley, India. The earliest-known document written on parchment, a specially prepared type of leather, is an Egyptian scroll that dates to the Sixth Dynasty (2300 BC).ii In China, incised divination bones were used in 1400 BC. Between 200 BC and 220 AD, during the Han Dynasty, the golden era of China, the creation of “true” paper, characterized by its hydrogen molecular structure, has been credited to Cai Lun. Information traveled westwards. Following the battle of Talas (located in today’s Kyrgyzstan) fought in 791 AD between the Chinese Tang Dynasty and the Abbasid Caliphate, Chinese prisoners of war revealed the secret

From Danny, the Last African American in the 22nd century, 1994, accompanying text to a piece that was part installation, part performance and multi-media project as Danny interacted with the public and engaged in actions.

A page from the book Typefoundries in the Netherlands, from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century: A history based mainly on material in the collection of Joh. Enschede, by Ch. Eschede.

of papermaking to Arabs.iii By 795, a papermaking factory using the new technology was started in Baghdad, Iraq. Muslim factories employed linen as a substitute for the bark of the mulberry, and the technology of papermaking initially flourished in Iraq, Syria, and Palestine, before moving to North Africa and Europe. The first paper mill in Egypt was built around 850, and by 1040 paper was becoming popular; by 1200 it had completely replaced papyrus. By way of Morocco, where the first mill was built in 950, knowledge reached Spain and the rest of Europe. A paper mill was set up in Bologna, Italy, in 1293, and the first paper mill in England was built in 1309.

and when you are typing,” says Molly McCar thy, a mother and Microsoft employee who makes sure her son engages in cursive handwriting.iv The senses are activated in a different way than when interacting through a screen. Try it for yourself. And remember, while following the trend towards increased technology may work for some, sticking to “grandma knows best,” may be a better bet for you. Manar Harb is a contributor to This Week in Palestine. In 2014, she launched Anonymous Letter Writing, an open platform tracing self-expression to handwriting, inspired by her letter to poet Suheir Hammad. The idea earned her the Writing and Community Engagement Fellowship from Mills College, 2015–2017, where she pursues her MFA in book art and creative writing.

Before rushing into a paperless world, think about the stakes at hand. Evidence regarding the influence of handwriting on brain growth, learning, and creativity continues to emerge. In “What’s Lost as Handwriting Fades,” an article featured in The New York Times (June 2014), Maria Konnikova relates research about how children express more ideas when they compose text by hand and consistently produce words more quickly than on a keyboard. The mind is stimulated, active, and creative when engaged with pen and paper. “There’s just a huge difference in the creative part of the brain when you are writing

Roger Neich, Nick Pendergrast, Pacific Tapa, University of Hawaii Press, 2004.

Ancient Writing Materials, available at http://www. skypoint.com/members/waltzmn/WritingMaterials.html.

iii

Kallie Szczepanski, “The Battle of Talas: A LittleKnown Skirmish that Changed World History,” About Education, October 2015, available at http://asianhistory.about.com/od/centralasia/a/ BattleofTalas.htm.

Joe Heim, “Once all but left for dead, is cursive handwriting making a comeback?” The Washington Post, July 26, 2016.

PERSONALITY OF THE MONTH

Imad Younis

Born and raised in Nazareth, Imad Younis obtained a BS degree in electrical engineering from Haifa’s Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology. During the 1980s most of the high-tech industry in Israel was dominated by the military, so Imad, as a Palestinian, had limited options for finding employment. He started out with research-and-development positions at the Technion School of Medicine and Fidelity Medical Ltd. before he decided to move on to become an entrepreneur in the field of medical devices and technology. In 1993, Imad established Alpha Omega (AO) in Nazareth, working initially as a research-and-development subcontractor. Together with his wife Reem, a civil engineer and Technion graduate, Imad strengthened the core competencies of AO in the fields of neural recording and stimulation, engaging with both companies and scientists. Over time, the company began to penetrate markets with innovative products, making

profits and showing steady growth. As AO prospered, Imad gradually built up its infrastructure, conver ting the company into a worldwide leader of technology in the fields of neuroscience and functional neurosurgery. Under his management, company employees and researchers grew to manage and solve most difficult challenges. Today, the company produces state-of-the-art, reliable products that respond to market needs and trends. AO employs 75 people, including Christians, Muslims, and Jews, at headquarters in Nazareth and two branches in Germany and the United States. Working closely with scientists, physicians, and partners, Imad strives to be a significant player in the field by offering new solutions and therapies for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric diseases. AO’s recording and stimulation devices are used in the localization of surgical targets for the 74

implantation of Deep Brain Stimulators (DBS) or the ablation of target in the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and dystonia (a muscular disease that causes neurologically induced uncontrolled muscular spasms and affects about one percent of a population). In simple language, AO provides electrode-bearing devices that are able to safely drive inside the brain and record neural activity, stimulate neural tissue, and process and analyze recorded data. In a manner that is similar to the functioning of a GPS, they guide

time when there was no entrepreneurial eco-system in place (the first startup weekend in Nazareth was held in 2012) have made the company stronger. In 2012, Alpha Omega was honored as the Israeli Company of the Year by the Atlanta-based American-Israeli Chamber of Commerce (known today as Conexx – America Israel Business Connector).

a neurosurgeon to the required location where a permanent electrode is implanted to eliminate disease symptoms and allow a patient to return to normal life. The tools have FDA (US), CE (Europe), and CFDA (China) approvals. In Europe this method is used also for treating people with [clinical] depression.

helped the company progress as it introduces various applications and new products – a significant feat in the conservative and hard-to-enter field of neurosurgery. Company customers and clients are spread across Europe and the Americas, as well as throughout Asia and Australia.

With little financial support, AO was largely bootstrapped (self-supported – in its earliest stages by the sale of the couple’s car) with the exception of a grant from the Israeli Office of the Chief Scientist. To finance further growth, Imad is considering initial public offering (IPO), venture capital and private (angel) investment, or partnership with major industrial players. He has helped other startups develop and prosper, some of them working as competitors, and is happy to serve as a role model, offering support and advice. The initial difficulties that AO faced and had to overcome at a

Imad is making it part of his mission to grow new leaders from his community so that they can take the lead in shaping the society’s future. Thus, he invests in creating a better Nazareth for all through community activity and serving on multiple boards of directors. He initiates and promotes numerous programs that involve young adults and college students, and that reflect the principles of his mission and beliefs.

Imad’s personal image as an honest, capable, and trusted businessman among medical-device companies, physicians, and scientists has been adopted as a guiding principle by AO managerial staff. These qualities have

Imad and Reem live in Nazareth and have three children. In his free time, Imad enjoys reading, sports, and preparing breakfast on Sunday mornings. 75

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Before Restaurants Secret Recipes from the Holy City of Jerusalem By Khalil N. Khalil July 2016, 88 pages, $17.95

Made with lentils, rice, and caramelized onions, this alternative, centuries-old Middle Eastern take on a nourishing vegetarian dish will delight and satisfy you – and the thought of meat will not even cross your mind.

This particular aromatic condiment can be added to any recipe that goes well with garlic and enriches the flavor of the entire dish.

Searching for a snack on a late October afternoon, just around the end of olivepicking season, I found an old, thick, heavily used wooden bowl filled with crushed green olives on the rustic table in my grandmother’s kitchen. They were mingled with lemon chunks and little cuts of fennel stalks that were barely visible in the heavily salted mixture. Age marks were deliciously visible on both lemons and olives. When I tasted some of the olives, the combination of authenticity, simple ingredients, and love overwhelmed me; it was beyond all my expectations! Never would I have thought that something so simple could make me consider changing all my eating habits. When teta (my grandmother) said, “We prepared olives this way when I was young,” she sent me off on a culinary journey: I started to collect recipes not only from teta but from all the elderly people I could find. I knew there was hidden knowledge buried with the old generation that I didn’t want to lose.

In this recipe collection you will find rare tips and tricks for the preparation of bread, appetizers, and main meals, as well as stunning old-fashioned desserts, all dishes with signature flavors and spices. Because cooking is an art, none of the elderly people who shared their recipes welcomed the concept of measurements and specific quantities; instead, they recommended: “Use your hand; it will tell you how much is enough.” This mentality creates a natural connection with food and is an accurate indicator of a good cook. For beginners, though, I have specified quantities. Adding your own twist to these centuries-old recipes will not only make your cooking experience more pleasurable, it will fashion your own personal connection to the (re)creations of an ancient civilization.

So I began to hang around small traditional shops in the old city, waiting for elderly people to pass by. I would ask them for the oldest recipes they could think of, soliciting the secret preparation tricks they had learned from previous generations. At six in the morning I would visit bakeries to learn authentic bread-making methods. After a while, I had collected a large number of traditional and rare recipes that I felt demanded respect – and thus, the idea of a cookbook was born.

Presented for everyone to enjoy, all recipes come from the region surrounding Jerusalem. The dishes featured were photographed around my grandfather’s house to give readers an authentic impression of the origin of these recipes. This cookbook offers not only wonderful, original family recipes that document the cooking methods and techniques of the Holy Land, it also contains heartwarming stories and information on ancient lifestyles that will lead you to a deeper understanding of Palestinian culinary culture and enable you to sail back in time with a breathtaking selection of old photographs of the region and its people.

Like many other ar tists, Mohamed looks forward to reflecting his dream to build a better reality in Gaza, far removed from the grey.

ARTIST OF THE MONTH

Gaza … 10 Years of Isolation is a documentary art project, a biography of Gaza that features paintings and visual stories that take the human body as an important axis in visual creation and in the editing of the details of place. Through this work, Mohamed attempts to create stories from Gaza through the medium of visual art and to embody and reveal the surrealism of Gaza’s world to those on the outside.

