Mandate Period Research Articles

הפעילות הסוציאלית בקהילה היהודית בירושלים בתקופת המנדט

In this article, I analyze the factors that shaped social welfare activity in the Jewish community in Jerusalem during the British Mandate in Palestine. First, I review the attitude towards social welfare activity in the City Council—the body that preceded the Community Council—during the 1920s. Second, I examine the activities and efforts of the Social Welfare Bureau by way of the Community Council in the early 1930s. Third, I analyze on two levels the impact of political events in the Jewish Yishuv from the mid-1930s until late in the Mandate period on social welfare activities: on the municipal level, with emphasis on the impact of Jerusalem’s unique factors and characteristics, including the Sephardic Community Council’s political influence on community-social welfare activities; and at the national level of the Jewish Yishuv, which included the influence of the Fifth Aliyah and the Yishuv fundraising organizations on the activities of the Social Welfare Bureau in the 1940s. Based on the analysis of each of the aforementioned players, I propose that the nature and scope of social welfare activities in Jerusalem were the result of three combined influences: the Jewish Yishuv – initiatives originating from the National Institutions; the community influence – activities based on the Community Council’s status and a community-oriented outlook; and the local influence – norms and attitudes that were prevalent in Jerusalem before the British conquest. Therefore, I show in this article that the Jewish Yishuv framework is one of the components that shaped social welfare activity in Jerusalem.

משק האנרגיה של היישוב היהודי בארץ ישראל בשלהי המנדט הבריטי

This article discusses the energy sector of the Jewish Yishuv in Palestine during the late British Mandate period, from late 1947 to the Declaration of Independence in mid-May 1948. The article examines how the Yishuv’s leaders and those in charge of its energy supply prepared for the British withdrawal from Palestine and the measures taken to ensure the Yishuv's energy needs during this period. Until then, the Mandate authorities had seen to the Yishuv’s energy needs, a responsibility that would now be transferred to the institutions of the Jewish state upon its establishment. Were their actions solely focused on the preparations for war or also on preparations for the creation of the state? Archival and other primary sources were used by the author. In addition to analyzing technical information, the article seeks to highlight the individuals who were involved in preserving and securing the energy supply of the Jewish Yishuv. These were resourceful and visionary individuals who used creativity, initiative, and boldness to enable the Yishuv to solve its problems and to navigate between various political and economic interests and the needs of the economy and the military. They successfully steered the rickety ship of the energy sector during the intercommunal war in Palestine and prepared the infrastructure for the energy sector of a sovereign state after the Declaration of Independence.

Cereal cultivation and storage by the Janabib Bedouin in the Negev Highlands, southern Israel (1917–1948)

This study focuses on the traditional methods used by the Janabib Bedouin tribe in the Negev Highlands to cultivate wheat and barley during the British Mandate period from 1917 to 1948. Despite the fact that this region receives only 90 mm of precipitation per year on average, and was located at a great distance from settlements and markets, the local Bedouin cultivated cereals by exploiting the ancient agricultural terraces from the Byzantine period which prevented runoff and distributed water over the agricultural plots. This research also found that the choice of which cereals to grow in different years, were determined by local climatic conditions. Thus, the Bedouin who lived in the Negev Highlands before 1948, developed specific adaptations in order to survive in these arid conditions.

Egyptian Popular Culture in Late Ottoman and Mandate Palestine

Abstract During the late Ottoman and British Mandate periods, Palestine was an integral component of the audience for the new forms of “colloquial mass culture” that emerged in Cairo. Early Egyptian recording artists, theatre troupes, and the giants of interwar Egyptian popular music—Umm Kulthum and Muhammad Abdel Wahhab—regularly appeared and were warmly received in Palestine. Egyptian performers did not come to Palestine to affirm or reinforce its Arabism. They came because they earned substantial fees for their performances and because they had large and loyal audiences there, some of whom were Jews. The presence of both Arabs and Jews at concerts or in movie theaters did not necessarily mean that they liked each other. Neither did they dislike each other as a matter of principle. This ambiguous legacy was manifested in the political uproar over the naming of streets in honor of Umm Kulthum and Abdel Wahhab in Jerusalem, Ramle, and Haifa in 2020. This was not an indicator of Arab–Jewish coexistence, and it did not represent a conciliation with terrorism. It was a phenomenon in which spectators and fans (and detractors) read themselves into the meanings of the work of artists.

