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In the magazine The Thinker Michael Bröning introduces his book "The Politics of Change in Palestine". read more
Michael Bröning responds in the Focus to Michael Wolffsohn's article "Jordanien soll Palästina werden" read more
Michael Bröning und Henrik Meyer write for Internationale Politik about the necessary integration of Palestinian opposition forces into the political process read more
Michael Bröning writes in Europe's World about the delayed Palestinian National Reconciliation read more
Michael Bröning in an interview on DRadio Wissen about Non-Violent Resistance in Palestine and the clashes in the Golan Hights read more
Judith Althaus writes in The European about the reactions of the USA, Europe and Israel to the Nationale Reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas read more
Michael Bröning writes on the challenge Palestinian unity poses to the international community in the New Statesman. read more
Helene Kortländer and Judith Althaus discuss national reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas on zenithonline. read more
Hassan A. Barari reviews Michael Bröning's "The Politics of Change in Palestine" in the Jordan Times read more
"The Politics of Change in Palestine" - A book review on Michael Bröning's latest publication. read more
RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- As change sweeps through the Arab world, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to be defined by the threat of escalation. Contrary to public perception, however, also in the Palestinian territory new political trends have emerged. While these have often been overlooked, they fundamentally question the established parameters of confrontation.
This is the key argument of “The Politics of Change in Palestine – State-Building and Non-Violent Resistance” (Pluto Press, London, March 2011). The book is authored by the East-Jerusalem representative of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, a political foundation affiliated to Germany's social democratic party.
Taking stock of recent developments in Palestine and Israel, Michael Bröning argues that “politics of change” in Palestine have “significantly bolstered prospects for Palestinian national aspirations”, as they stand in stark contrast to “a policy of stagnation and a major shift to the right” in Israeli politics. While the study sheds light on internal political developments in the Palestinian territory, it offers a substantial counter-argument to the widespread claim that there is “no Palestinian partner for peace”.
Against the background of US-attempts to jump start “rituals of Middle East peace negotiations”, Bröning identifies political progress in a variety of levels in Palestine. In the two first chapters, political progress is discussed in terms of programmatic and structural developments within the predominant political movements in Palestine: Hamas and Fatah. Noting remaining shortcomings such as persistent “democratic deficits”, the author makes a convincing claim that both Hamas and the Fatah movement have recently succeeded in bringing change to both political institutions.
As for Hamas, widespread Western claims equaling Hamas with nihilistic Al-Qaeda radicals are convincingly rejected. While remaining uncertainties within Hamas (for instance its ambiguous stance on violent resistance) are discussed in detail, Bröning persuasively points to the movement’s “significant programmatic transformation towards the factual and pragmatic acceptance of a two-state solution”. In view of what is described as the “historization” of the Hamas charter, the book passionately argues for Western “political engagement” with the Islamic Resistance Movement.
Later, the concept of change is applied to political reforms within Fatah. Describing a renewed leadership elected at the Sixth General Conference in Bethlehem and outlining a revised political program purged of uncompromising stances, the author argues that “Fatah has demonstrated an uneasy but far-reaching desire to rid itself of dying faces and archaic programmatic liabilities”. While it is conceded that the “dinosaur of Palestinian politics” is “by no means a fully functioning political party as of yet”, the author outlines important “first steps to reform” that at least “leave room for optimism”.
Moving beyond party politics, a following chapter analyses increasing trends in Palestinian non-violent resistance against the Israeli occupation. While stating at the outset that “non-violence has never been as sporadic in Palestinian politics as it has been absent in Western (and Israeli) news coverage”, the author offers a thorough analysis of recent trends in non-violence ranging from protests against the “separation barrier” to settlement boycotts orchestrated by the Palestinian National Authority.
The potential strength of popular resistance is compellingly assessed by describing Israeli mainstream responses to non-violence. These have “so far attempted to characterise non-violence (inadequately) as a challenge of militancy”. Israeli reactions have “oscillated between military suppression and political attempts to counter non-violence legally” and are outlined as a convincing indicator that non-violent resistance “has struck a nerve on the Israeli side”.
Most notably, notions of change are discussed in a comprehensive chapter on state-building programs by President Mahmoud Abbas and resigned Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. These institution-building efforts are examined in detail and praised as a “technocratic revolution”. While the stock-taking of progress achieved so far attests to impressive preliminary results of the “Fayyad Plan”, remaining challenges of current government policies vis-à-vis the approaching deadline of September 2011 are also discussed.
Based on extensive research in both parts of the Palestinian homeland and in-depth interviews with Palestinian activists and decision-makers alike, “Politics of Change in Palestine” offers a well-informed interpretation of often overlooked political developments. In sum, these changes add up to an unprecedented political challenge for the Israeli political leadership. Israel is now challenged to match Palestinian political progress with tangible policy-changes on the ground.
