Political Reconstruction: For Gaza and Collective Survival

Introduction After more than a year and a half of Israel’s genocidal assault—marked by mass killings, devastation, and profound loss—even speaking of Gaza’s future, let alone its reconstruction, feels impossible. Indeed, the rebuilding of Gaza feels increasingly out of reach amid stalled negotiations, the collapse of the ceasefire agreement, and the relentless bombardment of people […]
Palestine and an Expanding BRICS: Swaying the Global Order

BRICS, a bloc of emerging and fast-growing non-Western economies named after its core members (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), has recently extended its reach to the MENA region in pursuit of a multipolar world. Egypt, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) joined the bloc in 2023, while Saudi Arabia has maintained an […]
The Palestinian Struggle: From Genocide to Global Realignment

This commentary is based on an episode of Rethinking Palestine, Al-Shabaka’s podcast series, which aired on October 31, 2024. The discussion may be listened to in full here. Introduction: Reorienting the Struggle For Palestinians, a return to the conditions prior to October 7 is unthinkable. This past year has been one of the bloodiest in […]
Reimagining Palestine After One Year of Genocide

After a year of enduring relentless violence and devastation, Palestinians stand at a pivotal moment. This commentary reflects on the immense losses for the Palestinian people since October 2023 and the emerging opportunities to work towards a future free of settler colonial oppression. It argues that now is the time for the movement to shift […]
Student Organizing & Change-Making on University Campuses

This commentary is based on an episode of Rethinking Palestine, Al-Shabaka’s podcast series, which aired on May 27, 2024. The discussion may be listened to in full here. In April 2024, students at Columbia University set up an encampment on campus grounds in solidarity with the Palestinian people—particularly those in Gaza facing the ongoing genocide. […]
The Floating Gaza Pier: A Symbol of Future Colonial Plans

On May 17, 2024, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) began operating a temporary floating pier off the coast of Gaza. The pier’s construction was purportedly part of a rapid international response to ensure larger flows of humanitarian and relief aid into Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing genocide and escalating warnings of wide-spreading famine and food insecurity […]
The Enduring and Racist Trope of Palestinian Rejectionism

Since the beginning of the Zionist project in Palestine, large efforts have been exerted to paint all resistance to its colonial endeavors as irrational and at odds with progress and modernity. From the onset, Theodor Herzl, founder of political Zionism, envisioned that local Palestinian Arabs would welcome the progress brought by Zionist colonizers and greet […]
Rebuilding Gaza: Considerations for a Habitable Future

Introduction Israel’s assault on Gaza has raged on for over seven months, with no end yet in sight. Undoubtedly, the genocide has had a global impact—from Houthi mobilization in the Red Sea, to rising tensions between Israel and Iran, to mass student mobilization across the US and Europe. Still, while the world’s attention may be […]
The Gaza Genocide in Western Media: Culprits of Complicity

This commentary is based on a presentation delivered by Al-Shabaka Co-Director Yara Hawari at the 2024 Annual Palestine Forum, hosted by the Institute for Palestine Studies and the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies in Doha, Qatar, in February, 2024. Introduction Since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza, Israeli regime bombardments and forces […]