Democracy in the West Bank and Gaza: More than Elections
Last September, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas renewed his pledge to hold parliamentary elections in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. Regardless of whether the polls take place, Al-Shabaka Senior Palestine Policy Fellow 24588 argues that Palestinians must embark on a democratic process that far surpasses the proposed elections in order to achieve liberation.
Mapping Palestine: Decolonizing Spatial Practices
In our first policy lab of 2020, 24598 and Ahmad Barclay join host Nur Arafeh to discuss the ways in which maps and other visualization tools serve as sites to entrench power disparities as well as to empower communities to reimagine their colonized homelands.
Maps, Technology, and Decolonial Spatial Practices in Palestine
The practice of mapping in Palestine-Israel has long been an exercise in power, imperialism, and dispossession. Al-Shabaka Policy Analyst 24598 examines how Palestinians have been excluded from maps of their own land from the British Mandate to today, and explores ways that Palestinians can – and do – reclaim maps as a means of resistance.
The Growing Gap between Jordan and Israel, After 25 Years of “Peace”
Twenty-five years after signing the Wadi ‘Araba peace agreement, Jordan and Israel are experiencing particularly tense relations. Al-Shabaka Policy Analyst Oraib Rantawi delves into the reasons behind this turn of events, the implications for Palestinian-Jordanian relations, and what Jordan can do to reduce its dependence on Israel.
Palestinian Elections: Essential or Harmful?
Palestinian general elections in the near future are looking more and more likely. But are they necessary? In our final policy lab of 2019, Inès Abdel Razek joins host Marwa Fatafta to discuss the significance of elections within the current leadership crisis, foreseen challenges to the democratic process, and potential for new political players to […]
The Systematic Torture of Palestinians in Israeli Detention
Since the establishment of Israel in 1948, the Israeli Security Agency has been torturing Palestinians. Al-Shabaka Senior Palestine Policy Fellow 24588 argues that the use of torture in Israeli detention is systematic and legitimized through domestic law, and outlines steps for the international community to hold Israel to account and bring an end to these violations.
A Question of UN Credibility: Releasing the Settlements Database
The European Union’s highest court recently ruled that EU countries are required to identify products made in Israeli settlements on their labels. However, another international body – the UN – continues to avoid releasing its database of companies engaged in activities with Israel’s settlements. Al-Shabaka Policy Analyst 24498 and Guest Contributor Maha Abdallah explain why and recommend ways to pressure the UN to fulfill its mandate.
Digital Censorship in the Palestinian Context
Palestinians are facing mounting digital censorship from all angles – from the Israeli government to the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. What are the implications of this growing trend, and what tools exist to fight back? In this policy lab, analysts 24474 and Nadim Nashif join host Nur Arafeh to discuss the threat against Palestinian digital rights and anchor it within the wider global trend of digital repression.
Restructuring the Palestinian Authority: It’s Now or Never
The Palestinian Authority (PA) has perhaps never been so disconnected from Palestinian society. Al-Shabaka policy analyst 24397 examines how international involvement has helped shore up this disconnect by rendering the PA progressively repressive, and suggests steps for the PA as well as Palestinian civil society to take in order to change the status quo.
