Civil Society in Palestine

Abstract

I investigate the origins, status, and prospects of Palestinian civil society through a review of its history before and during the first and second Intifada. I discuss the impact of the creation of the Palestinian Authority (PA) on civil society. The PA had an adverse impact on the structure and function of most civil society organizations, because of either legal or financial pressure. Civil society in Palestine was unable to effectively resist the PA’s control attempts, mostly because of its involvement in the national struggle and its overpoliticization. The attempt is to draw the contours of the road ahead for Palestinian nongovernmental organizations and civil society organizations to view the already complex relationship they have with the PA regarding the funding agencies and their local constituencies.