Gaza’s Telecommunications: Occupied and Destroyed

Introduction In the 21st century, telecommunications—particularly the internet—have become indispensable tools in the global struggle for freedom and dignity. For Palestinians in Gaza, who have endured over 17 years of Israeli blockade and many more decades of Israeli colonial occupation, the internet serves as a critical lifeline: a channel to communicate with the outside world […]
Israel’s Exploitation of Palestinian Labor: A Strategy of Erasure

Introduction Since the start of the genocide in Gaza, Palestinian laborers working in the Israeli market have become a top target for Israel’s Civil and Economic Affairs Cabinet and the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Among a series of decisions taken by the Israeli government following October 7, 2023, was the cancellation of work […]
Palestinian Clearance Revenues: Israel’s Tool to Collapse the PA

Introduction Israel’s withholding of Palestinian clearance revenues is a longstanding practice, historically used to punish or manipulate the Palestinian Authority (PA). Since October 2023, the Israeli regime has only escalated its theft of Palestinian funds, bringing the PA to the verge of financial collapse. This policy memo argues that Israel’s weaponization of clearance revenues is […]
Sanctions Against Israel: Effective Tool or Too Little, Too Late?

As the Israeli regime escalates its apartheid and settler colonial practices in Palestine, calls for sanctions against it have likewise increased. Still, sanctions remain controversial – both in terms of their ethics and efficacy. Indeed, many have argued that sanctions have rarely achieved their intended goals. What might sanctions look like in the context of […]
Confronting Energy Poverty in Gaza

Palestinians in Gaza are suffering from a worsening energy crisis due to the Israeli regime’s ongoing siege. As a result, they have adopted different coping strategies, including solar energy technology to offset electricity shortages. Al-Shabaka policy analyst and 2022 Visiting Gaza Fellow 24379 examines this reality, and offers recommendations for Palestinian leadership and stakeholders to promote Palestinian economic self-determination in Gaza.
Shrinking the Conflict: Debunking Israel’s New Strategy

Since 2021, Israeli leaders have proposed a new series of economic policies under the approach of “shrinking the conflict.” This strategy aims to afford Palestinians more economic opportunities and so-called freedoms as a way to sustain the Israeli occupation. In this policy brief, Al-Shabaka policy analyst 24583 debunks the framework and explains why Palestinians will not be pacified with economic incentives.
The PA’s Revenue Structure and Israel’s Containment Strategy

The Palestinian Authority’s budget disproportionately relies on clearance revenues that the Israeli regime regularly withholds as political blackmail. Combined with a negligible domestic tax base and the absence of political sovereignty, it is therefore futile to speak of real fiscal reform within the PA. In this policy brief, Al-Shabaka policy analyst, Amal Ahmad, examines the foundational logic of this distorted arrangement.
Cryptocurrencies and Palestinian Resistance: An Al-Shabaka Debate

The recent cryptocurrency crash raises doubts about its viability as an alternative to standard currencies. But are there aspects of the global phenomenon that are still useful for Palestinian economic and political resistance? Al-Shabaka policy analysts Tariq Dana and Ibrahim Shikaki debate the potential of digital and cryptocurrencies and outline technological opportunities for the Palestinian economy.
ICT in Palestine: Challenging Power Dynamics and Limitations

For the past two decades, the Palestinian Authority has been collaborating with expatriate Palestinian capitalists, who operate in tandem with the Israeli state, to ramp up ICT development in Palestine. Yet the sector continues to suffer. Al-Shabaka’s guest contributor, 24399, examines these power dynamics and offers recommendations for what the PA should do to enhance Palestinians’ economic lives.