Expecting the best: Palestinian Utopianism and trans-sectarianism in the Mandate period

ABSTRACT This essay reconstructs Palestinian utopian discourse from the British mandate period, by focusing on understudied political manifestos and fiction, authored by members of the Palestinian Arab elite. The essay shows that through the lens of utopianism emerges a distinct Palestinian ecumenical discourse on trans-sectarian religion, language unification, bi-nationalism, reform in relations between men and women, and social justice. While this discourse was not necessarily popular, it was shared and articulated in both explicit and latent manners by some of the most influential Palestinians of the period. This discourse was therefore a meaningful, progressive, indigenous political alternative to the colonial and imperial sectarian order.

Al-Lajjun: a Social and geographic account of a Palestinian Village during the British Mandate Period

ABSTRACT This paper provides a social and geographic account of al-Lajjun (Jenin Sub-district), a prominent Palestinian village during the British Mandate period (1918–1948). It portrays a countryside in renewal, encapsulated in the story of Umm al-Fahm’s expansion and Lajjun’s resettlement. In contrast to existing scholarship, the present work contextualizes the site within the wider diachronic, longue durée, history of the region, and the synchronous, shifting pattern of settlements in Marj ibn ‘Amir (Jezreel Valley), Bilad al-Ruha (Ramot Menashe), and Wadi ‘Ara (Nahal ‘Iron). It focuses on the development of the physical outlines of the (re)new(ed) village, with the development of three “Lajjuns” reflecting its founders’ Hebronite/Khalīlī patterns of settlement. Furthermore, it explores Lajjun’s diversified economy and its metamorphosis from a derelict hamlet into a hub of utilities and transportation infrastructure of regional importance under the British Mandate of Palestine (1920–1948).

Doing politics from the margins: ethnicity, harassment and gender-based political violence case study of former councilors in the department of La Paz, 2015-2021

This article discusses the application of Law 243 on Violence and Political Harassment in Councilors and Mayors of the department of La Paz who served during the 2015 - 2021 mandate period, emphasizing the work of the Association of Councilors and Mayors of La Paz. ACOLAPAZ in the attention and representation of complaints of Violence and Political Harassment (VAP) and the expressions of violence manifested towards this group during the mentioned period, reflecting through the ethnographic method and in-depth interviews on said problem; as well as the contemporary conditions of violence in Bolivia and the differences due to gender and ethnicity.

Community on the Margins: The Social Consolidation of the HaTikvah Neighborhood in the Late Mandate Period and during Early Israeli Statehood

The definition and analysis of disadvantaged neighborhoods have been rethought in recent years, with the goal of trying to surpass the monolithic identification of all marginal neighborhoods and move towards an analysis of the social, urban, and national circumstances that create marginal neighborhoods in a particular country under specific historical circumstances. This paper offers a micro-historical case study that allows us to examine the social consolidation and civic engagement of a marginal urban community residing in the HaTikvah neighborhood, next to the city of Tel Aviv, during the period between the mid-1930s and the early 1950s. It argues that the residents’ identifications and actions stemmed from an intersectional marginality that was composed of their low socio-economic status, their ethnic origin as Oriental Jews, the geographic location of the neighborhood, and its lack of municipal status. Taking into consideration the circumstances of British Mandatory rule and the processes of the consolidation of the Jewish national society in Palestine as a European society, this paper unveils the struggles of the community vis à vis various institutions for the purposes of recognition, the improvement of living conditions, and, subsequently, the preservation of the fabric of life in the neighborhood.

"No Wonder That on This Spot God Spoke to Us": Intersection of Anglican Tourist-Pilgrims and Archaeology in British Mandate Palestine

For British Anglican tourists, archaeological tourism in Palestine marked an expansion of a broader British cultural and religious relationship to Palestine as a land made familiar by a childhood of bible stories and nativity scenes, and one which played a role in the biblification of Palestine and the appropriation of its past to validate and strengthen a connection to Britain and the Mandate. Archaeology offered a direct link to the materiality of the biblical past, experienced via a “kairotic moment” in which the past meets the present. By examining reports of British travelers to Palestine, this article considers how materially embodied religious experiences not only drove tourist movement to Palestine but also functioned as a keystone in Britain’s relationship with Palestine during the Mandate period. Behind this growth in archeological tourism, however, is a story of tension, most notably between Mandate Palestine’s first director of antiquities, John Garstang, and the Mandate and Westminster governments. From his optimism in a report on the future of archaeology in Palestine in 1919 to his bitter resignation in 1926, Garstang’s story represents the Mandate’s failures with regard to archaeology. These tensions and Garstang’s unease foreshadowed the development of archaeology as a tool of settler colonialism in occupied Palestine today.

