Omar Shaban is the Founder and Director of the Gaza-based PalThink for Strategic Studies an independent think tank with no political affiliation. He is an analyst of the political-economy of the Middle East and is a regular writer and commentator for the Arab and international media. Omar is a founder of Palestinian groups for Amnesty International, the deputy head of the board of Asala, an association promoting microfinance for women, and a member of the Institute of Good Governance.
From this author
In this commentary, Omar Shaban offers an entry point to a Palestinian dialogue on what may follow a ceasefire. He does so by delving into the current non-Palestinian “day after” discourse, then by identifying the ways in which reconstruction today is distinct from past efforts, and finally by putting forth a possible approach to begin to embark on rebuilding Gaza.
Though US President Donald Trump’s “Deal of the Century” largely does not change conditions on the ground for Palestinians, it helps legitimize the Israeli colonial project, which continues apace despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Al-Shabaka analysts from around the globe weigh in on the repercussions of the deal where they live and offer steps to counter them.
World attention has refocused on Gaza since the Palestinians imprisoned there for more than a decade began their peaceful “Great March of Return” on March 30. Risking life and limb to protest the violations of their human rights – Israel has killed more than 40 protestors and wounded thousands more, many seriously – the Gaza Palestinians have also succeeded in going to the root cause of the conflict.
Once the US elections drama concludes, some believe Barack Obama will seize a final opportunity to act on Palestine-Israel. In this roundtable, Al-Shabaka policy analysts debate the probability of such a step, what form it could take, possible pitfalls, and what Palestinians should be doing to further their quest for freedom, equality, and self-determination.
As shocking as the horrors of the war that Israel unleashed on the Gaza Strip from July 7 have been, the extent of the damage may turn out to be even more appalling. A donor conference for Gaza is planned for September in Norway, but if donors and the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority adopt the same approach to reconstruction that they followed after the past two wars, Gaza’s suffering will continue unabated.
