Focus On: Jerusalem
David Friedman, who has voiced approval of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, is expected to be confirmed as US ambassador to Israel tomorrow. In the range of pieces selected below, Al-Shabaka analysts provide the context and analysis necessary to understand the history of Israel’s colonization of Jerusalem and its impact on Palestinians, as well as the likely fallout from a US embassy move.
Amending the Charter: What’s in It for Hamas?
Al-Shabaka is pleased to share this policy memo by policy analyst Belal Shobaki, which details current considerations Hamas may be taking into account given news of the party’s likely decision to amend its charter.
Do Not Let Go of the Green Line: It Is Israel’s Achilles Heel
As Israeli right-wing leaders push to illegally annex occupied Palestinian territory, Al-Shabaka Executive Director Nadia Hijab argues that the Green Line is a powerful tool to hold Israel accountable for its multiple violations of Palestinian human rights. For Europe especially the Israeli moves threaten the global order in a way that goes far beyond Palestine.
Palestinians and the Syrian War: Between Neutrality and Dissent
The Palestinians of Syria are forced to maintain political neutrality or support the regime, given their vulnerable position. Al-Shabaka Policy Analyst 24556 unpacks the roots of this predicament, identifies avenues that suggest how to move beyond it, and recommends tactics for Palestinians in Syria and elsewhere to better advocate for human rights and self-determination.
Palestinian Democracy Denied
The failure to conduct local elections in the occupied territories and the Fatah conference, which largely reaffirmed a moribund status quo, are the latest examples of stymied Palestinian democracy. Al-Shabaka analysts examine the notion of democracy under military occupation, the factors constraining it, and the form that makes sense for the Palestinian people.
Economic Collapse in East Jerusalem: Strategies for Recovery
Israel’s engineered economic collapse of East Jerusalem has rendered it essentially unlivable for Palestinians. Al-Shabaka Policy Fellow Nur Arafeh focuses on two of the city’s strategic assets that exemplify this collapse, tourism and the commercial markets of the Old City, and examines both existing and potential Palestinian initiatives of sumud, or steadfastness, that challenge Israeli-imposed obstacles.
Palestine After Abbas: Potential Scenarios and Coping Strategies
With the election of Donald Trump, Israel believes it is free to do what it likes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, making a difficult Palestinian leadership transition much harder. Al-Shabaka policy analysts examine different scenarios and propose alternatives ranging from consolidating the state to a struggle for the rights of the Palestinian people as a whole.
One Hundred Years and Counting: Britain, Balfour, and the Cultural Repression of Palestinians
The government and corporations of the United Kingdom have recently intensified efforts to censor Palestinian creative expression. Al-Shabaka Policy Member Aimee Shalan traces the roots of these attacks on Palestinian history and culture to the 1917 Balfour Declaration and offers recommendations for how civil society can bring the UK to change its approach.
The Palestinian Authority: Unsettling Status Quo Scenarios
Is one state the only alternative to an unrealized two-state solution? Al-Shabaka Policy Member 24378 discusses the minimal changes in governance the PA has made post-Oslo and forecasts a “status quo+,” an institutionalized system of apartheid and a no-state solution. He also foresees three states – but argues none of this would be sustainable over time.
