Article - Focus On: Jerusalem Revisited

Jerusalem continues to lie at the center of political developments in Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, and in the shifting landscape of US and EU foreign policy toward Palestine and the Israeli regime. Indeed, the Trump administration’s 2017 decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem thereafter, has had devastating implications for Palestinian claims to the city. Meanwhile, from forced expulsions in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan to attacks on worshipers in the al-Aqsa compound and in the vicinity of the Holy Sepulchre, the Israeli regime continues to ramp up its efforts to de-Palestinianize Jerusalem.

In light of this persistent campaign of erasure, and in light of Palestinian Jerusalemites’ persistent resistance to it, Al-Shabaka revisits the topic of Jerusalem, building on our 2017 Focus On, with a new selection of publications from our analysts. 

Repercussions from the Trump Era

After Trump’s Jerusalem H-Bomb: Weighing Options for Palestinians,

Nadia Hijab

Which possibilities remain for Palestinians against the backdrop of US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel? In this commentary, Nadia Hijab outlines opportunities for Palestinian leadership and civil society across the globe. Read more…

Trump, Jerusalem, and the Future of Palestine

Dana El Kurd, Munir Nuseibah, Victor Kattan, Tareq Baconi

In this roundtable, Al-Shabaka analysts examine the US’s affirmation of Israel’s apartheid regime, the role of the Palestinian Authority, and ways to safeguard Palestinian rights in the face of such setbacks. Read more…

The EU and Jerusalem: The Potential for Pushback

Yara Hawari

Rhetoric without action is insufficient, Yara Hawari argues in this policy brief. In light of the US embassy move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the EU must seize its role as one of the few remaining channels to pursue Palestinian human rights and pressure Israel. Read more…

The De-Palestinianization of Jerusalem 

Israel’s Latest Attempts to Alter Geopolitical Realities in Jerusalem

Zena Agha

The threat of annexation looms large in areas surrounding Jerusalem. In this policy memo, Zena Agha assesses the potential implications of Israel’s illegal settlement annexation and recommends steps to impede the process and hold the regime to account. Read more…

Israel’s Annexation Crusade in Jerusalem: The Role of Ma’ale Adumim and the E1 Corridor

Zena Agha

In this policy brief, Zena Agha zooms in on Israel’s efforts to rid Jersualem of its Palestinian population with “demographic gerrymandering and territorial expansion,” using the cases of Ma’ale Adumim and the E1 corridor. Read more…

The Reification of Ramallah: Undermining a Palestinian Capital in Jerusalem

Halah Ahmad

The Palestinian Authority plays a critical role in solidifying Israel’s agenda for Jersualem, writes Halah Ahmad in this policy memo, as she delves into Palestinian leadership’s investment in Ramallah as a Palestinian pseudo-capital. Read more…

Destroying Palestinian Jerusalem, One Institution at a Time

Yara Hawari

Israel’s de-Palestinianization of Jerusalem extends beyond land theft. As Yara Hawari details in this policy brief, attacks on vital cultural institutions remain an integral part of the Israeli regime’s systematic destruction of the city’s Palestinian identity. Read more…

Sheikh Jarrah and Beyond

Muna Dajani

Muna Dajani joins host Yara Hawari on Rethinking Palestine, Al-Shabaka’s monthly podcast series, to discuss how the #SaveSheikhJarrah campaign acted as a catalyst for the 2021 Unity Intifada across historic Palestine. Read more…

Zena Agha served as Al-Shabaka's US Policy Fellow from 2017 - 2019. Her areas of expertise include Israeli settlement-building in the occupied Palestinian territory with...
Yara Hawari is Al-Shabaka's co-director. She previously served as the Palestine policy fellow and senior analyst. Yara completed her PhD in Middle East Politics at...
Victor Kattan is a Senior Research Fellow at the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore. He previously served as Al-Shabaka's Program Director...
Tareq Baconi serves as the president of the board of Al-Shabaka. He was Al-Shabaka's US Policy Fellow from 2016 - 2017. Tareq is the former...
Nadia Hijab is co-founder and honorary president of Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network. She served as Board President from 2010-2021 and as Executive Director between...
Dr. Muna Dajani holds a PhD from the Department of Geography and Environment at the London School of Economics (LSE). Her research focuses on documenting...
Munir Nuseibah is a human rights lawyer and academic based in Al-Quds University in Jerusalem, Palestine. He is an assistant professor at Al-Quds University's faculty...
Halah Ahmad is a policy researcher, writer, and policy communications expert. Most recently, she led legislative affairs as VP for Policy at the Jain Family...
Al-Shabaka Member Dana El Kurd received her PhD in Government from The University of Texas at Austin. She specializes in Comparative Politics and International Relations....
(2022, April 27)

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