The rise of the Hebronite alliance: Hebronite regionalism between Palestine and Jordan, 1940–1967

From the late British Mandate period until 1967, a cohesive system of social and political arrangements took shape among the people of the Hebron district in the West Bank. This system, referred to here as the Hebronite alliance, was born of a continuous crisis and played a central role in cultivating harmony and co-liability among the people of the district and its expatriates. It promoted them as a collective and individuals and shaped the distinct pro-Hashemite character of the Hebron region. The strength of the alliance stemmed from the adoption of a unique social contract and a new regional ‘Hebronite’ identity that was a stable anchor for many Palestinians caught between the competing Palestinian, Jordanian, and pan-Arab national identities.

Archaeological explorations at ‘En Qobi in the Jerusalem Highlands and the identification of Qube/Qubi

The article presents the results of archaeological excavations and surveys undertaken at and near the spring of ‘En Qobi. ‘En Qobi is a spring in the upper reaches of Nahal Qobi, a tributary of Nahal Refai’m, West of Jerusalem. There is evidence of human activity near the spring from the Bronze Age to the present – a span of approximately 3,000 years. The article presents and discusses (a) the spring and its water system; (b) partial excavations and the preservation of the interior of the medieval church located near the spring; (c) H. Tasit and a nearby refuge cave, both located west of the spring; (d) H. Qobi, situated east of the spring. Our team cleaned the water system, which consists of a long spring tunnel, a large underground reservoir, an open pool and other elements typical of systems used to tap spring water in the Judean Hills. This system was apparently built in the Early Roman period, was renovated again and again and remained in use until recent times. The medieval church has a rectangular nave, oriented east-west with well-preserved ashlar walls. The inner walls were covered with polychrome frescoes. Elbow columns topped with capitals, characteristic of Frankish (Crusader) architecture in the Jerusalem area, were found in situ on the northern and eastern walls. Our funds permitted only a partial excavation of some portions of the inner walls. Inadequate funding prevented a full excavation of the church walls and floors, so the construction phases of the structure were not fully clarified. H. Tasit is a relatively small site, apparently an agricultural estate from the Roman and Byzantine periods. Unfortunately, the site was looted extensively in the past. On the nearby slope we detected and explored a small karstic cave that was apparently used for refuge purposes in the first – second centuries CE. H. Qobi is a small, ruined village located on a prominent hilltop above the spring. Without extensive excavation it is difficult to ascertain its function and past. An underground olive press and some looted tombs on the slopes were explored. Pottery and finds from the Late Hellenistic, Early Roman, Byzantine, Medieval, Ottoman and British Mandate periods were collected. ‘En Qobi has been identified as Qobi, a location near Bethar mentioned in a story in the Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 95a) and in additional Roman-period, late antique and medieval sources. The article describes the sites and discusses their historical-geographical significance and identification.

History of Kirkuk during the British mandate period

In the late years of World War I (1914-1918), the Ottoman-controlled regions faced a new condition. The city of Kirkuk, as a part of Kurdistan's territory, was not deprived of these new transformations and events.
 This research aimed to investigate the history of Kirkuk during the British mandate period. The study found that the arrival of the British in southern Kurdistan, particularly Kirkuk, had a historical background, dating back centuries before the British conquest of the city of Kirkuk in 1918, particularly due to the presence of natural resources in the area. The study also found that Kirkuk residents, as part of Kurdistan's territory, were exhilarated about nationalism after the fall of Ottoman oppression and the arrival of English authorities and that its population had publicly expressed their nationalism desires, for independence and unity with Kurdistan.
 The study also reveals that the British have tried in every way to cut off the area from Kurdistan and the Kurdish national movement after the national stance on Kirkuk residents became clear. Kirkuk residents have also broadly supported Sheikh Mahmud and announced him as their leader, and they fully cooperated with him in this regard, which is due to the national sentiment that has developed in the city of Kirkuk.
 In the study, we found that in a referendum conducted by the United Nations to resolve the Mosul state issue, residents in Kirkuk mostly agreed to be part of Iraq, even though there were votes demanding independence. Kirkuk people were also generally dissatisfied with the issue of appointing Faisal asking for Iraq, and stood against it, publicly expressing that they would prefer to unite with Kurdistan when Faisal was appointed as crown king to Iraq.