Mohamed Harb Documenting Gaza’s Isolation

Configurations, 150x120 cm, acrylic on canvas.

Mohamed Harb was born in Gaza City and graduated in 2001 from Al Najah University, Nablus, with a BA in fine arts. He is a member of the Palestinian Association of Fine Artists and since 2003 has been working as a director at the Palestine satellite TV channel in Gaza. He has participated in many local, regional, and international exhibitions, festivals, and workshops in Europe and the Arab world. He lives and works in Gaza.

My City, 100x90 cm, acrylic on canvas.

Blue from Gaza, 170x150 cm, acrylic on canvas.

Mohamed has experienced the many difficult realities of Gaza – the uprising, the blockade, the war – and he continues to live there despite the tragic situation. His art is a color-filled response to the greyness of the Palestinian issue. A constant theme in all his various works is an investigation of the hidden human body. Having worked predominantly in plastic and other fields of art since 1995, Mohamed has recently become interested in photography, video, and documentary film. He has a deep interest in art forms that use light, and in creating images through a combination of art and technology. As one of the most important contemporary Palestinian artists, Mohamed is also very active in organizing exhibitions and workshops in Palestine and abroad. He has received numerous local and international awards and several grants for his innovative work, not only for implementing projects but also for his use of IT and video techniques. He has been working on several projects during the last three years, including his “Biography of Gaza,” and he plans to exhibit his work both abroad and in Palestine. 78

A Biography of Gaza, 300×150 cm,acrylic on canvas.

WHERE TO GO?

Get Busy in Beit Sahour Courtesy of VisitPalestine.ps Beit Sahour, located next to Bethlehem, is a perfect place for those looking for a heady mix of history, Palestinian cultural experience, and modern life. To the east, the town overlooks the dry hills of Jerusalem’s wilderness and a truncated volcanolike hill – Herodion, the ruins of one of the ancient fortresses of King Herod the Great. On a clear day, the background to this scene is a spectacular view of the mountains of Jordan.

Interior view of church at Greek Orthodox Shepherds’ Field.

The name Beit Sahour, meaning “the house of vigilance,” consists of two Arabic words: beit meaning “house,” and sahour meaning “night watch.” The name of the area reflects its importance for the shepherds of long ago. The land provided their flocks with good grazing during the day and safety in its numerous caves at night. It is not a coincidence that this area has been associated with the place where, according to Biblical tradition, the angel appeared to shepherds to announce the birth of Christ (Luke 2:8–20).

Actually, there are as many as three “Shepherds’ Fields” in Beit Sahour, each one commemorating the Biblical event. The site that belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church features a grotto that has been used as a chapel since the fourth century. The site also contains Byzantine ruins and a church that was built in 1989, whose walls and ceiling are covered with colorful icons. The Roman Catholic site holds extensive ruins of a Byzantine monastery that encompasses various caves and a tent-shaped chapel designed by the famous Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi (1950s). The third site is located on the premises of Beit Sahour’s YMCA and consists of a simple grotto that is believed to have been used at the time of Christ. Beit Sahour has a beautiful old core, where time seems to pass more slowly than in other areas. A stroll through this part of the city reveals various features characteristic of Ottoman architecture (1517–1918), for example, thick stone walls, arched windows, decorative reliefs, and small

Beit Sahour, Shepherds’ Field, Byzantine ruins.

openings that let the sunlight into the buildings.

oven. On most weekends, it is possible to attend live music concerts or other fun evenings of entertainment. The town is home to a new microbrewery. Visits can be arranged through contacting the owner.

The town is also famous for its alternative approach to tourism. Although it is possible to stay in Beit Sahour’s well-furnished hotels or guesthouses, many inhabitants open their doors and offer accommodation to visitors in their own homes. These specially prepared homestays, with private rooms and often en suite bathrooms, offer visitors a degree of privacy alongside the traditional Palestinian hospitality. Many visitors come to Beit Sahour for the annually organized volunteer programs, including the olive harvest or olive-tree planting. Other features include Arabic language courses, cultural, historical, and political tours, and various kinds of local volunteer opportunities.

What is more, there are two annual festivals that take place in the city. The summer Faqous Festival celebrates the harvest of faqous, a delicious variety of cucumber that is abundant in Beit Sahour. The celebrations feature folklore dance performances and a farmers’ market. The annual winter festival, which takes place around Christmas, is the Shepherds’ Nights Festival that hosts local bands, dance troupes, and singers. A highlight of the festival is the candlelight procession around the Greek Orthodox Shepherds’ Field church.

In terms of entertainment and nightlife, Beit Sahour has a lot to offer. Various cafes, restaurants, and bars serve delicious meals and drinks. The locals pride themselves on barbecue platters and zarb, a dish of meat and vegetables prepared in a special underground

Article photos courtesy of VisitPalestine.

To learn more about Beit Sahour and other interesting destinations, visit our website at www.visitpalestine.ps, or contact the Visit Palestine Information Center in Bethlehem via info@visitpalestine.ps or (02) 277-1992.

View of Beit Sahour.

Latin Shepherds’ Field.

A typical street in Beit Sahour.

TWiP KITCHEN

End-of-Summer Delights By Aisha Mansour

Vinegar

I can’t help but wonder whether those Rihawi grapes are really the products of the “big ag” (corporate farming) Israeli colonies. But again I digress….

If you have never had homemade grape vinegar, you are really missing something special. I realized this when Muhab Alami, from the Om Sleiman Farm near Ramallah, gave me a bottle of his homemade grape vinegar. It was so good that I wanted to drink it straight up. Muhab shared the process for vinegar making.

Back to the grapes! Whether you have your own grapevines or you purchase your grapes from the fallaheen, you can take advantage of the season’s abundance to preserve a bit of sweet nourishment for the winter.

Preparation tools:

Raisins

A large glass jar

After four years of attempts, I have finally succeeded in producing raisins to store for my winter sweet tooth. In previous years, I searched the Web looking for directions, and all explained that the process was simple. Just lay out the grapes under the sun. Simple! But it never worked for me. And then I bought some raisins from a fallaha (peasant woman), and I asked her how she made them. This is what she said:

Sanitized towel/cloth (“breathable”) Grapes (small grapes are best), 6 kg or more Boiling water Vinegar (optional) Process: • Sanitize the jar by pouring boiling water into it, making sure that the water touches the entire interior surface.

• Wash the grapes to remove all dust, but keep them on their stems. It is fall, and while the olive trees are almost at their peak for picking, the fig trees and grapevines have turned ghabarin (dusty), a term used to explain the end of the harvest season for these fruits. This is the time of abundance in Palestine. (Actually, all year long is the time of abundance if you know how to forage in our blessed mountains.) In August, the figs are ripe and ready to be dried for winter storage. (For details, please see TWiP’s September 2015 issue.) And in September, the grapes are ready to be eaten, or pressed into juice for drinking, or fermented into vinegar or wine, or dried to become raisins. The fellaheen (peasants) have marked this end-of-summer harvest with the Feast Day of the Cross (Yom alSaleeb). They wait until Yom al-Saleeb to harvest grapes and pomegranates.

seems that this tradition of waiting until Yom al-Saleeb is no longer valid. During the last couple of years, fruit has been ripening earlier and earlier in the summer. It is probably due to the continuous construction of buildings and uprooting of trees. But I digress…. Back to the grapes! Summer’s end brings an abundance of Palestinian grapes. Although it’s true that there are grapes as early as April in our markets, they are Israeli produced and tend to be of a different variety. Recently, the hisbeh (vegetable market) cart salesmen – I have never seen a female selling produce on a cart – have begun to market these early grapes as Rihawi, claiming that they come from Jericho. But on my many trips to the Jordan Valley, I can’t help but notice all the grapevines that grow in the Israeli agricultural colonies, and

With the extreme temperatures and heat these past few summers, however, it

• Dry the jar completely.

• Boil water and add some baking soda.

• Then briefly dip them into olive oil.

• Wash and completely dr y the grapes. (N.B.: Highly chlorinated water may kill the bacteria that is needed to start the fermentation process.)

• Lay out the grapes on a large platter and cover with mesh cloth.

• Remove and discard the bad/rotted grapes.

• Dry the grapes on the rooftop under the sun.

• Place the grapes by clusters in the jar.

It is important to note that you must bring the grape platters inside every evening, as our evenings are full of cool moist dew that will cause the grapes to rot. Also, the grapes should be turned and flipped over periodically in order to ensure that they dry evenly. Grapes are full of juice and take much longer to dry than figs. But the results are very rewarding. I have eight jars of raisins stored for my winter eating.

• Cover the jar with the cloth.

• Briefly dip each bunch of grapes into this hot mixture.

• Store in a dark place. • Shake the jar once a month. • Keep the jar in the dark for at least three months for best results. Results can be achieved quicker (within three or four weeks) if you add old vinegar for a quick start. Sahtain o afieh! (May it serve your good health!)

E EAST JERUSALEM

BIRZEIT

SPECIAL EVENTS Monday 7 to Saturday 19

SPECIAL EVENTS Friday 4

The Franco Arab Film Festival 2016, is organized by the Institut Français de Jérusalem to promote cinema culture in Palestine and contribute to the broadcasting of quality movies from the Arab world and all over the Mediterranean sea. The festival will tour Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Gaza, Hebron, Nablus, and Ramallah.

9:00–12:00 Right to Education Marathon – Run for Birzeit University is organized by Birzeit University Friends Association and Kin’ani to raise money in support of needy students at Birzeit University, and to aid in solving the financial crisis at the university. Starting at Al Saher Street in Ramallah.

RAMALLAH

For more information, please visit the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FAFFPS/.

CHILDREN’S EVENTS Tuesday 8

THEATER Thursday 6

13:30–16:00 Science Games for Fun is organized by Goethe Institute for 10- to 16-year-old youth to discover science through games from PC games to iPads. FrenchGerman Cultural Center, Rober t Schuman Library.

