palestinian authority

Why Hamas is staying out of Israel’s fight with Islamic Jihad

Israeli security and political coordination with Hamas has served mutual interests for many years. Now Hamas is hoping to stay out of the current fighting in order to potentially expand its political power in the West Bank.

By Ami Kaufman and Amjad Iraqi November 13, 2019

Palestinians wait at the Qalandia Checkpoint, which separates the West Bank and Jerusalem, on their way to pray at the Al Aqsa Mosque for Ramadan, Friday, Sept. 26, 2008. (Issam Rimawi/Flash90)

‘For those who want peace, replacing Zionism is inevitable’

For many Palestinians in the West Bank, the minor shifts in Israeli politics are a long-awaited opportunity to challenge the traditional understanding of the occupation. By Yuval Abraham Ahmad, a former officer with the Palestinian Authority’s intelligence forces, retired two years ago. Every morning for 23 years — since the PA was established — he would drive to his…

By +972 Magazine October 2, 2019

Palestinians make their way through an Israeli checkpoint to attend the first Friday prayer of Ramadan in Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, near the West Bank city of Bethlehem May 10, 2019. (Wisam Hashlamoun/Flash90)

An election between annexationists and pro-occupation generals

Palestinians have no say over whether they will be ruled by messianic religious zealots or by generals who previously presided over the occupation. On September 17, Israelis will return to the polls for round two of an election cycle that failed to determine an outcome in April, this time hoping for a different result. While…

By Omar H. Rahman September 16, 2019

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Palestinians in Ramallah protesting the U.S.-led economic workshop, to be held in Bahrain as part of the Trump administration's "Deal of the Century" plan for ending the conflict, June 15, 2019. (Ahmad Al-Bazz/Activestills.org)

Palestinians take to the streets to protest Bahrain workshop, Trump peace plan

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declares major protests across the occupied Palestinian territories next week to coincide with the Bahrain workshop. By Ahmad Al-Bazz Dozens of Palestinian activists and political representatives marched against the U.S. “Deal of the Century” and the upcoming Bahrain workshop in Ramallah city center on Saturday. Protesters held Palestinian flags and signs…

By Activestills June 17, 2019

British diplomat John Holmes seen alongside a military officer during a tribal lunch at a cavalry post in Tel al-Meleiha, 20 miles north of Be'er Sheba, January 18, 1940. (Library of Congress)

A century later, Trump’s deal for Palestine is no better than Britain’s

The British left Palestine in 1948 with their tail between their legs, having laid the groundwork for 100 years of conflict. With people like Trump and Kushner leading the way, we should expect nothing better for our own century. By Jonathan Adler The White House revealed last weekend that the “Deal of the Century,” the administration’s plan…

By +972 Magazine May 28, 2019

Jared Kushner meets with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem. (File photo/Handout, U.S. Embassy)

Palestinians need a state, not a ‘business plan’

Jared Kushner believes the first stage to peace is investing capital in Gaza and the West Bank. But just how far can that investment go when Israel is determined to maintain full control of and exploit every aspect of the Palestinian economy? By Sam Bahour President Donald Trump is taking part in an all-out attempt to batter the Palestinians…

By +972 Magazine May 20, 2019

Yahya Sinwar, new leader of Hamas, inspects the border with Egypt from thr city of Rafah, July 6, 2017. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)

The Israeli right is now openly saying it wants to keep Hamas in power

As the latest round of fighting in Gaza and southern Israel died down, it became clear that keeping Hamas in power has become a central tenet of the Israeli right. By Meron Rapoport The idea that Hamas is an Israeli creation is nearly as old as Hamas itself. Researchers, journalists, high-ranking Israeli military and government officials…

By +972 Magazine May 12, 2019

A young Palestinian boy and girl stand near a painted mural in Balata Refugee Camp in the West Bank city of Nablus. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

‘In Balata camp, every single child suffers from psychological problems’

Yafa Cultural Center is one of the few places left for Palestinian children from Balata refugee camp to cope with the violence they witness on a daily basis. With funding running low, the center is at risk of closing. When the door opens, I am surprised to see a six or seven-year-old boy on the other…

By Rami Younis February 11, 2019

Palestinian protesters waive the Palestinian flag, during a Great Return March demonstration near the Gaza-Israel fence, Gaza Strip, September 7, 2018. (Mohammed Zaanoun/Activestills.org)

The Palestinian struggle is shifting to a civil rights movement, and Gaza is leading the way

The Great Return March signals a shift for the Palestinian people, says scholar Tareq Baconi. Palestinians are no longer fighting for a state, and are increasingly demanding their full rights — primarily the right of return. The leaders of the Great Return March surprised the world when they organized the first demonstration along the Israel-Gaza fence…

By Rami Younis January 11, 2019

Education Minister Naftali Bennett, MK David Bitan, Culture Minister Miri Regev and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attend a Knesset plenum session, December 5, 2016. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Don’t believe the hype: The Israeli right is weaker than it seems

The right had a decade to annex the West Bank, quash Palestinian aspirations, and thwart Hamas in Gaza. Yet today, more than ever, its invincibility is anything but certain. By Meron Rapoport The past decade belonged to the Israeli right. Since 2009, the right-wing bloc easily defeated its opponents and won elections, while Prime Minister Benjamin…

By +972 Magazine December 27, 2018

Palestinians cross the Bethlehem checkpoint as they head to Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City to attend the third Friday prayers of Ramadan on June 1, 2018. (Wisam Hashlamoun/Flash90)

Palestinian Authority losing millions annually due to Israeli restrictions

The Palestinian Authority loses $350 million every year due to Israel’s violations of various agreements. It’s time to pay up. By Sam Bahour The Palestinian government loses around $350 million a year due to Israel’s restrictions and violations of signed agreements, according to a recent report published by the Palestinian Authority. The estimated sum amounts to almost 30 percent…

By +972 Magazine December 23, 2018

A Palestinian family eats dinner by candlelight at their home in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, during a power outage on June 12, 2017. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)

With the lights on longer in Gaza, Palestinians dare to hope

A few more hours of electricity a day may not sound like much, but in Gaza, it expels the sense of ever-looming doom and gives people something to hope for. By Muhammad Shehada For the first time in years, Gazans were able to enjoy the simple pleasure of going about their daily lives relatively uninterrupted…

By +972 Magazine November 9, 2018

Palestinians wait for travel permits to cross into Egypt, for the first time since the Palestinian reconciliation deal, in the southern Gaza Strip on November 18, 2017. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)

The thousands of undocumented Gazans living in limbo

Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza can't work, travel, or get health care. Between the Israeli-controlled population registry and the Fatah-Hamas rivalry, they see little hope for any kind of stable future.

By +972 Magazine November 8, 2018