Defining the Impacts of Historical Development Activities on Urban Heritage of İskenderun (Alexandretta)

İskenderun, also known as Alexandretta in antiquity, has long been a strategically significant port city in the Eastern Mediterranean thanks to its natural harbour. Due to its advantageous location, the settlement began to rapidly urbanize after the mid-19th century as a result of the impacts of Ottoman and later the French Mandate period development activities. This article focuses on defining the influences of historical development activities on the urban heritage of İskenderun by understanding and evaluating various efforts that lie behind the formation of the city as an important trade centre and port city connecting the Middle East, Asia Minor, and Europe. By doing so, the formation, development and transformation of the settlement are chronologically deciphered regarding its historical turning points: the mid-19th century Ottoman period, the beginning of the French Mandate period (1919), and the joining of İskenderun to the Republic of Türkiye (1939). Accordingly, the characteristics of the urban form, the ways these characteristics were transformed, and the problems and strategies encountered within different periods are decoded. This decoding employed a combined methodology, including historical interpretation and case study research methods. The results of the study reveal that İskenderun has experienced different solutions for problems of infrastructure within the different periods, as a reflection of different political understandings and public and social needs among those periods.

Organ preservation and total neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer: Investigating long course chemoradiation versus short course radiation therapy.

3617 Background: The efficacy of long course chemoradiation (LCRT) vs. short course radiation therapy (SCRT) relative to organ preservation (OP) in rectal cancer (RC) is unknown. We compared OP rates between SCRT and LCRT total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) strategies. Methods: During the COVID-19 pandemic we established an institutional SCRT mandate with no exceptions. For comparison, we identified RC patients treated with LCRT immediately before and after the mandate period. After completion of TNT, patients were restaged by clinical exam, endoscopy, and MRI. A watch and wait (WW) approach was recommended for patients with a clinical complete response (cCR), defined by the MSK regression schema. Total mesorectal excision (TME) was recommended for non-cCR patients. OP was defined as remaining TME-free with no evidence of disease in the pelvis. We performed survival analysis for: local regrowth rate, OP, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS). The validated low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) questionnaire (LARS-Q) was used to determine percentage of patients with major LARS. Results: We identified 332 consecutive patients with non-metastatic rectal adenocarcinoma treated with TNT (Jan. 2018-Jan. 2021). Patient and tumor characteristics were similar in the LCRT (n = 256) and SCRT (n = 76) cohorts. No significant differences in high-risk features were noted. Most patients had clinical stage III disease (82% in LCRT vs. 83% in SCRT). Induction chemotherapy followed by consolidative radiation was the most common treatment order (78% (LCRT) vs. 70% (SCRT)). The median interval from end of TNT to clinical restaging was 8 weeks (LCRT) and 9 weeks (SCRT). The cCR rate was 46% in both cohorts. Among patients with a cCR, the likelihood of WW management was similar (98% (LCRT) vs. 94% (SCRT)). From start of TNT, the median follow-up was 32 and 28 months respectively for LCRT and SCRT. The 2-year OS (95% vs. 92%), DFS (78% vs 70%), and distant recurrence (20% vs. 21%) rates were similar. Among all patients, the 2-year OP rate was 40% (95% CI 35-47%) for LCRT and 29% (95% CI 20-42%) with SCRT. In those patients managed by WW, the 2-year local regrowth rate was 20% (95% CI 12-27%) with LCRT vs. 36% (95% CI 16-52%) with SCRT. Percentage of patients reporting major LARS symptoms were similar among WW patients post TNT: baseline (23% (LCRT) vs. 18% (SCRT)), 6-months (41% (LCRT) vs. 42% (SCRT)), and 12-months (25% (LCRT) vs. 15% (SCRT)). Conclusions: In this nonrandomized comparison, while cCR rates were similar, we observed a numerically higher local regrowth rate with SCRT-TNT than with LCRT-TNT. Rate of major-LARS symptoms were similar with LCRT-TNT than with SCRT-TNT. The ongoing ACO/ARO/AIO-18.1 trial, hypothesizing that LCRT-TNT will increase OP rates relative to SCRT-TNT, will definitively address this question.