11:00–14:00 Where Would I Find Like You, Ali? The monologue is written and acted by Raida Taha and directed by Lina Abyad, in cooperation with Yabous Cultural Center and with the support of A M Qattan Foundation. The Palestinian National Theatre – Al Hakawati.

FILM SCREENINGS Monday 7

THEATER Tuesday 1

19:00 Kheiron (French and Farsi with English subtitles). A 2015 comedy presented by the French Institute of Jerusalem within the opening of the Franco Arab Film Festival 2016. Palestine Tower Cinema.

19:00 -20:20 Where Would I Find Like You, Ali? The premiere monologue written and acted by Raida Taha and directed by Lina Abyad, with the support of Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center and A M Qattan Foundation. Ramallah Cultural Palace.

SPECIAL EVENTS Wednesday 2

TULKAREM SPECIAL EVENTS Monday 28

14:00–16:00 Doodling – Kharbashat is a workshop with Hikmat Bessaiso for those who wish to know more about the inner self and get rid of tension and pressure through scribbling and doodling. Work Factory Manara.

9:00 The First International Conference on Strategic Crops under Stress Conditions in Palestine is organized by Standards International Company in collaboration with the Palestine Technical University (PTUK) and Wageningen University, till December 1, 2016. Palestine Technical University – Kadoorie.

Thursday 10

18:00 Kulna mn Hon – We’re All from Here is a cultural artistic youth festival that includes theatrical plays and musical performances. Palestine Red Crescent Society.

Thursday 17

16:00 Origami workshop is organized by the French Institute to create paper cupcakes for children six years old and over with Yahya Tina. French-German Cultural Center, Robert Schuman Library.

BETHLEHEM LECTURES Tuesdays 1, 8, 15, 22, 28 17:30 – 18:30 Lecture about the history of icons. Bethlehem Icon Center, Star Street.

EXHIBITIONS October 4 – November 20

SPECIAL EVENTS

11:00–14:00 Crop Marks, a solo exhibition featuring artist Sharif Waked’s works that explore iconoclasm, is open daily, except Fridays. Gallery One.

Friday 4 – Saturday 5

9:00 The National Conference for the Announcement of Bethlehem, Arab Capital of Culture 2020, is organized by the Ministry of Culture in cooperation with the Preparatory Committee of the conference. Bethlehem Convention Palace.

Tuesday 1

11:00–19:00 The opening of an exhibition of paintings organized by Zawyeh Gallery. Mövenpick Hotel Ramallah, lobby area.

Friday 4, 18

Saturday 5

9:00 – 10:00 Bethlehem old city walking tour, organized by Hosh Abu Jarour Tourist Information Center and Bethlehem Municipality, explores the history, culture, and heritage of Bethlehem by visiting various sites and inspecting the old buildings. Participants will visit Star Street, Abu Jarour Neighborhood, the Icon School, the Salesian Museum and Workshop, Manger Square, and the Church of the Nativity. Free of charge. Starting point will be at the headquarters of Hosh Abu Jarour Tourist Information Center, Star Street, and endpoint at the Church of the Nativity.

18:00–21:00 The opening of Farid Abu Shakra’s solo exhibition that articulates the Palestinians’ inherent connection to their land. Open daily, except Fridays. Zawyeh Gallery. Monday 14

9:00 PAL BUILDEX 2016 is a local building materials and technologies exhibition held by PalCircless Palestine, which provides worldstandard services through its exhibition areas, its products and services, and its domestic and foreign exhibitors, all of which expand, grow, and increase year by year. PalCircless Palestine, Al-Ersal Street. 84

Palestinian Group for the Revival of Popular Heritage

Jericho Culture & Art Center

Palestinian Heritage Center

Tel: 232 2417, Fax: 232 2604

Telefax: 232 1047

Telefax: 274 7945

Municipality Theatre

Telefax: 274 2381, 274 2642 mahasaca@palestinianheritagecenter.com www.phc.ps

JENIN (04) Cinema Jenin

Russian Center for Science and Culture

EAST JERUSALEM (02)

The Bookshop at the American Colony Hotel

ARTLAB

Tel: 627 9731, Fax: 627 9779 bookshop.americancolony@gmail.com www. americancolony.com

Al-Jawal Theatre Group

The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music

Mob. 0544 343 798, artlabjerusalem@gmail.com Telefax: 628 0655

Al-Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art Tel: 628 3457, Fax: 627 2312 info@almamalfoundation.org www.almamalfoundation.org

Alruwah Theatre

Tel: 626 2626, alruwahtheatre2000@yahoo.com

Tel: 277 7863

Theatre Day Productions

Tel: 275 0091, Fax: 275 0092 sabreen@sabreen.org, www.sabreen.org

Tel: 234 2005, Fax: 234 2004 info@urmawi.org, www.urmawi.org

Wujoud Museum

The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music

Yabous Cultural Center

http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/americahouse2.html

Tel: 626 1045; Fax: 626 1372 yabous@yabous.org, www.yabous.org

Ashtar for Theatre Productions & Training

Telefax: 582 7218 info@ashtar-theatre.org, www.ashtar-theatre.org

BETHLEHEM (02)

British Council

Tel: 626 7111, Fax: 628 3021 information@ps.britishcouncil.org www.britishcouncil.org/ps

Al-Harah Theatre

Centre for Jerusalem Studies/Al-Quds University

Alliance Française de Bethléem

Telefax: 276 7758, alharahtheater@yahoo.com info@alharah.org, www.alharah.org

Tel: 628 7517, cjs@planet.edu www.jerusalem-studies.alquds.edu

Telefax: 275 0777, afbeth@p-ol.com

Anat Palestinian Folk & Craft Center

Community Action Centre (CAC)

Telefax: 277 2024, marie_musslam@yahoo.com

Tel: 627 3352, Fax: 627 4547, www.cac.alquds.edu

Arab Educational Institute (AEI)-Open Windows

Educational Bookshop

Tel: 274 4030, www.aeicenter.org

Tel: 627 5858, Fax: 628 0814 info@educationalbookshop.com www.educationalbookshop.com

Artas Folklore Center

Mob: 0597 524 524, 0599 679 492, 0503 313 136 artasfc@hotmail.com

El-Hakawati Theatre Company

Tel: 583 8836, Mobile: 0545 835 268 f.abousalem@gmail.com, www.el-hakawati.org

Badil Centre

French Cultural Centre

Beit Jala Community-Based Learning and Action Center

Tel: 277 7086

Tel: 628 2451 / 626 2236, Fax: 628 4324 ccfjeru@consulfrance-jerusalem.org

Tel: 277 7863

Issaf Nashashibi Center for Culture & Literature Telefax: 581 8232, isaaf@alqudsnet.com

Jerusalem Centre for Arabic Music Magnificat Insitute

TeleFax: 628 1377, Melia@bezeqint.net www.meliaartandtrainingcenter.com Telefax: 627 3501 info@alhoashgallery.org, www.alhoashgallary.org

Tel. 237 2863, Fax. 237 8275 arafatn24@yahoo.com

Telefax: 275 2492, highiom@hotmail.com www.thehigherinstituteofmusic.ps

French Cultural Centre

Turathuna - Centre for Palestinian Heritage (B.Uni.)

Tel: 238 5914, Fax: 238 7593 ccfnaplouse@consulfrance-jerusalem.org

Tel: 274 1241, Fax: 274 4440 pdaoud@bethlehem.edu, www.bethlehem.edu

Nablus The Culture

Tel: 233 2084, Fax: 234 5325 info@nablusculture.ps, www.nablusculture.ps

HEBRON (02)

RAMALLAH AND AL-BIREH (02)

Al Sanabl Centre for Studies and Heritage Tel: 256 0280, sanabelssc@yahoo.com www.sanabl.org, www.sanabl.ps

A. M. Qattan Foundation

Beit Et Tifl Compound

Telefax: 222 4545, tdphebron@alqudsnet.com

Tel: 296 0544, Fax: 298 4886 info@qattanfoundation.org www.qattanfoundation.org

British Council- Palestine Polytechnic University

Al Kasaba Theatre and Cinematheque

Telefax: 229 3717, information@ps.britishcouncil.org www.britsishcouncil.org.ps

Tel: 296 5292/3, Fax: 296 5294 info@alkasaba.org, www.alkasaba.org

Children Happiness Center

Al-Kamandjâti Association

Telefax: 229 9545, children_hc@yahoo.com

Tel: 297 3101 info@alkamandjati.com, www.alkamandjati.com

Tel: 228 3663, nader@duramun.org www.duramun.org

Al-Mada Music Therapy Center

Dura Cultural Martyrs Center

Tel: 241 3196, Fax: 241 3197 info@al-mada.ps, www.al-mada.ps Telefax: 298 8091, alrahhalah@hotmail.com Tel: 296 1613, Fax: 197 1265, Mob: 0599 259 874 akel.nichola@gmail.com

Tel: 222 4811 info@hebron-france.org, wwww.hebron-france.org

Amideast

Tel: 240 8023, Fax: 240 8017 westbank-gaza@amideast.org, www.amideast.org

Tel: 274 3277, Fax 274 2939 info@ca-b.org, www.ca-b.org

Hebron Rehabilitation Committee

Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation

Palestinian Child Arts Center (PCAC)

ArtSchool Palestine

Environmental Education Center

The International Palestinian Youth League (IPYL)

Ashtar for Theatre Production

Yes Theater

Baladna Cultural Center

Tel: 532 1393, sabreen@sabreen.org

International Centre of Bethlehem-Dar Annadwa

Tel: 671 4338, Fax: 673 0993 sanabeltheatre@yahoo.com

ITIP Center “Italian Tourist Information Point”

