Gaza’s Summer: Destruction, Pandemic, and Climate Change
The recent Israeli assault on Gaza has increased fears about the summer to come. As rising global temperatures continue to threaten Gaza, Palestinians are bracing for a hot summer with widespread destruction and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Palestinian Refugees and Lebanon’s Multilayered Crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic and the August 4 explosion at Beirut’s port exacerbated an already multilayered crisis in Lebanon which crippled its economy and led to massive popular protests. How has this situation affected marginalized communities? Al-Shabaka policy analyst Jaber Suleiman describes the scope of the crisis and its impact on Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, explaining what more needs to be done to support them.
Using Trump’s “Vision” to Break Free of Past Frameworks
As Israel and the US fast-track President Donald Trump’s vision of “peace”, i.e. the illegal annexation of occupied Palestinian territory, European countries ponder ways to uphold the rule of law. In this Policy Memo Al-Shabaka’s 24588 provides ideas on how they can – with a push from the Palestine solidarity movement.
The Reification of Ramallah: Undermining a Palestinian Capital in Jerusalem
While civil society organizations have highlighted tourism’s role in advancing Israeli land theft in the West Bank, few describe how Palestinian Authority (PA) investments can also undermine Palestinian calls for self-determination. Al-Shabaka’s 24418 analyzes how the PA’s governmental and cultural investments in Ramallah establish facts on the ground that obscure Palestinian claims to a capital in Jerusalem.
In Palestine, COVID-19 Meets the Israeli Occupation
The West Bank and Gaza Strip are confronting COVID-19 from a reality of Israeli military occupation. Al-Shabaka Senior Palestine Policy Fellow 24588 analyzes the severe challenges this presents to Palestinians, Israel’s political manipulation of the virus, and the international community’s normalizing response – and how it should change.
It’s Time to Reclaim UNRWA
With COVID-19 spreading in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and neighboring refugee camps, the consequences of the US’s defunding of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees are even more dire. Al-Shabaka’s Randa Farah examines these challenges and outlines ways Palestinians can reclaim UNRWA and ultimately use it as a vehicle of empowerment and self-determination.
A Question of UN Credibility: Releasing the Settlements Database
The European Union’s highest court recently ruled that EU countries are required to identify products made in Israeli settlements on their labels. However, another international body – the UN – continues to avoid releasing its database of companies engaged in activities with Israel’s settlements. Al-Shabaka Policy Analyst 24498 and Guest Contributor Maha Abdallah explain why and recommend ways to pressure the UN to fulfill its mandate.
Dangerous Bill in Congress to Crush the PLO and PA
A US bill being considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee puts at stake the ability of the Palestinian leadership to engage diplomatic and legal channels to support Palestinian national aspirations and to seek accountability through international mechanisms, as well as the future of the US-Palestinian bilateral relationship. Al-Shabaka Policy Analyst Zaha Hassan reports.
The US Law Restricting Satellite Imagery of Palestine-Israel
The Kyl-Bingaman Amendment, passed by the US Congress in 1997 under the pretext of protecting Israel’s national security, prevents US satellite operators and retailers from selling or disseminating high-resolution images of Palestine-Israel. Al-Shabaka US Policy Fellow 24598 argues that the legislation is an act of censorship that also harms US business, and calls for its dissolution.
