Palestinian resistance to Israeli hegemony is transforming significantly. In this Focus On, Al-Shabaka’s policy analysts examine the trajectory of contemporary Palestinian resistance. They focus on ongoing challenges, including the censorship of anti-Zionist activists, and the persecution of Palestinians by Palestinian security forces. They emphasize which actors and tactics should be harnessed as the resistance continues to grow and confront oppression.

Palestinian political leadership is in a state of crisis. How did this come to be and what does the future hold? In this Focus On, we look back on several pieces authored by Al-Shabaka analysts which explore issues of Palestinian leadership in the past and present, and which propose concrete possibilities for future models that specifically engage youth.  

Gaza’s March of Return has brought crucial questions to the fore regarding the Palestinian cause and the status of the Strip. Gaza-based Al-Shabaka Analyst Haidar Eid examines these questions and concludes that the March is creating a new awareness rooted in Palestinian unity across all geographies, the goals of the BDS movement, and a rejection of the two-state solution. 

Palestinians have perhaps never been more in need of a forward-looking vision to shape their struggle. On the Nakba’s 70th anniversary, Al-Shabaka analysts propose visions they contend would resonate with the greatest number of Palestinians – whether one-staters or two, refugees, exiles, citizens of Israel, or those under occupation – and map ways to get from here to there. 

World attention has refocused on Gaza since the Palestinians imprisoned there for more than a decade began their peaceful “Great March of Return” on March 30. In this collection of publications, Al-Shabaka analysts review the conditions and developments of the past decade to address the most important political and economic issues informing the current situation.

Does Israel's treatment of the Palestinian people constitute apartheid? And is apartheid the best framework to apply to Palestine and the Palestinians to achieve freedom, justice, and equality? As 2018 marks 70 years since the Nakba - or catastrophe - began, this collection of Al-Shabaka analysis over the years helps shed light on the debate.

Though apartheid is an important framework for challenging Israeli rule, Al-Shabaka Analyst Haidar Eid and Guest Contributor Andy Clarno argue that true justice can only come by recognizing apartheid as not only a system of racial discrimination, but also of racial capitalism. Drawing on the South African example, the authors recommend ways to move the analysis forward.

The Gaza Strip’s grim reality has lately worsened with the likely loss of its beleaguered ally and donor, Qatar, and a severe electricity shortage inflicted by Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Gaza-based Al-Shabaka Policy Analysts Haidar Eid and Ayah Abubasheer examine the political ramifications of these developments, as well as their grave impact on Gazans’ daily life.

Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Haidar Eid trenchantly reviews the state of Palestinian political parties on the Right and on the Left. He concludes that the only way to work effectively for Palestinian rights may be to “dis-participate” in these largely illegitimate and ineffective political structures while at the same time working on some of the other alternatives available.

As millions celebrated the end of the month of fasting, the Palestinians of Gaza remained under lockdown, the borders almost completely sealed and the tunnel economy destroyed. Al-Shabaka’s Gaza-based Policy Advisor Haidar Eid examines the way in which successive Egyptian regimes, including the Muslim Brotherhood-backed Morsi government, have used Gaza as a tool to achieve their ends and contributed to its plight.