Tel: 277 0047, Fax: 277 0048 info@diyar.ps, www.diyar.ps

Sanabel Culture & Arts Theatre

Cultural Heritage Enrichment Center

The Higher Institute of Music

Al-Rua’a Publishing House

Telefax: 276 6263, www.inadtheater.com

Sabreen Association for Artistic Development

Tel: 238 6290, Fax: 239 7518 nutaleb@hotmail.com, www.nutaleb.cjb.net

Telefax: 274 8726 info@ncm.birzeit.edu, www.birzeit.edu/music

France-Hebron Association for Cultural Exchanges

Inad Centre for Theatre and Arts

Tel: 628 0957, Fax: 627 6293, info@pnt-pal.org

Cultural Centre for Child Development

Bethlehem Peace Center

Tel: 276 5574, eec@p-ol.com, www.eecp.org

Palestinian National Theatre

Telefax: 237 5950 information@ps.britishcouncil.org www.britishcoumcil.org/ps

Al-Rahhalah Theatre

Tel: 276 6244, Fax: 276 6241 info@cchp.ps, www.cchp.ps

Palestinian Art Court - Al Hoash

British Council- Al Najah University

Tel: 221 3301/2/3/4, Fax: 221 3305 Mob: 0599 097 531

Catholic Action Cultural Center

Melia Art Center

NABLUS (09)

AMIDEAST

Tel: 276 6677, Fax: 276 4670 info@peacenter.org, www.peacenter.org

Tel: 626 6609, Fax: 626 6701 magnificat@custodia.org www.magnificatinstitute.org

Tel: 250 3345, info@thefreedomtheatre.org

Bethlehem Academy of Music/ Bethlehem Music Society Tel: 277 7141, Fax: 277 7142

Tel: 627 4774, Fax: 656 2469, mkurd@yahoo.com

The Freedom Theatre/Jenin Refugee Camp

Tent of Nations

Tel: 274 3071, Fax: 276 7446 tnations@p-ol.com, www.tentofnations.org

Tel: 626 0916, www.wujoud.org, info@wujoud.org

America House

Telfax: 250 4773 center@hakoura-jenin.ps, www.hakoura-jenin.ps

Sabreen Association for Artistic Development

Turkish Cultural Centre

Tel: 591 0530/1, Fax: 532 3310 kudustur@netvision.net.il, www.kudusbk.com

Al-Urmawi Centre for Mashreq Music

Hakoura Center

Relief International - Schools Online Bethlehem Community-Based Learning and Action Center

Tel: 627 1711, Fax: 627 1710 info@ncm.birzeit.edu, ncm.birzeit.edu

Tel: 585 4513, Fax: 583 4233 tdp@theatreday.org, www.theatreday.org

Tel: 250 2642, 250 2455 info@cinemajenin.org, www.cinemajenin.org

Telefax: 276 1131, Tel: 276 1130 russian.center@ymail.com, pse.rs.gov.ru/ar www.facebook.com/russian.center.bethlehem

Telefax: 276 0411, itipcenter@yahoo.com

Nativity Stationery Library

Telfax: 225 5640, 222 6993/4

Tel: 295 9837, info@artschoolpalestine.com www.artschoolpalestine.com

Tel: 222 4813, Fax: 222 0855 pcac@hotmail.com, www.pcac.net

Tel: 298 0037, Fax: 296 0326 info@ashtar-theatre.org, www.ashtar-theatre.org

Tel:222 9131, Fax: 229 0652 itv@ipyl.org, www.ipyl.org

Telfax: 295 8435

Telefax: 229 1559, www.yestheatre.org, info@yestheatre.org

Birzeit Ethnographic and Art Museum

Tel. 298 2976, www.virtualgallery.birzeit.edu

JERICHO (02)

British Council

Tel: 296 3293-6, Fax: 296 3297 information@ps.britishcouncil.org www.britishcouncil.org/ps

Jericho Community Centre Telefax: 232 5007

Mob: 0598 950 447

Carmel Cultural Foundation

Sharek Youth Forum

Tel: 298 7375, Fax: 298 7374

Tel: 296 7741, Fax: 296 7742 info@sharek.ps, www.sharek.ps

Dar Zahran Heritage Building

Shashat

Telfax: 296 3470, Mob: 0599 511 800 info@darzahran.org, www.darzahran.org

Tel: 297 3336, Fax: 297 3338 info@shashat.org, www.shashat.org

El-Funoun Dance Troupe

Tamer Institute for Community Education

Tel: 240 2853, Fax: 240 2851 info@el-funoun.org, www.el-funoun.org

Tel: 298 6121/ 2, Fax: 298 8160 tamer@palnet.com, www.tamerinst.org

Franco-German Cultural Centre Ramallah

Tel: 298 1922 / 7727, Fax: 298 1923 info@ccf-goethe.org, www.ccf-goethe-ramallah.org

The Danish House in Palestine (DHIP)

Gallery One

The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music

TeleFax: 298 8457, info@dhip.ps, www.dhip.ps

Tel: 298 9181, info@galleryone.ps

Tel: 295 9070, Fax: 295 9071 info@ncm.birzeit.edu, www.birzeit.edu/music

Greek Cultural Centre - “Macedonia” Telefax: 298 1736/ 298 0546 makdonia@palnet.com

The Palestinian Circus School

Tel: 281 2000, 0568 880 024 www.palcircus.ps, info@ palcircus.ps

In’ash Al-Usra Society- Center for Heritage & Folklore Studies

The Palestinian Network of Art Centres

Tel: 240 1123 / 240 2876, Telefax: 240 1544 usra@palnet.com, www.inash.org

Tel: 298 0036, 296 4348/9, Fax: 296 0326 iman_aoun@yahoo.com

International Academy of Arts

The Spanish Cultural Center

Tel: 296 7601, info@artacademy.ps

Tel. 296 9600, Mob: 0595 803 508 centrohispanopalestino@gmail.com

Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center

Tel: 298 7374, Fax: 296 6820 sakakini@sakakini.org, www.sakakini.org

Young Artist Forum

Telefax: 296 7654, yaf@palnet.com

Mahmoud Darwish Foundation and Museum

Zawyeh Art Gallery

Tel: 295 2808, Fax: 295 2809 Info@darwishfoundation.org www.darwishfoundation.org

Mob. 0597 994 997 anani.ziad@gmail.com, www.zawyeh.net

Manar Cultural Center

GAZA STRIP (08)

Tel: 295 7937, Fax: 298 7598

Mazra’a Qibliyeh Heritage and Tourism Centre

Al-Qattan Centre for the Child

Telefax: 281 5825, mazraaheritage@yahoo.com www.geocities.com/mazraaheritage/

Tel: 283 9929, Fax: 283 9949 reem@qcc.qattanfoundation.org www.qattanfoundation.org/qcc

Nawa Institute

A EAST JERUSALEM (02)

Addar Hotel (30 suites; bf; mr; res)

Tel: 626 3111, Fax: 626 0791, www.addar-hotel.com

Tel: 627 9111, Fax: 627 1995 info@notredamecenter.org www.notredamecenter.org

Alcazar Hotel (38 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Petra Hostel and Hotel

Tel: 628 1111; Fax: 628 7360 admin@jrscazar.com, www.jrscazar.com

Capitol Hotel (54 rooms; bf; mr; res) Christmas Hotel

St. Andrew’s Scottish Guesthouse “The Scottie” (19 rooms +Self Catering Apartment)

Commodore Hotel (45 rooms; cf; mr; res)

St George Hotel Jerusalem

Gloria Hotel (94 rooms; mr; res)

Tel: 277 0780, Fax: 277 0782

Al-Salam Hotel (26 rooms; 6f; mr; cf; res)

Tel: 276 4083/4, Fax: 277 0551, samhotel@p-ol.com

Angel Hotel Beit Jala

Tel: 276 6880, Fax: 276 6884 info@angelhotel.ps, www.angelhotel.ps

Knights Palace Guesthouse (50 rooms)

Ararat Hotel (101 rooms, mr, ter, cf)

Tel: 628 2537, Fax: 628 2401, kp@actcom.co.il

Tel: 274 9888, Fax: 276 9887 info@ararat-hotel.com, www.ararat–hotel.com

Legacy Hotel

Tel: 281 0476, Fax: 280 8896, mcrcg@palnet.com

RIWAQ: Centre for Architectural Conservation

Tel: 627 0800, Fax: 627 7739 info@jerusalemlegacy.com, www.jerusalemlegacy.com

Theatre Day Productions

Metropol Hotel

Windows from Gaza For Contemporary Art

Mount of Olives Hotel (61 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Sareyyet Ramallah - First Ramallah Group (FRG)

BETHLEHEM (02) Alexander Hotel (42 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Hashimi Hotel

Holst Cultural Centre

Mob. 0599 781 227 - 0599 415 045 info@artwfg.ps

Tel: 627 4466, Fax: 627 4171 Info@4victoria-hotel.com, www.4victoria-hotel.com

Jerusalem Panorama Hotel (74 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Tel: 294 5555, Fax: 295 2107 rcpevents@ramallah-city.ps

Tel: 296 5638, 295 3206 sandouqelajab@yahoo.com

Victoria Hotel (50 rooms; bf; res)

Tel: 628 3282, Fax: 628 3282 raed@jrshotel.com, www.jrshotel.com

Telefax: 288 4399, art.global@yahoo.com

Sandouq Elajab Theatre

Tel: 628 2657, 627 4318, Fax: 626 4684 aset@aset-future.com, www.aset-future.net

Tel: 578 3100, Fax: 578 3129, www.ibis.com

Ramallah Cultural Palace

Telefax: 283 6766, tdpgaza@palnet.com

St. Thomas Home

Tel: 627 2888, Fax: 628 0265 info@holylandhotel.com, www.holylandhotel.com

Tel: 628 4410, Fax: 628 4667, info@hashimihotel.com

Tel: 240 6887, Fax: 240 6986 riwaq@palnet.com, www.riwaq.org

Tel: 628 3302, Fax: 628 2253 sghostel@bezeqint.net

Tel: 627 2416, Fax: 626 4658 info@goldenwalls.com, www.goldenwalls.com

Gaza Theatre

Global Production and Distribution

St. George’s Pilgrim Guest House (25 rooms; bf; res)

