Civil Society

The practice of mapping in Palestine-Israel has long been an exercise in power, imperialism, and dispossession. Al-Shabaka Policy Analyst Zena Agha examines how Palestinians have been excluded from maps of their own land from the British Mandate to today, and explores ways that Palestinians can – and do – reclaim maps as a means of resistance. 

Since the establishment of Israel in 1948, the Israeli Security Agency has been torturing Palestinians. Al-Shabaka Senior Palestine Policy Fellow Yara Hawari argues that the use of torture in Israeli detention is systematic and legitimized through domestic law, and outlines steps for the international community to hold Israel to account and bring an end to these violations. 

Indigeneity has re-emerged within the discourse on Palestine and is becoming a facet of political mobilization. But what does this mean in practice and how can indigeneity be harnessed to further Palestinian rights? Al-Shabaka’s Ahmad Amara and Yara Hawari examine indigeneity in the context of international law and suggest ways to employ it in the Palestinian quest for liberation. 

For decades, political barriers have obstructed the Palestinian health system in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, impeding rights and protections. Al-Shabaka Policy Analyst Yara Asi examines how the Israeli occupation has decreased Palestinians’ ability to seek or practice health care, and offers recommendations that can support Palestinians’ right to health within the current constrained circumstances.

The number of online attacks against Palestinians by Israelis are on the rise. Al-Shabaka Policy Analyst Nadim Nashif of 7amleh – the Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media analyzes the results of his organization’s latest report on racism on Israeli social media and recommends ways to protect Palestinians and their freedom of speech.

With so much to tackle in the struggle for Palestinian rights, some question why time and energy should be invested in developing the Palestinian narrative and discourse. Al-Shabaka analyst Amjad Iraqi argues that a unified narrative and discourse is essential to the struggle’s success and outlines its key elements and strategic potential.

Though Al-Jazeera never aired “The Lobby – USA,” its undercover investigation into how Israel’s government works with US organizations to advance its agenda, last month the Electronic Intifada leaked the four-part documentary. Al-Shabaka sat down with EI co-founder and Al-Shabaka analyst Ali Abunimah to discuss the film’s implications and its lessons for the Palestine solidarity movement.

The “Great Return March” in Gaza is the latest chapter of Palestinian sacrifice and resistance to Israel’s expropriation of land and denial of the right of return. Al-Shabaka policy fellow Yara Hawari reviews Israel’s relentless drive for land on both sides of the Green Line and the many forms of Palestinian resistance and sets out ways to bolster that resistance.

The US Palestine solidarity movement is returning to a joint struggle approach, a strategy that faded after the Oslo Accords when dominant solidarity activists focused on Palestine as a single issue. Al-Shabaka Policy Analyst Loubna Qutami traces this development, assesses its benefits and challenges, and recommends ways to strengthen organizing for Palestinians in the US.

New technologies have enabled Israel to surveil Palestinians on an unprecedented scale. Al-Shabaka Policy Analysts Marwa Fatafta and Nadim Nashif examine Israel’s use of social media as a tool of surveillance, as well as other digital obstacles to Palestinian rights, and conclude with ways Palestinians can counter these practices and safeguard their digital freedoms.