Latin America’s Turn to the Right: Implications for Palestine
The past year has seen Latin American right-wing parties sweep elections and signal support for Israel. Al-Shabaka Policy Member 24394 assesses this shift through an examination of Latin American-Palestinian relations, Palestinian and Jewish diaspora lobbying in the region, and potential avenues for local action against Israeli efforts to push its agenda in violation of Palestinian rights.
Palestinian Democracy Denied
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.
Palestine After Abbas: Potential Scenarios and Coping Strategies
With the election of Donald Trump, Israel believes it is free to do what it likes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, making a difficult Palestinian leadership transition much harder. Al-Shabaka policy analysts examine different scenarios and propose alternatives ranging from consolidating the state to a struggle for the rights of the Palestinian people as a whole.
The Palestinian Authority: Unsettling Status Quo Scenarios
Is one state the only alternative to an unrealized two-state solution? Al-Shabaka Policy Member 24378 discusses the minimal changes in governance the PA has made post-Oslo and forecasts a “status quo+,” an institutionalized system of apartheid and a no-state solution. He also foresees three states – but argues none of this would be sustainable over time.
Obama’s Last Gasp on Palestine-Israel
Once the US elections drama concludes, some believe Barack Obama will seize a final opportunity to act on Palestine-Israel. In this roundtable, Al-Shabaka policy analysts debate the probability of such a step, what form it could take, possible pitfalls, and what Palestinians should be doing to further their quest for freedom, equality, and self-determination.
The ICC and Palestine: A Case of Doubtful Justice
The International Criminal Court (ICC) may fail to arbitrate atrocities in Palestine justly, judging by its first report since it began its examination of potential crimes against humanity and war crimes. Guest Author 24563 examines this recent ICC report to explain why, and urges civil society to continue its close monitoring of the ICC’s work.
How Palestinian Hunger Strikes Counter Israel’s Monopoly on Violence
Palestinian prisoners on hunger strikes exert violence against their bodies yet win back the capacity for independent action that Israel seeks to deny them. Al-Shabaka Policy Member Basil Farraj situates the current hunger strikes in Palestinian and world history, as well as Israel’s use of prison to control the population, having imprisoned nearly 40% of Palestinian males since 1967.
The US Elections, Attacks on Activists, and a Changing Discourse
The ongoing shift in discourse in the United States has as yet had little effect on politics and none on policy, argues Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Rashid Khalidi. He discusses Israel’s attempts to close the floodgates of debate and activism that boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) tactics have forced open, as well as the dangerous Israel-Gulf alliance.
Understanding ISIS’s Palestine Propaganda
How do Salafi-jihadi groups like ISIS exploit the question of Palestine in their rhetoric? Al- Shabaka Policy Member 24556 addresses this issue based on an analysis of ISIS statements on Gaza, Jerusalem, and other recurring themes in 2015 and calls on Palestinians to act so as to prevent the appropriation of their narrative.