Tel: 628 2431, Fax: 628 2401, gloriahl@netvision.net.il

Ramallah Center for Human Rights Studies (RCHRS) Tel: 241 3002

Tel: 627 7232 Fax: 627 7233 info@stgeorgehoteljerusalem.com www.stgeorgehoteljerusalem.com

Tel: 627 1414, Fax: 628 4701 info@commodore-jer.com, www.commodore-jer.com

Tel: 286 7883, Fax: 282 8811 ccfgaza@consulfrance-jerusalem.org Tel: 282 4860, Fax: 282 4870

Tel: 673 2401, Fax: 673 1711 standjer@netvision.net.il, www.scotsguesthouse.com

Tel: 628 2588, Fax: 626 4417 christmashotel@bezeqint.net, www.christmas-hotel.com

Tel: 628 4887, Fax: 627 3699 panorama@alqudsnet.com www.jerusalempanoramahotel.com

French Cultural Centre

Tel: 626 7777, Fax: 627 1319 svnarch@trendline.co.il

Tel: 628 2561/2, Fax: 626 4352

Jerusalem Hotel (14 rooms; bf; mr; res; live music)

Telefax: 288 4403

Tel: 628 3366, Fax: 628 8040

Seven Arches Hotel (197 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Dialogpunkt Deutsch Gaza (Goethe-Insitut)

Tel: 240 3891, Fax: 240 2851 info@popularartcentre.org www.popularartcentre.org

Savoy Hotel (17 rooms)

Tel: 628 2447, Fax: 628 3960 azzahrahotel@shabaka.net, www.azzahrahotel.com

Palestinian Association for Cultural Exchange (PACE) Popular Art Center

Tel: 628 4871, Fax: 627 4879

Azzahra Hotel (15 rooms, res)

ibis Styles Jerusalem Sheikh Jarrah (91 rooms)

Fawanees Theatre Group

Rivoli Hotel

Tel: 626 5800, Fax: 627 1472 office@austrianhospice.com, www.austrianhospice.com

Telefax: 286 5896, ifarah@palnet.com Tel: 282 0203, Fax: 282 1602

Tel: 626 9900, Fax: 626 9910 reservations@jerusalemritz.com www.jerusalemritz.com

Austrian Hospice

Culture & Light Centre

Tel: 240 7611, Telfax: 240 7610 pace@p-ol.com, www.pace.ps

Ritz Hotel Jerusalem (104 rooms, bf, mr)

Tel: 627 9777, Fax: 627 9779 reserv@amcol.co.il, www.americancolony.com

Tel: 296 7601, fax: 295 1849 paca@pal-paca.org, www.pal-paca.org

Telefax: 283 3565, atlas9@palnet.com

Tel: 627 2416, info@goldenwalls.com

American Colony Hotel (84 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)

Holy Land Hotel (105 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)

Palestinian Association for Contemporary Art PACA

Pilgrims Inn Hotel (16 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Tel: 541 2222, Fax: 582 8202 reservation@jerusalemambassador.com www.jerusalemambassador.com

Ashtar for Culture & Arts

Telefax: 284 6405 artvlg@palnet.com, www.gazavillage.org

Mob: 0597 651 408, www.palestineworkshop.com

Tel: 628 6618

Ambassador Hotel (122 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)

Arts & Crafts Village

Palestine Writing Workshop

Notre Dame Guesthouse (142 rooms, Su, bf, mr, cr, res, ter, cf, pf)

Tel: 626 7777, Fax: 627 1319 svnarch@bezeqint.net, www.7arches.com

Golden Walls Hotel (112 rooms)

Tel: 297 0190, info@nawainstitute.org

swedishhost@yahoo.com www.geocities.com/swedishhostel

7 Arches Hotel

Beit Al-Baraka Youth Hostel (19 rooms) Tel: 222 9288, Fax: 222 9288

Bethlehem Bible College Guest House (11 rooms; mr; pf)

Tel: 628 2507, Fax: 628 5134

Tel: 274 1190, guesthouse@bethbc.org

Tel: 628 4877, Fax: 626 4427 info@mtolives.coml, www.mtolives.com

Beit Ibrahim Guesthouse

Tel: 274 2613, Fax: 274 4250 reception@luthchurch.com www.abrahams-herberge.com

National Hotel (99 rooms; bf; cr; res; cf) Tel: 627 8880, Fax: 627 7007 www.nationalhotel-jerusalem.com

Tel: 295 2690 - 295 2706, Fax: 298 0583 sareyyet@sareyyet.ps, www.sareyyet.ps

New Imperial Hotel (45 rooms)

Bethlehem Hotel (209 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)

New Metropole Hotel (25 rooms; mr; res)

Bethlehem Inn (36 rooms; bf; mr; res)

New Swedish Hostel

Bethlehem Star Hotel (72 rooms; cf; bf; res)

Tel: 277 0702, Fax: 277 0706, bhotel@p-ol.com

Tel: 627 2000, Fax: 627 1530

Tel: 274 2424, Fax: 274 2423

Tel: 628 3846, Fax: 627 7485

Tel: 274 3249 - 277 0285, Fax: 274 1494 htstar@palnet.com

Tel: 627 7855, Fax: 626 4124

Casanova Hospice (60 rooms; mr; res)

Tel: 276 9921/2/3, Fax: 277 2244 info@saintmichaelhotel.com www.saintmichaelhotel.com

Tel: 274 3981, Fax: 274 3540

Casanova Palace Hotel (25 rooms; bf; res)

Santa Maria Hotel (83 rooms; mr; res)

Tel: 274 2798, Fax: 274 1562

Tel: 276 7374/5/6, Fax: 276 7377, smaria@p-ol.com

Dar Sitti Aziza Hotel

Telefax: 274 4848 info@darsittiaziza.com, www.darsittiaziza.com

El-Beit Guest House (Beit Sahour) (15 rooms)

TeleFax: 277 5857, info@elbeit.org, www.elbeit.org

Eman Regency Palace (55 rooms; su (1); cr; res)

Aladdin Hotel (27 rooms bf; mr; ter)

Tel: 274 0656, Fax: 274 4888 info@shepherdhotel.com, www.shepherdhotel.com

Tel: 240 7689, Fax: 240 7687, Mob. 0598 308 382 aladdinhotel1@gmail.com, www.thealaddinhotel.com

Shepherds’ House Hotel (Facilities: Restaurant and Bar, WiFi)

Al-Bireh Tourist Hotel (50 rooms; cf; res) Telefax: 240 0803

St. Nicholas Hotel (25 rooms; res; mr)

Telefax: 298 7858

Everest Hotel (19 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Tel: 274 3040/1/2, Fax: 274 3043

Grand Hotel (107 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)

Tel: 276 0967/8, Fax: 276 0970 svincent@p-ol.com, www.saintvincentguesthouse.net

Saint Vincent Guest House (36 rooms)

Tel: 274 2604, Fax: 274 1278

Tel: 274 1602 - 274 1440, Fax: 274 1604 info@grandhotelbethlehem.com

Talita Kumi Guest House (22 rooms; res; mr; cf) Tel: 274 1247, Fax: 274 1847

Golden Park Resort & Hotel (Beit Sahour) (66 rooms; res, bar, pool)

White Diamond Hotel

Tel: 277 4041/2, Fax: 277 4010 wdh@whitediamond-hotel.com Web site: whitediamond-hotel.com

Tel: 277 4414

Grand Park Hotel Bethlehem (Has 110 rooms located in 7 floors, main restaurant, dining room, conference room and bar.) Holy Family Hotel (90 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res;)

Holy Land Hotel

Tel: 232 1255, Fax: 232 2189 reservation@jerichoresorts.com www.jerichoresorts.com

Jerusalem Hotel (22 rooms) Tel: 232 2444, Fax: 992 3109

Tel: 277 0047, Guesthouse@diyar.ps, www.diyar.ps

Telepherique & Sultan Tourist Center (55 rooms)

Manger Square Hotel (220 Rooms; bf; cf; mr; res; cr)

Tel: 232 1590, Fax: 232 1598 info@jericho-cablecar.com

Tel: 277 8888, Fax: 277 8889 fabudayyeh@mangersquarehotel.com Web: www.mangersquarehotel.com

Tel: 274 8880, Fax: 274 8870 nativitybells@palnet.com, www.nativitybellshotel.ps Tel: 277 0650, Fax: 274 4083 nativity@nativity-hotel.com, www.nativity-hotel.com

Assaraya Hotel Apartment

Telefax: 238 6220

Asia Hotel (28 rooms, res) Chrystal Motel (12 rooms) Telefax: 233 3281

International Friends Guesthouse (Hostel) (mr; res; ter; cf; pf)

Tel: 276 6221, Fax: 276 6220

Telfax: 238 1064 ifriends.house@gmail.com, www.guesthouse.ps

Saint Gabriel Hotel

Tel: 275 9990, Fax: 275 9991 Reservation@st-gabrielhtel.com www.st-gabrielhotel.com

Saint Michael Hotel

Saleem Afandi Hotel

Tel: 237 3338/9, Fax: 237 3340 www.saleemafandihotel.ps

Tel: 289 9440, Fax: 970-2-289-9441 www.taybehgoldenhotel.com

GAZA STRIP (08) Telefax: 282 3521/19, Fax: 282 5580

Mob: 0569 349 042, ehab@ramallahhostel.com

Tel: 283 8100/200/300, Fax: 283 8400 info@aldeira.ps, www.aldeira.ps

Beauty Inn

Al Mashtal Hotel

Tel: 296 6477, Fax: 296 6479 beauty.inn@hotmail.com, www.beautyinn.ps

Best Eastern Hotel (91 rooms; cf; res)

