Dismantling Abbas’s Rule over the Palestinian Judiciary
In October 2022, PA President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree ordering the establishment of the Supreme Council of Judicial Bodies and Authorities that he would head. Through this and other decrees, Abbas and the ruling elite entrench the domination of the executive authority over the judiciary. Al-Shabaka policy analyst 24398 examines these decrees and offers recommendations for confronting them.
The Legacy of Mahmoud Abbas
As of 2023, Mahmoud Abbas surpasses his democratic mandate as President of the Palestinian Authority by 14 years. And as speculation mounts about his successor, the question of his legacy lingers. In a new Al-Shabaka roundtable, policy analysts Tareq Baconi, 24588, Alaa Tartir, and Tariq Kenney-Shawa reflect on Abbas’s impact on Palestinian leadership and the Palestinian struggle for liberation.
Arab Normalization and the Palestinian Struggle for Liberation
While normalization deals between the Israeli and Arab regimes continue to spread and deepen, they have historical precedent across the region. In our latest commentary, Al-Shabaka’s senior analyst, 24588, situates contemporary normalization maneuvers in historical and geopolitical contexts, and describes the implications of these worrying policies on Palestinian liberation and the future of the region.
The Case for Palestinian Nationality
Exiled Palestinians’ right to Palestinian nationality is protected under international law, irrespective of racist Israeli apartheid policies. How can Palestinians and their leadership in the diaspora activate this right through different legal and political channels? Al-Shabaka’s Commissioning Editor 24503 offers recommendations for how to secure exiled Palestinians their rights to and in Palestine, from wherever they may be.
Reconstituting the PLO: Any Place for Hamas and Islamic Jihad?
In light of the evolving roles of Hamas and Islamic Jihad within Palestinian resistance, we revisit our August 2020 piece about incorporating them into a restructured PLO. Al-Shabaka policy analyst, Belal Shobaki, analyzes the movements’ doctrinal and political characteristics since their establishment, and identifies how they can be included in a rebuilt liberation movement.
Palestinian Bedouins in the E-1 Corridor: A Critique of Donor Aid
Donor aid has failed to protect Palestinian Bedouin communities in the E-1 corridor from the Israeli regime’s oppressive policies. Al-Shabaka policy analyst 24571 and guest author 24524 show how aid programs in E-1 actually entrench Israeli apartheid. They offer recommendations to donor states, Palestinian civil society organizations, and national stakeholders for how to secure the rights of these communities.
A Palestinian Response to Global and Regional Trends
From popular uprisings and repressive security regimes, to normalization agreements between Israel and Arab states, global and regional developments over the past decade have dramatically impacted the Middle East and North Africa. What are the implications of these trends on the Palestinian struggle for liberation? In this commentary, Al-Shabaka’s board president, Tareq Baconi, investigates this question and more.
Palestine Beyond Partition and the Nation-State
What does Palestinian statehood beyond partition and the nation-state framework look like? Which alternatives exist and what are the challenges they might present? Al-Shabaka sits with policy analyst Leila Farsakh to discuss these questions and more, following the publication of her new edited volume, Rethinking Statehood in Palestine: Self-Determination and Decolonization Beyond Partition.
Palestinian Representation: Elections vs. Consensus-Building
In light of the March 2022 Palestinian municipal elections, we revisit our August 2020 piece on the question of representation vis-à-vis elections and consensus-building. Al-Shabaka’s policy analyst, Nijmeh Ali, critically examines different forms of Palestinian political representation given their geographic fragmentation, as well as the structures of the PLO itself, offering suggestions for the future.
