A new field report from Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq released this week details the numerous human rights violations that occurred throughout Palestine, particularly in the occupied West Bank, during 2020 — violations that the group said were exacerbated by, and spurred on, by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
2020 may have been a devastating year for Palestine, but a closer look would allow us to see it as an opportunity for a whole new Palestinian political discourse.
Our top 10 stories in 2020 focused on the stores that shook the world — COVID-19, Black Lives Matter protests, and Trump’s “Deal Of The Century.” And there was also Seth Rogen.
As part of our wrap-up of 2020 Yumna Patel spoke to Ramallah-based analyst Diana Buttu about one of the biggest stories of 2020 — normalization. Buttu discusses the impact of the normalization deals between Arab countries and Israel, the Palestine Authority’s strategy (or lack thereof) in confronting the threat, and the challenges that lie ahead in 2021.
If there ever was a year in recent history that was truly unforgettable, 2020 is it. In Palestine, COVID-19 did not stop the occupation, and in many cases exacerbated the devastating effects of 53 years under Israeli military rule. On top of the pandemic, we witnessed major shifts in global politics with widespread regional normalization, and the defeat of US President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, global movements for justice like Black Lives Matter, and the fight for justice in Palestine continued to transcend borders, thrusting marginalized voices into the mainstream in ways that were once unimaginable.
Despite the challenges of remote learning, campus activism for Palestine charged forward this past year.
This year has been a slog, but in the spirit of the holiday season, here are some of the victories of 2020.