Palestine’s Day in Court? The Unexpected Effects of ICC Action
Palestine’s membership of the International Criminal Court takes effect on April 1, 2015. What cases might the Court choose? Will Israel’s legal offensive succeed? Will the UN Security Council suspend the investigation? Al-Shabaka analyst Valentina Azarova addresses many of the misconceptions about what the ICC can and cannot do, and Palestinians should do. Read the policy brief or the executive summary.
Hamas: Three Tough Hurdles in 2015
Hamas’s putative rapprochement with Iran scratches the surface of the problems facing the Islamic movement. Al-Shabaka Policy Member Bilal Shobaki zeroes in on three of Hamas’ major challenges: definitively dealing with a Charter from which it has distanced itself; reviving its base in the West Bank; and restoring it regional alliances.
In Jerusalem, “Religious War” Is Used to Cloak Colonialism
Recent clashes between Israeli settlers and Jerusalemite Palestinians have been billed as a religious war but they are the outcome of Israel’s plans to Judaize the city and empty it of its Palestinian inhabitants in its colonization of the occupied Palestinian territory. Al-Shabaka Policy Member Nur Arafeh analyzes the tools Israel is using and the Palestinian leadership vacuum that has left the defenseless population to fend for itself.
The Customs Union & Israel’s No-State Solution
Since it occupied the Palestinian territory in 1967, Israel has had a consistent strategy: To contain Palestinians by rejecting final status arrangements, whether Palestinian sovereignty in two states or equal rights in a single bi-national state. Al-Shabaka Policy Member Amal Ahmad demonstrates the ways in which the Israeli-Palestinian customs union illustrates this often ignored reality.
Donor Complicity in Israel’s Violations of Palestinian Rights
International aid must not, legally, cause harm to those it aims to assist, but as Al-Shabaka policy member Nora Lester Murad points out, a number of donor practices may be leading to the violation of human rights. Murad outlines eight questions that must be asked about aid complicity and suggests important mechanisms for oversight of an industry that has just pledged another $5.4 billion for Gaza.
After Gaza, What Price Palestine’s Security Sector?
The Palestinian Authority’s security sector has grown faster than any other part of the government, potentially putting Palestine on track to a police state. With the unity government moving into Gaza after Israel’s terrible 51-day assault, Al-Shabaka Policy Member Sabrien Amrov and Program Director Alaa Tartir call for the urgent need to reform the donor-driven “reform” of a sector that only serves Israel’s colonization project. Read the policy brief or the executive summary.
Drying Palestine: Israel’s Systemic Water War
Israel’s targeting of water infrastructure during the latest Gaza onslaught has caught global attention, but much less noticed is the systemic water war that has been waged on Palestinian populations for decades. Tracing its three different battlefronts, Al-Shabaka Member and environmental researcher Muna Dajani looks at how military strikes, security programs, and permit systems have been destroying Palestinian water infrastructure and local resource-management systems, and calls for change.
Honor the Victims: Avoid Past Mistakes in Reconstructing Gaza
Israel’s third war on Gaza has been the worst. A greater death toll, the compounded effects of a seven-year-long siege, plus unaddressed damage from previous wars will make it far more difficult to reconstruct. Ahead of the international donors conference planned for September, Policy Advisor Omar Shaban sets out the short- and medium-term needs and argues that an end to the siege of Gaza and the participation of Gaza-based stakeholders is crucial if the reconstruction process is to succeed.
Palestinian Farmers: A Last Stronghold of Resistance
Israel’s brutal crackdowns on Palestinians living under its occupation dominate the news, but other longer-term trends are equally worrying. The Palestinian Authority is confiscating more and more land from Palestinian farmers in order to build industrial zones, which strips farmers of their right to grow their own food and further increases Palestinian dependency on Israel. Al-Shabaka Guest Author Vivien Sansour and Al-Shabaka Program Director Alaa Tartir argue that sustained community efforts are needed to preserve one of the most important elements of resistance that Palestinians have.