Impact of Lifting Mask Mandates on COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality in Portugal: An Ecological Study

The use of face masks in public was one of several COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions adopted to mitigate the pandemic in Portugal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of lifting the mask mandate on the April 22, 2022 on COVID-19 incidence and mortality in mainland Portugal and in the Azores. As a secondary objective, we aimed to evaluate the evolution of COVID-19 cases in a setting without a mask mandate (Azores islands) and in a setting with a mask mandate (Madeira islands).Surveillance data on laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 deaths were used to conduct an interrupted time series analysis to estimate changes in daily incidence and deaths during a mask mandate period (28th March - 21st April 2022) and during a post-mask mandate period (22nd April - 15th May 2022), in mainland Portugal and the Azores. In a second phase, for each group of islands, we fitted a negative binomial regression model, with daily COVID-19 incident cases as the primary outcome of interest, and relative frequency of Omicron BA.5 lineage as explanatory variable.Significant changes in trends were observed for the overall incidence rate and COVID-19 deaths; increasing trends were observed for COVID-19 incidence and deaths in the post mandate period [5.3% per day; incidence rate ratio (IRR): 1.053; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.029 - 1.078] and [3.2% per day; mortality rate ratio (MRR): 1.032; 95% CI: 1.003 - 1.062], respectively. For every unit increase in the percentage of Omicron BA.5 lineage there was a 1.5% increase per day (IRR: 1.015; 95% CI: 1.006 - 1.024) in COVID-19 incidence rate in the Azores islands, while for Madeira islands an increase of 0.05% COVID-19 cases per day was observed (IRR: 1.005; 95% CI: 1.000 - 1.010).Lifting the mask mandate in Portugal was associated with an increase in COVID-19 incidence and deaths, thus highlighting the positive effect of face mask policies in preventing respiratory virus transmission and saving lives.

ESG Controversies and Firm Performance in India: The Moderating Impact of Government Effectiveness

The study investigates the impact of environment, social and governance (ESG) controversies on firm performance in India. Utilizing a sample of 1,024 firm-year observations of Indian firms from 2007 to 2018, the study reports that ESG controversies reduce firm performance. Further, after introducing the interaction effect of government effectiveness, the ESG controversies maintain a similar negative influence on performance. Additionally, the interaction effect of government effectiveness and ESG controversies negatively affects performance in response to ESG controversies. The study conducts a sample-split analysis that indicates the moderation effect of government effectiveness is significantly negative only in the post-CSR mandate period. This study is novel in analysing insights on government effectiveness moderation impact on firm performance in response to ESG controversies.

Orchestrating Palestinian youth political socialization during the British Mandate (1917-1948): policies and community responses

ABSTRACT Arab Palestinian youth and children’s political socialization during the British Mandate (1922–1948) has largely been ignored in the literature. Most of the research has focused on the colonial project in Palestine and how different figureheads influenced the discourse. Indeed, this does not mean there isn’t a framework in place to understand youth and children’s political engagement. This study will focus on how social-political elements conceptualized the formation of Arab Palestinian youth’s political socialization. The Mandate period provided distinct social-political actors elements that were articulated within demographic control, semi-education, and economic deprivation. Arab Palestinian children and youth’s political socialization was shaped within the context of these interweaving social-political aspects. These elements altered the Arab Palestinian community’s livelihood and by extension youth and children’s political engagement. Each one of these aspects was centred within the Zionist ideology and administrated by the British Mandates’ colonial policies. This research deconstructs the juxtaposition of each element in relation to children’s political socialization.

Organ preservation and total neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer: Investigating long-course chemoradiation versus short-course radiation therapy.