Michael Bröning, The Politics of Change in Palestine: State-Building and Non-Violent Resistance. London: Pluto Press 2011, 256 pages, 21,99 Euro. http://www.plutobooks.com/display.asp?K=9780745330938&
Michael Bröning in Foreign Affairs on the repercussions of regional upheaval on Syria read more
Michael Bröning in Europe's World on the need for policy change in the face of changing regimes in the Arab World. read more
JMCC Poll April 2010 read more
Michael Bröning and Jason Hicks in the Huffington Post on the consequences of failing negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis read more
Michael Bröning in a phone interview with Inforadio Berlin on the current situation in Jerusalem read more
Judith Althaus in Zenith Online on women in Fatah's revolutionary council read more
Henrik Meyer and Alexander Rüsche in Zenith Online on the Palestinian response to the inclusion of Abraham's and Rachel's tomb on the list of Israeli national heritage read more
Michael Bröning and Henrik Meyer analyse the Palestinian party constellations for Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte read more
Michael Bröning in Berliner Republik on social-democratic impetuses for the Middle East read more
Michael Bröning and Henrik Meyer in Zeit online on Abbas' announcement to step down from the PA presidency here
Michael Bröning and Ghassan Khatib in the New Statesman on the consequences of Obama's Middle East policy for the Palestinian leadership here
JMCC Poll October 2009 here
Henrik Meyer and Judith Althaus write on the Goldstone report and its implications in Zenith Online here
Rebirth in Bethlehem - Background report on the Fatah Conference by Dr. Michael Bröning and Henrik Meyer here
Don't kiss, just talk - Dr. Michael Bröning's response to criticism from the Middle East Strategy at Harvard blog here
Henrik Meyer and Judith Althaus write on recent settlement activity in Sheikh Jarrah in Zenith Online here
Michael Bröning in Foreign Affairs on a changing Hamas here
Rundfunk Berlin Brandenburg: The Fatah Congress – Interview with Dr. Michael Bröning here (MP3-File)
Frankfurter Rundschau: Dr. Michael Bröning on a rebirth of the Fatah movement in Bethlehem here
Süddeutsche Zeitung: Dr. Michael Bröning on the changing parameters in Palestine here
Hessischer Rundfunk: New Parameters within Fatah and Hamas – Interview with Dr. Michael Bröning here (MP3-File)
Dr. Michael Bröning on the challenge of a possible reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah
Dr. Michael Bröning, Resident Director of the FES Jerusalem, describes in his current article at the occasion of the Cairo peace talks the continuing internal Palestinian disagreement.
He points out the disagreements preventing up to this moment a possible reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah and furthermore mentions the challenges that Israel as well as the international community would be facing, should the two political major fractions in Palestine overcome their division and form a unity government.
For the article "Reconciling Hamas and Fatah" click here.
Dr. Michael Bröning is the new Director of the FES Jerusalem
Since March 2009 Dr. Michael Bröning is the new Director of the FES Jerusalem. For more information about him click here.
Visit of Bärbel Dieckmann, Mayor of Bonn, in East-Jerusalem and Ramallah
On 4 and 5 April, Bärbel Dieckmann, Mayor of the city of Bonn, visited East-Jerusalem and Ramallah. A highlight was the opening of the first German-Palestinian municipal forum in Ramallah in which several topics were discussed, such as the expansion of local democratic structures, improved communication between citizens and community representatives, the role of civil society and professional communal planning in the occupied Palestinian Territories. The Forum was moderated by the Director of the FES Jerusalem, Dr. Michael Bröning. For more information about the event click here.
High-ranking Delegation of the German Parliament visited the Palestinian Territories.
Last month, Siegmund Ehrmann, Kerstin Griese, Christian Lange, Dr. Carole Reimann and Andreas Weigel, members of the German Parliament, visited the occupied Palestinian Territories. They met with members of the Palestinian Legislative Councel and other important persons of Palestinian civil society to discuss about the future of democracy in the Palestinian Territiories, the reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas, the reconstruction of the Gaza strip as well as the reformprocess of Fatah and its sisterparty al-Mubadara. Their Yourney was accompanied by Dr. Michael Bröning, Director of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in East-Jerusalem.
Successful screening of the Palestinian film "Pomegranates&Myrrh" in Ramallah.
On the 6th of March 2009 the Palestinian film "Pomegranates&Myrrh" has been screened in the sold out Ramallah Cultural Center. Please find the Press release for the screening in Berlin here.
FES-Team on the ground in Gaza
On January 26 and 27, 2009, resident representative Knut Dethlefsen and the two project managers Tim Petschulat and Henrik Meyer from the FES office in Jerusalem visited their colleague Dr. Usama Antar in the Gaza Strip to gain first-hand insight on the current situation. Dr. Antar is the local project manager in the FES branch office in Gaza. During the war, he and his family held out in Gaza and he constantly provided Knut Dethlefsen with up-to-date news on the situation.
Knut Dethlefsen met among others Issam Younis, co-founder and director of Al Mezan Center for Human Rights and Khaled Abdel Shafi, head of the UN Development Program in Gaza. More information