A Reset for U.S. Policy? Not Now, But Watch the Base
What can be expected from the final months of the Obama Administration on the Arab-Israeli conflict? Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Rashid Khalidi is pessimistic about any policy shift in the foreseeable future. Indeed, he describes President Barack Obama’s UN speech in September as the worst ever by an American president and AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee) as far more effective today than it was in the 1970s and 1980s, partly due to the efforts of Dennis Ross. In this wide-ranging interview with Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Victor Kattan, Khalidi explains why he sees no hope at present for a just U.S. policy, although this could change if public opinion — which is much more enlightened than that of U.S. policy makers — makes itself felt through the media and at the political level.
The Russell Tribunal on Palestine and the Question of Apartheid
The third session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine recently convened in Cape Town, South Africa. Its perhaps most controversial finding was that Israel applies a system of apartheid to the entire Palestinian people, including its own citizens. What is the significance of this finding, and what does it mean for civil society in Palestine and the Diaspora — and for Israel and its supporters? In this policy brief, Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Victor Kattan describes what apartheid means under international law, highlights the Tribunal’s findings, and explains its significance.
What’s Next for Palestine?
The failure of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s bid for full membership in the United Nations marks the end of the road for the Palestinian Authority, argues Al-Shabaka policy advisor Samah Sabawi. She discusses the PA’s disarray and notes that future setbacks can only be avoided with a completely different approach in the struggle for human rights.
The Geopolitics of the Hamas-Israel Prisoner Exchange
Each of the key actors involved in the Israeli Palestinian conflict is using the Hamas-Israel prisoner exchange to position themselves to regional advantage although it is too soon to tell who will come out ahead. Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Laila El-Haddad examines the way in which the shifting geopolitics will impact internal Palestinian dynamics.
Prisoner Exchange Levels Hamas, Fatah Playing Field
Will the threats from Washington and the exposed impotence of the European Union push the newly revived Hamas and the somewhat deflated Fatah into serious reconciliation and the beginnings of a common Palestinian platform? Mouin Rabbani, Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Palestine Studies, dissects the rapidly changing political landscape in the wake of the Israel-Hamas prisoner exchange and the run-up to the Security Council decision on the Palestine Liberation Organization’s bid at the United Nations.
Statehood Stalled: Next Steps for the Palestinian People
Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ decision to submit the application for membership to the UN Security Council rather than the General Assembly last week enabled him – and the Obama administration – to take a step back from confrontation. Al-Shabaka Director Nadia Hijab examines the several unintended consequences of the statehood bid and argues that the Palestinian people should use this time to redouble efforts to save the land of Palestine, press for accountability, demand representation, and exploit the legal approaches offered by the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, calling for state sanctions against Israel alongside the highly successful boycott and divestment movement.
September and Beyond: Who Speaks in My Name?
As the UN vote on recognition of the state of Palestine approaches later this month, Al-Shabaka policy advisor Samah Sabawi argues in this commentary that the controversy surrounding the bid obscures the larger question of whether the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority are legitimate representatives of the Palestinian people.
Achieving a Palestinian Spring
In this Al-Shabaka roundtable, a cross-section of policy advisors reflects on Jamil Hilal’s policy brief, “Palestinian Answers in the Arab Spring.” They discuss the state of Palestinian politics and society, the future of the Palestinian national movement, and how to achieve a Palestinian Spring.
The Future of Jerusalem: Sacred Space or Open City?
In this policy brief, Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Salim Tamari examines the different proposals for the future of Jerusalem. Rooted in the sacrilization of the city, Tamari argues that the proposals ignore the colonial subjugation of Jerusalem. He contends that this fact must be addressed in order to achieve an equitable resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
