The response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Palestine brings back to focus central questions surrounding the resilience of Palestinian  Authority leadership and the efficiency of its governance in times of crisis.

In this policy lab,  Al-Shabaka analysts Mohammed Al-Khaldi and Fadi Quran join guest host Marwa Fatafta to weigh in on current emergency measures in the West Bank and their ramifications on the Palestinian people's trust in leadership. They will also look at connections between the PA's past public health policies and their impact on its capacity to handle the pandemic.

Mohammed Al-Khaldi is a post-doctoral intern with the Council on Health Research for Development.  He has a Ph.D. from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, where his research focused on the Palestinian national Health Research System. He has worked as a health consultant with  many international organizations, including the World Health Organizations (WHO) and Swiss TPH.

Fadi Quran is Campaigns Director at Avaaz and a Popular Struggle community organizer. He previously served as UN Advocacy Officer with Al-Haq’s legal research and advocacy unit. Apart from his work in advocacy and international law, Fadi is also an entrepreneur in the alternative energy field, where he has founded two companies bringing wind and solar energy to Palestine and other countries in the region.

Marwa Fatafta is the MENA Policy Manager for Access Now. She is also an advisory board member for the Palestinian digital rights organization 7amleh and previously served as the MENA Regional Advisor at Transparency International Secretariat in Berlin.

About the Policy Lab Program: Al-Shabaka's Palestine Policy Lab is an online live-stream space, where audiences can engage directly with expert analysts from our nearly 200-member network as they craft policies and strategies related to Palestine. The labs are free and open for public participation, inviting viewers to join in on policy discussions.

Palestinian Leadership in the Time of Pandemic