The political situation was overshadowed during the past month or so by the two snowstorms that crossed our region. There was a lot of anticipation in the air. People crowded into stores to stock up on staples and favourite snacks such as chestnuts, roasted nuts, and sahlab - the famous milk-based hot drink flavoured with extracts from the orchid flower and often garnished with cinnamon, coconut flakes, and chopped nuts. While the first storm was quite heavy and brought life to a standstill for almost two days, the second was a mere sprinkling of white slush that looked nice, but the city functioned “business as usual.”

The political situation, on the other hand, remains as stormy as ever - a nasty storm that just does not seem to go away. I am sure that both Palestinian factions realise that they have to solve their differences before any real development can take place, yet both seem to be entrenched in their respective positions, with neither side willing to take the initiative to bridge the gap before it is too late.

Palestinians in the diaspora are the focus of this month’s issue of This Week in Palestine. There are almost as many Palestinians living outside Palestine as there are in the country. Most fled during the Nakbeh of 1948 and still live in refugee camps in Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, whereas others left of their own accord, emigrating to foreign lands in search of fortune and better living conditions in general - material and otherwise. Many of those who live abroad provide financial support to their families in Palestine. Others felt the need to come back to their country to invest the expertise acquired abroad for the good of their homeland. This was most evident after the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority in 1993. Others came here on short-term contracts through the TOKTEN programme instituted by the UNDP to attract Palestinian expatriates from diverse fields of speciality to help in institution-building in their nascent country. We thank all those who contributed articles to this issue and are honoured to have one by the internationally acclaimed Palestinian author Ghada Karmi.

March heralds the advent of spring and Easter. Hopefully it will also herald better tidings.