Yara Hawari

Settler colonial projects such as Israel seek to control perceptions of reality in order to bind Indigenous and colonized people in a seemingly perpetual state of being. Imagining a future beyond this state is thus a rebellious and radical act. Al-Shabaka’s Yara Hawari explores the need for Palestinian imaginings of radical futures and highlights current examples of such work. 

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.  

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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

What’s behind Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ recent dissolution of the Palestinian Legislative Council? Al-Shabaka Palestine Policy Fellow Yara Hawari analyzes the move, uncovering likely motives and consequences in light of Abbas’ broader grip on power, and proposes ways to increase Palestinian democratic space.

Though the EU routinely fails to transcend statements of condemnation and implement international law regarding Palestinian rights, there is potential for it to hold Israel to account. In light of the US embassy move, Al-Shabaka’s Yara Hawari considers the status of Jerusalem and offers ways the EU can induce Israel to respect the rights of the city’s Palestinian inhabitants.

In the face of the US embassy move, Al-Shabaka Policy Fellow Yara Hawari argues that the European Union remains one of the few spaces left to pursue Palestinian rights in the international arena. She proposes immediate steps the EU can take to uphold its commitments to Palestinians, including boycotting diplomatic meetings and functions at the new US embassy.

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.