Politics

Despite recent challenges to his rule, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to have held on to power. What factors have made this possible? Al-Shabaka Policy Analyst Nijmeh Ali provides answers by mapping the Israeli right wing and its internal conflicts as well as Netanyahu’s political doctrine and practice. 

As Israel and the US fast-track President Donald Trump’s vision of “peace”, i.e. the illegal annexation of occupied Palestinian territory, European countries ponder ways to uphold the rule of law. In this Policy Memo Al-Shabaka’s Yara Hawari provides ideas on how they can – with a push from the Palestine solidarity movement. 

Al-Shabaka’s Halah Ahmad traces the top Democratic presidential candidates’ positions on Palestine and assesses them relative to their stances on racial justice in the US, arguing that while foreign policy has rarely differentiated US presidential candidates, in this election it is a key litmus test for a candidate’s sincerity vis-à-vis their commitment to civil and human rights. 

Last September, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas renewed his pledge to hold parliamentary elections in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. Regardless of whether the polls take place, Al-Shabaka Senior Palestine Policy Fellow Yara Hawari argues that Palestinians must embark on a democratic process that far surpasses the proposed elections in order to achieve liberation.  

Twenty-five years after signing the Wadi ‘Araba peace agreement, Jordan and Israel are experiencing particularly tense relations. Al-Shabaka Policy Analyst Oraib Rantawi delves into the reasons behind this turn of events, the implications for Palestinian-Jordanian relations, and what Jordan can do to reduce its dependence on Israel. 

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has perhaps never been so disconnected from Palestinian society. Al-Shabaka policy analyst Dana El Kurd examines how international involvement has helped shore up this disconnect by rendering the PA progressively repressive, and suggests steps for the PA as well as Palestinian civil society to take in order to change the status quo. 

Many are debating whether the re-emergence of a united Joint Arab List will result in increased Palestinian voter turnout in this month’s Knesset elections, but for those who advocate for an election boycott, the status of the Joint List is moot. In this roundtable debate, Al-Shabaka’s Nijmeh Ali and Yara Hawari argue against and for boycotting Israeli elections, respectively.

A US bill being considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee puts at stake the ability of the Palestinian leadership to engage diplomatic and legal channels to support Palestinian national aspirations and to seek accountability through international mechanisms, as well as the future of the US-Palestinian bilateral relationship. Al-Shabaka Policy Analyst Zaha Hassan reports.  

While Palestinian women have always faced political marginalization, developments since the Oslo Accords have caused them to endure perhaps even more formidable challenges when it comes to political participation. Al-Shabaka Palestine Policy Fellow Yara Hawari outlines these challenges and recommends ways for Palestinian women and society to disrupt this process and revitalize the Palestinian liberation struggle through feminism. 

Progressive political analysts often critique Arab states for abandoning the Palestinian struggle for liberation. This roundtable, facilitated by Al-Shabaka Policy Analyst Nadine Naber and with contributions from Al-Shabaka Policy Analysts Ibrahim Fraihat, Loubna Qutami, and Sherene Seikaly, interrogates this critique, offering nuanced perspectives on whether and to what extent Arab states have abandoned or compromised the Palestinian cause.