Mouin Rabbani

In this compilation Al-Shabaka’s top analysts dissect the Accords’ political and economic dimensions and discuss their repercussions for Palestinians while also providing recommendations on ways forward.

Trump’s administration and Israel are pressuring Palestinians to accept a disastrous deal in part to cement closer relations with Gulf states against Iran. Al-Shabaka’s Diana Buttu, Osamah Khalil, and Mouin Rabbani examine how US actions work to the detriment of Palestinians, the repercussions of these developments on Hamas-Iran relations, and what Palestinians can do in response.

November 2, 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, the British statement that paved the way for the state of Israel. Were there any points during the past century when the Palestinians could have influenced the course of events for a different trajectory? Al-Shabaka’s historians and analysts identify six forks in the road where things might have gone differently, and draw lessons for the future.

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.

On the 50th anniversary of the 1967 War, Al-Shabaka’s Nadia Hijab and Mouin Rabbani take stock of the Palestinian cause from the eve of the war to today. They observe that the Palestinian people’s situation has almost come full circle but also note the obstacles to Israel’s attempts to snuff out Palestinian self-determination.

David Friedman, who has voiced approval of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, is expected to be confirmed as US ambassador to Israel tomorrow. In the range of pieces selected below, Al-Shabaka analysts provide the context and analysis necessary to understand the history of Israel’s colonization of Jerusalem and its impact on Palestinians, as well as the likely fallout from a US embassy move.

The failure to conduct local elections in the occupied territories and the Fatah conference, which largely reaffirmed a moribund status quo, are the latest examples of stymied Palestinian democracy. Al-Shabaka analysts examine the notion of democracy under military occupation, the factors constraining it, and the form that makes sense for the Palestinian people.

How will US-Palestinian relations – such as they are – be affected by the nuclear agreement between leading world powers and Iran In brief:

Mouin Rabbani: Washington is likely to compensate Israel for the Iran agreement in Palestinian coin. Diana Buttu: There is a belief among many Palestinian political leaders, largely unfounded, that this agreement will lead to a resumption of some political process. Ali Abunimah: The impact it has already had is that President Obama has deepened US involvement in and support for Israeli crimes as a form of compensation to Israel and its lobby.

Overview The rights of Palestinian refugees have been long neglected and their suffering has been carried from generation to generation for 67 years. In his recent piece A Bold Proposal: Palestine Should Give Its Refugees Citizenship, Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Fateh Azzam argued that the State of Palestine should confer citizenship on its stateless refugees and…

Many have speculated that Israel’s largest West Bank offensive since the 2nd Intifada had among its aims the provoking of mass unrest at a time when Palestinians remain fragmented and can be more easily beaten down, notes Policy Advisor Mouin Rabbani. He argues that only a dynamic Palestinian strategy that includes internationalization and the rebuilding of national institutions can arrest and reverse Israel’s impunity in its dealings with the Palestinian people.