Al-Shabaka presents a selection of pieces from its archives in which its policy analysts discuss issues related to the reform of PLO institutions and questions of legitimate political representation.

With the election of Donald Trump, Israel believes it is free to do what it likes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, making a difficult Palestinian leadership transition much harder. Al-Shabaka policy analysts examine different scenarios and propose alternatives ranging from consolidating the state to a struggle for the rights of the Palestinian people as a whole.

Is it better to try to revive the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and its institutions or should Palestinians build a new national movement? The participants in this roundtable debate the pros and cons of starting from square one, as Osamah Khalil suggested in a recent policy brief. Additional roundtable insights: a different articulation of the PLO’s value, and a question mark regarding the usefulness of elections to a national liberation movement.

In this Al-Shabaka roundtable, a cross-section of policy advisors reflects on Jamil Hilal’s policy brief, “Palestinian Answers in the Arab Spring.” They discuss the state of Palestinian politics and society, the future of the Palestinian national movement, and how to achieve a Palestinian Spring.