Article - Coronavirus in Palestine: Confronting the Vulnerability of Indigenous Bodies

The COVID-19 pandemic has reached Palestine, and in doing so has brought to the surface latent power structures that render Palestinians particularly exposed to the virus.

In this policy lab, host Nur Arafeh speaks with analysts Yara Asi and Osama Tanous about the Palestinian health system’s capacity to handle a pandemic, the myths of Gaza’s exceptionalism, and the ways in which Israel’s settler-colonial project has re-shaped Palestinian bodies, as well as their nutrition and surrounding environments, to render them most vulnerable to health crises such as this.

Dr. Yara M. Asi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida in the School of Global Health Management and Informatics. Her research...
Al-Shabaka Member Osama Tanous is a specialized pediatrician based in Haifa. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Public Health and is a researcher for...
Nur Arafeh is a Fellow at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, in Washington DC, where her work focuses on the political economy...

Latest Analysis

 Economics
Israel’s withholding of Palestinian clearance revenues is a longstanding practice, historically used to punish or manipulate the Palestinian Authority (PA). Since October 2023, the Israeli regime has only escalated its theft of Palestinian funds, bringing the PA to the verge of financial collapse. This policy memo argues that Israel’s weaponization of clearance revenues is not merely an extension of past measures but a reflection of a new, more radical agenda driven by the far-right.
Ismat Quzmar· Dec 1, 2024
 Politics
On November 5, 2024, the US electorate voted Donald J. Trump for a second term in the 60th presidential election. While many aspects of the incoming administration's foreign policy plans remain uncertain, they will undoubtedly continue to have devastating consequences for the Palestinian people. In this roundtable, Al-Shabaka analysts Tariq Kenney-Shawa, Abdullah Al-Arian, Andrew Kadi, and Hanna Alshaikh offer insights into how Trump will compare to his predecessor, what his presidency will mean for US policy across the Arab region, what lies ahead for Palestine solidarity organizing in the US, and the material impact will be on the ground in Palestine.
 Politics, Civil Society
In this policy lab, Yara Asi and Layth Hanbali join host Tariq Kenney-Shawa to discuss Israel’s systematic assault on civilian infrastructure across Gaza and efforts to survive and rebuild against all odds.
Al-Shabaka Yara Asi
Al-Shabaka Layth Hanbali
Yara Asi,Layth Hanbali· Oct 29, 2024
Skip to content