Tel: 283 2500, Fax: 283 2510 mashtal@arcmedhotels.com www.almashtalarcmedhotels.com

Caesar Hotel (46 rooms & su, 2 mr, cr, res, cf)

Almat’haf Hotel

City Inn Palace Hotel (47 rooms; bf; cf; res)

Al-Quds International Hotel (44 rooms; 2 suites; bf; mr; res)

Tel: 296 0450, Fax: 295 8452, besteastern@jrol.com

Tel: 285 8444, Fax: 285 8440 info@almathaf.ps, www.almathaf.ps

Tel: 297 9400, Fax: 297 9401 reservation@caesar-hotel.ps, www.caesar-hotel.ps Tel: 240 8080, Fax: 240 8091 cityinnpalace@gmail.com, www.cityinnpalace.com

Telefax: 282 5181, 282 6223, 286 3481, 282 2269

Grand Park Hotel & Resorts (84 rooms; 12 grand suites; bf; cf; mr; res; sp; pf)

Beach Hotel (25 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Gemzo Suites (90 executive suites; cs; mr; pf; gm; res)

Tel: 283 4400, Fax: 282 2623

Telefax: 282 5492, 284 8433

Commodore Gaza Hotel (60 rooms;su; bf)

Tel: 298 6194, Fax: 295 6950, info@grandpark.com

Gaza International Hotel (30 rooms; bf; cf; res)

Tel: 240 9729, Fax: 240 9532 gemzo@palnet.com, www.gemzosuites.net

Tel: 283 0001/2/3/4, Fax: 283 0005

Manarah Hotel

Tel: 233 3555 Fax: 233 3666 yasmeen@palnet.com, www.alyasmeen.com

St. Antonio Hotel (36 rooms; mr; cf;res;pf)

Taybeh Golden Hotel

Telefax: 298 0412

NABLUS (09)

Al-Yasmeen Hotel & Souq (30 rooms; cf; mr; res)

Tel: 0599 713 124 / 0548 866 410 eydam2000@hotmil.com www.booking.com/hotel/ps/assaraya.eg.html

Tel: 296 2705, Telefax: 296 2715 starmountaincenter@gmail.com

Marna House (17 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Paradise Hotel (166 rooms;cf;bf;mr;res;su;pf)

Tel: 274 4542/3 - 274 4544, paradise@p-ol.com

Star Mountain Guesthouse (10 rooms; wifi; pf)

Tel: 242 3019 alzahrasuites@yahoo.com, www.alzahrasuites.ps

Lavender Boutique Hotel ( 10 rooms, cf;mr;res)

Tel: 2341 444, Fax: 2341 944 alqaser@alqaserhotel.com, www.alqaserhotel.com

Tel: 276 4660 Fax: 275 3807 olivetreehotel@yahoo.com Facebook: olive tree tourist village

Tel: 295 2602

AlZahra Suites

Hebron Hotel

Al-Qaser Hotel (48 rooms; 7 regular suites, 1 royal suite; bf; cf; mr; res)

Olive Tree Hotel (20 rooms; 6 su; res; sp; bar; wifi-lobby)

Summer Bar (Ankars Garden)

Grand Palace Hotel (20 rooms; cr; mr; cf; res)

Tel: 225 4240 / 222 9385, Fax: 222 6760 hebron_hotel@hotmail.com

Nativity Hotel (89 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)

Tel: 296 4040, Fax: 296 4047 info@rcshotel.com, www.rcshotel.com

Tel: 298 8868, 298 8008 almanarahotel@hotmail.com, www.almanarahotel.ps

Garden Suites and Restaurant (22 suites (su, res, pf)

HEBRON (02)

Nativity BELLS Hotel (95 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)

Royal Court Suite Hotel (39 rooms; res; mr; ter; cf; pf; i)

Al-Deira (22 Suits; cf; mr; res; ter)

Jericho Resort Village (92 rooms; 46 studios; bf; cf; mr; res)

Lutheran Guesthouse “Abu Gubran”

Telefax: 295 0022, Retno@retnohotel.com www.retnohotel.com

Area D Hostel

Tel: 231 1200, Fax: 231 1222 reservation@oasis-jericho.ps

Tel: 276 6777, Fax: 276 6770

Retno Hotel (33 rooms & su; res; mr; gm; sp)

Auberg-Inn Bed & Breakfast

House of Peace Hostel

Jacir Palace Hotel - Bethlehem (250 rooms; su; bf; cf; mr; res)

Telefax: 2810881, www.reefhousepension.ps

Adam Hotel (76 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)

Oasis Jericho Hotel (181 rooms; su; bf; cf; mr; res; ter; tb)

Tel: 274 7529, reservations@hoshalsyrian.com www.hoshalsyrian.com

Reef Pension (Jifna village) (8 rooms; res)

Tel: 295 2602, Fax: 295 2603, Info@ankars.ps Area: D Hostel (50 beds, 2 private appartments) Mob: 0569 349 042, Info@RamallahHostel.com

Tel: 232 2414, Fax: 232 3109

Hosh Al-Syrian Guesthouse

Tel: 295 3544, Fax: 295 5029

Telefax: 274 2016 Deir Hijleh Monastery Tel: 994 3038, 0505 348 892

Hisham Palace Hotel

Tel: 276 4739, www.houseofpeace.hostel.com/

Ramallah Hotel (22 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Al-Manara hotel (22 rooms)

Ankars Suites and Hotel (40 Suites & Rooms, su,mr,bf,cr,res,ter,cf,gm,pf)

House of Hope Guesthouse

Tel: 274 2325, Fax: 274 0928 Guesthouse@houseofhopemd.org

Telefax: 295 6808

Tel: 295 6226 - 295 0031, Fax: 295 0032 alhambrapalace1@gmail.com www.alhambra-palace-hotel.com

JERICHO (02)

Tel: 0523 500 041, 0522 626 067 info@housepitality.net, www.auberginn.ps

Tel: 277 8962/3, Fax: 277 8961 holylandhotel@hotmail.com, www.holylandhotel.net

Pension Miami (12 rooms)

Al Hambra Palace (Hotel Suites and Resort)

Al-Wihdah Hotel

Al- Zaytouna Guest House (7 rooms; bf; res; mr)

Tel: 277 3432/3, Fax: 274 8650 holyfamilyhotel@hotmail.com www.holyfamilyhotel.com

Tel: 294 6888, Fax: 297 3574 reservations@palestineplazahotel.com

Al-Hajal Hotel (22 rooms; bf)

Zaituna Tourist Village Tel: 275 0655

Tel: 275 6400, Fax: 276 3736 info@grandpark.com, www.grandpark.com

Palestine Plaza Hotel (100 rooms and suites; bf; res; gym; cf)

Tel: 240 5925 - 240 4353, Fax: 240 4332 alainhotel@hotmail.com

Shepherd Hotel

Tel: 275 9690, Fax: 275 9693

Tel: 277 2010, Fax: 274 6808 info@emanregencyhotel.ps, www.emanregencyhotel.ps

RAMALLAH and AL-BIREH (02) Al-A’in Hotel (24 rooms and suites; mr; cf)

Tel: 284 9498/6468, Fax: 284 9497

Tel: 298 8885, Fax: 298 8876, info@gardensuite.net

Tel: 282 2624, Fax: 282 3322

Telefax: 297 7073 reservation@lavenderboutiquehotel.com www.lavenderboutiquehotel.com

Palestine Hotel (54 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res) Tel: Tel: 282 3355, Fax: 286 0056

JENIN (04)

Tel: 295 2122, Telefax: 295 3274 manarah@hotmail.com, www.manarahhotel.com.ps

Cinema Jenin Guesthouse (7 rooms; 2 su)

Merryland Hotel (25 rooms)

Tel: 250 2455, Mob: 0599 317 968 guesthouse@cinemajenin.org, www.cinemajenin.org

Tel: 298 7176, Telefax: 298 7074

Haddad Hotel & Resort

Mövenpick Hotel Ramallah (171 rooms and Su; bf; mr; cr; res;ter; cf; gm; pf; sp)

Tel: 241 7010/1/2, Fax: 241 7013 haddadbooking@ymail.com www.haddadtourismvillage.com

Tel: 298 5888, Fax: 298 533 hotel.ramallah@moevenpick.com hotel.ramallah.reservation@moevenpick.com www.moevenpick-ramallah.com

North Gate Hotel

Tel: 243 5700, Fax: 243 5701 info@northgate-hotel.com, www.northgate-hotel.com

Rocky Hotel (22 rooms; cf; res; ter) Tel: 296 4470, Telefax: 296 1871

Key: su = suites, bf = business facilities; mr = meeting rooms, cr = conference facilities; res = restaurant, ter = terrace bar; tb = turkish bath, cf = coffee shop; gm = gym; pf = parking facilities, sp = swimming pool 91

King Gaspar Restaurant & Bar

(Italian, Asian and Mediterranean Cuisine)

Tel: 276 5301, Fax: 276 5302

Il’iliyeh Restaurant Continental Cuisine Tel: 277 0047

Layal Lounge Snack Bar Tel: 275 0655

La Terrasse Middle Eastern and

EAST JERUSALEM (02) Al-Diwan (Ambassador Hotel)

Middle Eastern, French, and Italian Cuisine

Tel: 541 2213, Fax: 582 8202

Alhambra Palace Jerusalem Restaurant & coffee shop

Lotus and Olive Garden (Jerusalem Meridian Hotel) Middle Eastern and Continental Cuisine

