What are the Elements of a Strategic Palestinian Narrative and Discourse?

With so much to tackle in the struggle for Palestinian rights, some question why time and energy should be invested in developing the Palestinian narrative and discourse. Al-Shabaka analyst Amjad Iraqi argues that a unified narrative and discourse is essential to the struggle’s success and outlines its key elements and strategic potential.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) in no way resembles the Palestinian government promised in the heady years of the Oslo Accords, a discrepancy in part attributable to political neopatrimonialism and its resultant corruption. Al-Shabaka analyst Marwa Fatafta examines PA corruption through its overreach, patronage practices, and collusion with Israel, as well as international pressures, and proposes avenues for genuine reform.

In this over-arching piece, Jamjoum reviews the importance and use of “narrative” by liberation movements, assesses the impact of Oslo on the Palestinian narrative, and takes a hard look at the pros and cons of civil society’s rights-based approaches with special attention to the depoliticization of the Palestinian narrative.

With current Palestinian governance facing a legitimacy crisis, Al-Shabaka convened an open-ended Policy Circle on Leadership and Accountability to elicit recommendations for a leadership that fully represents Palestinians, restores their unity, and respects their rights. Our experts suggest models ranging from a restructured PLO to a populist democracy represented by civil society organizations.

Though prospects for self-determination appear hopeless under the current Palestinian leadership, Al-Shabaka analyst Fadi Quran argues that a new generation of young leaders is emerging with the potential to achieve Palestinian liberation. He outlines their challenges and opportunities in light of past leadership trends in this contribution to Al-Shabaka’s Policy Circle on Leadership and Accountability.