Will the New Palestinians End Security Coordination?
Most Palestinians saw Hamas’ steadfastness and ability to hit back during Israel’s November attack as a victory. But will they put it to good use, asks Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Haidar Eid, by ending Palestinian security cooperation with Israel – an opportunity missed after Israel’s 2008-09 operation? He argues that no real reconciliation amongst Palestinian factions is possible in the shadow of such collaboration.
Gaza Fallout Weakens Israel, Strengthens Nationalists
By pursuing military victory at any cost in the short term, Israel sets itself up for political failure in the longer-term, argues Al-Shabaka Director Nadia Hijab. In this compelling analysis, she discusses how Israel’s operation in Gaza has further eroded the political gains it secured from the Camp David and Oslo accords and has boxed in the Fatah-led Palestine Liberation Organization, among other repercussions for Israel’s ability to impose its will on the region.
Palestinians Imposing Agenda on Abbas
As Mahmoud Abbas heads to the United Nations to secure non-member state status for Palestine, he faces a strong and growing movement among Palestinian civil society activists within and outside the occupied Palestinian territory to reframe the Palestinian struggle as fighting against an apartheid Israeli regime and for inalienable Palestinian rights – and not for a state per se. Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Leila Farsakh discusses Abbas’ attempts to placate this movement while retaining control of his political program.
What’s Really Going On at Rafah?
Egypt now has a government more sympathetic to Hamas, the de facto government in the Gaza Strip. But Egyptian policy towards the Rafah Crossing still largely follows the parameters established by Israel for Palestinian passage — and even when the Crossing is “open” thousands of Palestinians are not allowed through. Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Laila El-Haddad provides a concise overview of how the Crossing has been managed and its impact on the Palestinian residents of Gaza.
Israel’s Nukes Derail U.S. Nonproliferation Goals
According to U.S. and Israeli intelligence, Iran is not building nuclear weapons, but cracking down on the country is a top U.S. policy goal. By contrast, Israel’s longstanding nuclear weapons program is rarely mentioned. In this policy brief produced in collaboration with American Muslims for Palistine, Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Victor Kattan argues that if the U.S. is really serious about nuclear nonproliferation it must also tackle Israel’s massive nuclear arsenal.
Democratizing the PLO: Five Questions
There are lively, ongoing discussions amongst Palestinians about democratic representation to which Al-Shabaka policy advisors continue to contribute. In his commentary on democratizing the PLO Toufic Haddad poses some questions arising out of the present political scene and the implications for democratic elections.
Debating Palestine: Representation, Resistance, and Liberation
Palestinian communities the world over are grappling with the questions of who really speaks in their name and how to craft strategies for resistance and liberation. In this thoughtful essay, Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Rabab Abdulhadi draws on the history of the Palestinian national movement as well as her own experience as a scholar-activist to provide some answers. She also asks provocative new questions – such as what does it mean to be a Palestinian today and where does that leave Palestinian Arab Jews and Jews that do not identify with Israel’s settler colonialism, and what kind of relations Palestinians should develop with the Arab movements for freedom.
Looking for a Leadership with a Strategy
In this Roundtable, Al-Shabaka Policy Advisors Haidar Eid and Samah Sabawi as well as guest contributor Loubna Qutami discuss Noura Erakat’s policy brief Beyond Sterile Negotiations: Looking for a Leadership with a Strategy. They critique issues relating to the Boycott National Committee (BNC), the questions of representation and self-determination, the colonial condition, and the future of the struggle. In her response, Erakat expresses her concern over the fragmentation of the Palestinian national body and the failure to articulate a political vision for a solution. She argues that Palestinians should adopt a one-state solution as a political vision that aims for the equality of all persons irrespective of nationality, ethnicity, religion, or race.
Beyond Sterile Negotiations: Looking for a Leadership with a Strategy
Given the abject failure of the Palestine Liberation Organization to secure Palestinian rights since it was established, and especially since it adopted an exclusive peace process track, Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Noura Erakat argues that it is past time to explore how a national liberation strategy can be elaborated — and who can lead it. She discusses the transnational Palestinian networks that are being formed as well as the Boycott National Committee. The former have aspirations to build political programs and authoritative leadership but are still in their early stages, while the latter has become a leading body but has deliberately opted against a political program and leadership. She explores the South Africa model, and argues for a dual approach of working for rights while at the same time actively seeking answers to the pressing need for a unified political program and leadership.