Tel: 628 5212

Nafoura Middle Eastern Menu Tel: 626 0034

Tel: 626 3535, Fax: 6263737 info@alhambrapalacej.com

Nakashian Gallery Café

Al-Manakeesh Pizza & Pastries

La Rotisserie (Notre Dame Hotel) Gourmet Restaurant, European and

Tel: 585 6928

Al-Shuleh Grill Shawerma and

Barbecues

Tel: 627 3768

Amigo Emil Middle Eastern, American, Indian, and Italian Cuisine

Tel: 628 8090, Fax: 626 1457

Antonio’s (Ambassador Hotel)

Middle Eastern, French, and Italian Cuisine

Tel: 541 2213

Arabesque, Poolside, and Patio Restaurants (American Colony Hotel) Western and Middle Eastern Menu Tel: 627 9777, Fax: 627 9779

Armenian Tavern Armenian and Middle Eastern Food

Tel: 627 3854

Askidinya Italian and French Cuisine Tel: 532 4590

Az-Zahra Oriental food and Pizza Tel: 628 2447

Borderline Restaurant Café Italian and Oriental Menu

Tel: 532 8342

Tel: 627 8077

Mediterranean Menu

Tel: 627 9114, Fax: 627 1995

Dina Café Coffee and Pastry Tel: 626 3344

Educational Bookshop Books

and Coffee

Tel: 627 5858

and Barbecues

Tel. 274 1897

Abu Shanab Restaurant Barbecues Tel: 274 2985

Afteem Restaurant Oriental Cuisine Tel: 274 7940

Al-Areesheh Palace (autumn and winter) (Jacir Palace) Middle

Eastern and Barbecues

and Italian Cuisine

Philadelphia Restaurant Tel: 532 2626, Fax: 532 2636

Shalizar Restaurant Middle Eastern, Mexican, and Italian Cuisine

Tel: 582 9061

The Gate Café Fresh Juices, Coffee,

and Tea

Barbara Restaurant

Oriental Cuisine

Tel: 627 4282

Tel: 277 6336, Fax: 277 6337

Four Seasons Restaurants and Coffee Shop Barbecues and Shawerma

Tel: 627 7232, Fax: 627 7233

Ewaan Restaurant (International

Versavee Bistro (Bar and Café)

Tel: 274 3737

Tel: 627 6160

Fawda Cafe

Victoria Restaurant Middle Eastern

Tel: 274 7529

Tel: 585 3223

Kan Zaman (Jerusalem Hotel) Mediterranean Cuisine

Tel: 673 2401, Fax: 673 1711 and European Menu

Oriental and Western Food

Dar al-Balad Continental Cuisine Tel: 274 9073

Divano Café and Restaurant Tel: 275 7276 divanocafe@gmail.com Cuisine)

Hosh Al-Syrian Guesthouse

and Arabic Menu

Grotto Restaurant Barbecues and

Wake up Restaurant

Tel: 274 8844, Fax: 274 8889

Zad Rest. & Café

Tel: 274 3224

Tel: 628 3051, Fax: 627 4171 Tel: 627 8880

Tel: 627 7454, 627 2525

The Tent Restaurant (Shepherds’ Valley Village) Barbecues Tel: 277 3875, Fax: 277 3876

Sima Café

Elite Coffee House Italian and Arabic

Mob: 0599 258 435 Tel: 290 5124

Taboon

Golden Roof Continental Cuisine

Tel: 2951 7031, 296 6505

Akasha Oriental Tel: 295 9333

Escape fresh, healthy food

Allegro Italian Restaurant (Mövenpick Hotel Ramallah) Italian

Express Pizza American Pizza

fine cuisine

Tel: 295 9976, Mob: 0592 333 477 Tel: 296 6566

Fakhr El-Din Lebanese Cuisine

Tel: 298 5888

Tel: 294 6800

Fawanees Pastries and Fast Food Tel: 298 7046

Oriental cuisine

Fatuta Reataurant Barbecues, (Birzeit)

Awjan Seafood, Breakfast, and Pizza, Coffee

Fuego Mexican and Tapas Grill

Mob. 0599 839 043

Shop, Lebanese and Italian Cuisine

Tel: 297 1776

Andre’s Restaurant French and

Tel: 29 59426 - 1700 999 888

Jasmine Café Tel: 295 0121

Angelo’s Western Menu and Pizza

K5M - Caterers Cake and Sweets

Cuisine and Barbecues

Ayysha Restaurant Oriental Cuisine

Khuzama Restaurant Oriental Cuisine

Tachi Chinese Chinese Cuisine

Azure Restaurant and Coffee Shop Continental Cuisine

La Vie Café Cafe, Bistro & Bar

Taboo – Restaurant and Bar

Baladna Ice Cream Ice Cream and

Mob. 0597 492 175

Tel: 296 6477/8

Tel: 297 5444

Tel: 295 6408, 298 1455 Tel: 296 6622

Telefax: 295 7850

Oriental and Continental Cuisine

Soft Drinks

Tel: 274 0711, Mob: 0599 205 158

Telefax: 295 6721

The Square Restaurant and Coffee Shop Mediterranean Cuisine

Bel Mondo Italian Cuisine Tel: 298 6759

Tel: 274 9844

Caesar’s (Grand Park Hotel)

Zaitouneh (Jacir Palace) Continental

Tel: 298 6194

Cuisine

Tel: 276 6777, Fax: 276 6154

Continental Cuisine

Tel: 298 0880

JERICHO (02)

Casper & Gambini’s Palestine

Al-Nafoura Restaurant (Jericho Resort Village) Arabic Cuisine and

Castana Café

Barbecues

Tel: 298 8262

Tel: 296 4115

La Vista Café and Restaurant Oriental and Western Cuisine

Tel: 296 3271

LEMON Palestine Tel: 296 6933

Level 5 Fusion European Tel: 298 8686 Cuisine

Tel: 297 2125

Mac Simon Pizza and Fast Food Tel: 297 2088 Tel: 297 9400

Castello Restaurant & Café

Al-Rawda Barbecues

Tel: 297 3844/55

Green Valley Park Oriental Cuisine

Tel: 298 8289

Martini Bar (Caesar Hotel)

Tel: 297 1114

Tel: 232 1255, Fax: 232 2189 Telefax: 232 2555

Tel: 295 6813

Cann Espresso Arabic and Italian

Café De La Paix French Cuisine

Oriental

Chinese House Restaurant Chinese Cuisine

Mr. Donuts Café Donuts and Coffee Shop

Tel: 240 7196

Mr. Fish Seafood Tel: 295 9555

Mr. Pizza Pizza and Fast Food

Tel: 296 4081

Tel: 240 3016, 240 8182

Tel: 232 2349

European Coffee Shop Coffee

and Sweets

Janan’s Kitchen

and Barbecues

Tel: 627 1356

Tel: 296 5169

Italian Cuisine

Tel: 275 2058

Tel: 274 4382

Turquoise Lebanese Restaurant

Goodies Fast Food

Al-Riwaq Restaurant and Coffee Shop snacks and cakes (Jacir Palace – InterContinental Bethlehem) Coffee Shop and Sandwiches

Tel: 274 0406

Tel: 627 4626

Tel: 581 6463

Tel: 274 9990. Mob. 0598 154 800

Bonjour Restaurant and Café

Tel: 628 2588, 626 4418

Garden’s Restaurant

Seafood, Steaks & Middle Eastern

Tel: 274 3780, Fax: 274 1833 st.george_restaurant@yahoo.com

Sarwa International Cuisine with

Tel: 540 9974

Cuisine

St. George Restaurant Oriental

Christmas Bells Restaurants

Dream Restaurant and Pools (Jifna)

Al Falaha Msakhan and Taboun

Beit Sahour Citadel Mediterranean

Coffee Shop and Continental Cuisine

Tel: 296 4046

Tel: 749 888, Fax: 276 9887

Snack Food

Singer Café

Tel: 277 7771

International Cuisine

Cuisine

Tel: 274 0130 barbra.rest1@hotmail.com Cuisine

Vintage (Royal Court)

Andareen Pub

Tel: 298 5888

Rossini’s Restaurant Bar French

Cuisine

Noah’s Snack/ Ararat Hotel

Tel: 274 9110

Tel: 0598 333 665

Tel: 275 0221, Fax: 277 7115

Tel: 295 0590/1

Tel: 201 1548, Mob. 0599 765 628 dream.jifna@gmail.com

Tel: 296 5911

Roots Lounge (Beit Sahour)

Balloons Coffee Shop and Pizza

Darna Continental Cuisine

911 Café Mexican, Italian, Oriental

Al-Sammak Sea Food Restaurant

Tel: 583 5460

Mob. 0599 318 191, 0597 767 832

Massina (Breakfast)

Tel: 276 6777, Fax: 276 6754

Cuisine

Mediterranean, Italian cuisine

RAMALLAH AND AL-BIREH (02)

Tel: 276 6777, Fax: 276 6770

RIO Grill and Subs Italian and French

Dar 53 Bar and Restaurant

Tel: 274 1440, 274 1602/3 Fax: 274 1604

Snack Bar

The Patio (Christmas Hotel) Oriental

Gallery Café Snacks and Beverages

Continental Cuisine and Pastries

Pizza House Pizza and Oriental Pastry

Tel: 277 0376, 2743530 Fax: 277 0377

Tel: 297 4655

Tel: 296 6483

Tel: 238 4180

Al Makan Bar (Jacir Palace)

Tel: 628 4228

Dauod Basha

Diwan Art Coffee Shop Continental

Tel: 627 7799

Quick Lunch

Mob: 0597 348 335

Qasr al-Jabi restaurant

Al- Riwaq All-day-dining restaurant (Mövenpick Hotel Ramallah) International, Swiss and

