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Statehood Stalled: Next Steps for the Palestinian People

Al-Shabaka Commentary
26 September 2011
Nadia Hijab

September and Beyond: Who Speaks in My Name?

Al-Shabaka Commentary
13 September 2011
Samah Sabawi

As the UN vote on recognition of the state of Palestine approaches later this month, Al-Shabaka policy advisor Samah Sabawi argues in this commentary that the controversy surrounding the bid obscures the larger question of whether the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority are legitimate representatives of the Palestinian people.

Achieving a Palestinian Spring

Al-Shabaka Roundtable
1 August 2011
Ali Abunimah,
Rana Barakat,
Beshara Doumani,
Toufic Haddad,
Jamil Hilal,
Hani al-Masri,
Mezna Qato,
Will Youmans

In this Al-Shabaka roundtable, a cross-section of policy advisors reflects on Jamil Hilal’s policy brief, “Palestinian Answers in the Arab Spring.” They discuss the state of Palestinian politics and society, the future of the Palestinian national movement, and how to achieve a Palestinian Spring.

A State of Palestine: The Case for UN Recognition and Membership

Al-Shabaka Policy Brief
27 May 2011
Victor Kattan

In this policy brief, Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Victor Kattan examines the Palestinian Authority's strategy to achieve UN recognition and membership in September. He argues that if the initiative is successful, a State of Palestine would be a strategic asset to the Palestinian struggle for self-determination.

Palestinian Answers in the Arab Spring

Al-Shabaka Policy Brief
6 May 2011
Jamil Hilal

In this policy brief, Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Jamil Hilal examines the conditions necessary for Palestinians to join the democratic movements sweeping the region. He identifies some of the key principles necessary for a "Palestinian spring," including a reunified body politic with representative mechanisms and political and intellectual pluralism.

Declaring an Independent Bantustan

Al-Shabaka Commentary
25 April 2011
Haidar Eid

The Palestinian Authority is attempting to achieve UN recognition of the state of Palestine in September. In this Al-Shabaka commentary, policy advisor Haidar Eid argues that it will be a state in name only, resembling the "independent homelands," or bantustans, created by South Africa's apartheid regime.

Debating Forms of Resistance

Al-Shabaka Roundtable
12 April 2011
Sam Bahour,
Rana Barakat,
Mary Nazzal-Batayneh,
Oroub el-Abed,
Nadia Hijab,
Victor Kashkoush,
Anis Kassim,
Osamah Khalil,
Mouin Rabbani,

The latest Al-Shabaka roundtable examines the effectiveness of different forms of resistance in achieving Palestinian rights. The participants discussed a range of issues from the implications of armed struggle to the potential and limitations of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement.

The “Palestine Papers”: An Alternative Analysis for Action

Al-Shabaka Commentary
3 February 2011
Nadia Hijab

Since they were leaked in late January by Al-Jazeera, the “Palestine Papers” have sparked outrage and condemnation of the Palestinian Authority. Al-Shabaka Co-Director Nadia Hijab examines how Palestinians can ensure that their rights are achieved in spite of the concessions at the negotiating table.

Unmet Potential: The UN Committee on Palestine

Al-Shabaka Policy Brief
19 January 2011
Noura Erakat

In 1975, the UN General Assembly established the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. In this policy brief, Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Noura Erakat examines the role of the Committee and the failure of the Palestine Liberation Organization to effectively utilize it to achieve Palestinian rights. She also discusses how the Committee has shunned the participation of civil society organizations since the Oslo Accords were signed.

The Myth of American Pressure

Al-Shabaka Policy Brief
26 October 2010
Osamah Khalil

Recent reports that the Obama administration offered Israel unprecedented incentives to continue its limited 10-month moratorium on settlement construction for an additional 60 days have sparked an outcry among Palestinians and their supporters. However, in this policy brief Al-Shabaka Co-Director Osamah Khalil argues that the administration’s actions fit into a much broader historical pattern of public American pressure on Israel and private concessions.