Tel: 627 3970, 628 8135

Clara restaurant and pub

Tel: 237 1332

Tel: 276 6777, Fax: 276 6154

Tel: 626 0993

Tel: 628 6061, Fax: 628 6097

Salim Afandi Barbecues and Oriental

Cuisine

Petra Restaurant Oriental Cuisine

The Scots Bistro Coffee and Pastry

Mediterranean Flavour

Mexican Cuisine

Al-Areesheh Tent (spring and summer) (Jacir Palace) Middle Eastern and Barbecues

NABLUS (09)

Tel: 238 3164, Fax: 233 3666

Patisserie Suisse Fast Food and Tel: 628 4377

Tel: 231 2977, Fax: 231 2976

Mariachi (Grand Hotel) Seafood and

Peace Restaurant & Bar Pasta,

Breakfast

Limoneh Continental Cuisine

Zeit Ou Zaater (Al-Yasmeen Hotel)

Tel: 277 3335

and Fast Food

Tel: 232 2614, Fax: 232 2659

Tel: 275 5161

Tel: 582 5162, 532 8342

Pasha’s Oriental Food

El Dorada Coffee Shop and Internet Café Chocolates, Coffee, and Internet

Little Italy

Telefax: 275 6622

Cardo Restaurant Continental Cuisine Tel: 626 3465, Fax: 626 3471

Abu Eli Restaurant Middle Eastern

Tel: 275 8844, Fax: 275 8833

Al-Hakura Restaurant Middle Eastern

Tel: 628 4433, Fax: 627 5224

Mediterranean Menu

Chinese Restaurant Chinese Cuisine

Tel: 277 8779 restaurant.1890@gmail.com

Limoncello (Beit Jala)

Palmeras Gastropub Continental

Tel: 628 2964

Tel: 627 0800

1890 Restaurant (Beit-Jala)

Tel: 275 3678

Tel: 276 6777, Fax: 276 6154

Panoramic Golden City Barbecues

Burghoulji Armenian and Middle Eastern Tel: 628 2072, Fax: 628 2080

BETHLEHEM (02)

Continental Cuisine

Jabal Quruntul Continental Cuisine (Open Buffet)

Muntaza Restaurant and Garden Barbecues and Sandwiches

Tel: 295 6835

Na3Na3 Café Italian and Oriental

Samer Middle Eastern Food

Tel: 240 5338 - 240 3088

Tel: 298 1033

Scoop

Tel: 295 9189

Cuisine

Tel: 296 4606

Sangria’s French, Italian, and Mexican

Nai Resto Café - Argeeleh

Tel: 295 6808

Newz Bar Lounge and “Le Gourmet”

Mob: 0595 403 020 pastries’ corner

Mövenpick Hotel Ramallah Tel: 298 5888

Osama’s Pizza Pizza and Fast Food Tel: 295 3270

Orjuwan Lounge Palestinian-Italian

Fusion

Tel: 297 6870

Zam’n Premium Coffee Masyoun Coffee Shop Style Zarour Bar BQ Barbecues and Oriental

Cuisine

Tel: 295 6767, 296 4480 Fax: 296 4357

Shishapresso

Zeit ou Zaater Pastries and Snacks

Tel: 296 6060

Tel: 295 4455

Sinatra Gourmet Italian and American

Cuisine

Ziryab Barbecues, Italian, and Oriental Tel: 295 9093

Tel: 297 1028

Sindyan Restaurant and café

GAZA STRIP (08)

Sky Bar (Ankars Suites and Hotel)

Al Daar Barbecues

Tel: 298 9575

Continental Cuisine

Tel: 295 2602

Sky Gate Terrace and Bar

Tel: 288 5827

Al-Deira Mediterranean Cuisine

Tel: 294 6888, Fax: 297 3574

Tel: 283 8100/200/300 Fax: 2838400

Sushi Restaurant (Caesar Hotel)

Almat’haf Mediterranean Cuisine

Mövenpick Hotel Ramallah

Al-Molouke Shawerma

Tel: 298 5755

Stones Continental Cuisine

Al-Salam Seafood

Peter’s Place Restaurant & Bar (Taybeh) Palestinian Cuisine

Tabash (Jifna Village) Barbecues

Avenue

Tal El-Qamar Roof Middle Eastern and

Big Bite Fastfood

Rama café Resto/Bar Tel: 298 5376

Palestine Revolving Restaurant (23rd floor, Palestine Trade Tower) Tel: 294 6888, Fax: 297 3574

PASTICHE Palestine

Tel: 289 8054, Mob: 0547 043 029

Pesto Café and Restaurant Italian

Tel: 297 9400 Tel: 298 5888 Tel: 296 6038 Tel: 281 0932

Cuisine

Western Menu

Pizza Inn Pizza and Fast Food

TCHE TCHE

Philadelphia Restaurant Middle

THE Q GARDEN Roof-top garden International Cusine

Tel: 297 0705, 297 0706 Tel: 298 1181/2/3 Eastern Menu

Tel: 295 1999

Philistia Restaurant & Catering Palestinian cuisine

Tel: 298 9051

Plaza Jdoudna Restaurant and Park Middle Eastern Menu Tel: 295 6020, Fax: 296 4693

Tel: 298 7905/ 6

Tel: 285 8444, Fax: 285 8440 Tel: 286 8397

Tel: 282 2705, Telefax: 283 3188 Tel: 288 2100, 288 3100 Tel: 283 3666

Carino’s

Tel: 286 6343, Fax: 286 6353

Tel: 296 4201

Tel: 295 7727

LATERNA

Tel: 288 9881, Fax: 288 9882

Light House Tel: 288 4884

Tomasso’s Pizza and Fast Food

Marna House

Tropicana Mexican Cuisine, Oriental

Mazaj Coffee House

Tel: 240 9991/ 2 Menu, and Zarb

Tel: 297 5661

Pronto Resto-Café Italian Cuisine

UpTown (Ankars Suites and Hotel) Continental Cuisine

QMH

Values Restaurant International and

Roma Café Italian Light Food

European Style

Tel: 298 7312

Tel: 295 2602

Telefax: 282 3322, 282 2624 Tel: 286 8035

Mazaj Resturant

Tel: 282 5003, Fax: 286 9078

Orient House

Telefax: 282 8008, 282 8604

Seafood

Roots - The Club Oriental Cuisine

Tel: 296 6997

Tel: 288 8666, 282 3999, 282 3777

Tel: 296 4228

Vatche’s Garden Restaurant

Abu Mazen Restaurant

Rukab’s Ice Cream Ice Cream and

Tel: 296 5966, 296 5988

Al Quds Restaurant

Tel: 297 34511

Soft Drinks

Tel: 295 3467

Zam’n Premium Coffee Coffee

Saba Sandwiches Falafel and

Shop Style

Tel: 296 0116

Zaki Taki Sandwiches

Sandwiches

Tel: 221 3833, Fax: 229 3111 Tel: 229 7773, Fax: 229 7774

Golden Rooster

Tel: 295 0600 Tel: 296 3643

Telefax: 221 6115

Hebron Restaurant Telefax: 222 7773

Orient House Restaurant Telefax: 221 1525

Royal Restaurant Tel: 222 7210

Map Source: PalMap - GSE © Copyright to GSE and PalMap Map source, designer and publisher: GSE - Good Shepherd Engineering & Computing P.O.Box 524, 8 Jamal Abdel Nasser St., Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine Tel: +970 2 274 4728 / Fax: +970 2 275 1204 (Also +972) map@palmap.org / www.gsecc.com / www.palmap.org

t When Waiting Becomes an Identity For decades now, I’ve seen the queues of Palestinians who live in East Jerusalem waiting to get into the Israeli National Insurance Institute. Literally, come rain come shine, the interminable lines are there as long the institute is open. The same applies to the Ministry of Interior’s only office in East Jerusalem. If you’re one of the “lucky” 300,000+ Palestinians who live in the city, you need to stand patiently in long lines in order to get into the office to register any alteration in your social or civic status or to apply for any sort of permit ranging from a travel document to residency. Whether you need to renew your identity card, register your marriage or the birth of your child, or submit an address change, for example, the Ministry of Interior is your Mecca! True, all civilized countries need to keep track of their citizens (or their permanent residents in our case), but it is no secret that the scene is different in West Jerusalem for Israeli citizens. It’s also true that, irrespective of where we live on this globe, waiting has become an inevitable part of our lives. Whether it’s at red traffic lights, in checkout lines, or in doctors’ clinics, we all wait; however, I dare say that in Palestine, waiting has a special flare to it that has become an integral part of Palestinian identity. Thank God for smartphones that ease the hours of waiting time that Palestinians often must endure in order to cross a checkpoint. Gazans wait for weeks, sometimes months, for Egypt to open Rafah Crossing Point, which only remains open for a few days at a time. Families of Palestinian political prisoners count the days to see their sons, brothers, and daughters. Possibly the most painful, though, is the agonizing wait for the release of the corpse of a slain son, which could take months. Naturally, the most prevalent type of waiting is that of the Palestinian refugees who have been waiting since 1948 to return to their homeland. Most Palestinians wait for Fateh and Hamas to come to an understanding to heal their six-year-old schism that is tearing Palestine apart. Some children and farmers wait for the gates at the separation Wall to open in order to go to their schools or to cultivate their lands. Palestinians specialize in many other kinds of waiting, too, but none comes close to the wait of Palestinians for peace and justice. Collectively, Palestinians have for decades been waiting for peace and justice to prevail. They’re still waiting! Patience is indeed a virtue, and sowing a seed requires patience and hopeful anticipation that something worthwhile will grow. But Palestinian patience is running out on all fronts. Unless something happens – soon – to ease the pressure on people, the current situation will very likely lead to an explosion. There is a limit to how much waiting Palestinians can tolerate.

Sani P. Meo Publisher 98