10 Background: Interest in organ preservation (OP) strategies for rectal cancer (RC) patients persists. The efficacy of long course chemoradiation (LCRT) vs. short course radiation therapy (SCRT) relative to OP is unknown. We compared OP rates between SCRT and LCRT total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) strategies. Methods: During the COVID-19 pandemic we established an institutional SCRT mandate with no exceptions. For comparison, we identified RC patients treated with LCRT immediately before and after the mandate period. After completion of TNT, patients were restaged by clinical exam, endoscopy, and MRI. A watch and wait (WW) approach was recommended for patients with a clinical complete response (cCR), defined by the MSK regression schema. Total mesorectal excision (TME) was recommended for non-cCR patients. OP was defined as alive, TME-free, and with no evidence of disease in the pelvis. We performed survival analysis for: local regrowth rate, OP, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS). Results: We identified 563 consecutive patients with RC treated with TNT, of whom 231 were excluded due to either metastatic disease, synchronous/metachronous malignancies, or non-adenocarcinoma histology (Jan. 2018-Jan. 2021). Patient and tumor characteristics were similar in the LCRT (n = 256) and SCRT (n = 76) cohorts. No significant differences in high-risk features were noted. Most patients had clinical stage III disease (82% in LCRT vs. 83% in SCRT). Induction chemotherapy followed by consolidative radiation was the most common treatment order (78% (LCRT) vs. 70% (SCRT)). The median interval from end of TNT to clinical restaging was 8 weeks (LCRT) and 9 weeks (SCRT). The cCR rate was 46% in both cohorts. The cCR rate was numerically higher in patients treated with radiation first, as compared to chemotherapy first (53% vs. 44% (LCRT) and 52% vs. 43% (SCRT)). Among patients with a cCR, the likelihood of WW management was similar (98% (LCRT) vs. 94% (SCRT)). From start of TNT, the median follow-up was 32 and 28 months respectively for LCRT and SCRT. The 2-year OS (95% vs. 92%), DFS (78% vs 70%), and distant recurrence (20% vs. 21%) rates were similar. Among all patients, the 2-year OP rate was 40% (95% CI 35-47%) for LCRT and 29% (95% CI 20-42%) with SCRT. In those patients managed by WW, the 2-year local regrowth rate was 20% (95% CI 12-27%) with LCRT vs. 36% (95% CI 16-52%) with SCRT. Conclusions: In this nonrandomized comparison, while cCR rates were similar, we observed a numerically higher OP rate with LCRT-TNT than with SCRT-TNT. The ongoing ACO/ARO/AIO-18.1 trial, hypothesizing that LCRT-TNT will increase OP rates relative to SCRT-TNT, should definitively answer this question.

1927: Earthquakes, Unemployment, and the Infrastructure of Mandate Palestine

Although Lord Plumer’s tenure as high commissioner for Palestine (1925–28) is sometimes characterized by mainstream Euro-American histories as a period of comparative peace, the year 1927 saw two major disruptions: the Jericho earthquake in July, which caused serious damage to towns and cities including Jerusalem, Nablus, and Lydda; and unrest among Jewish immigrants who found that the local economy had no jobs to offer them—or at least not ones at the European rates of pay to which they were accustomed. This article explores the ways in which each of these crises intersected with Palestine’s infrastructure—in particular its railways, roads, and housing stock. I argue that the disparate ways in which the British administration approached earthquake victims versus the unemployed, the help it offered (or failed to offer), and the policies it implemented are telling about the nature of British governance in Palestine in the mid-1920s and British administrative priorities and concerns. The Mandate authorities’ responses to the quake—characterized by selective negligence—reveal the colonial administration’s weakness, the contested ways in which colonial structures were shaped and operated in the early Mandate period, and the extent to which maintaining a facade before other colonial powers and the League of Nations outweighed substantive action.

Civil Society Activities in Palestine

The authentic political culture of Palestinians and the prototype of civil society began to arise as far back as the British Mandate period. Since then, it has passed several stages of its formation, and due to the influence of several domestic and foreign policy factors it has, on the one hand, become the main element of general mobilization towards liberation of Palestine and the creation of the Palestinian self-identity. On the other hand, because of its dependence on foreign financial help, it has started to promote international institutions’ values and stopped focusing on domestic crucial issues of Palestine exclusively. Civil society in Palestine is a kind of exceptional subject of the political process, as it exists in absence of a state, in context of the decades-long Arab-Israeli conflict and with a low level of the Palestinian National Authority’s support. This paper addresses directions and social, political and economic problems the Palestinian civil society faces and creates, and special attention was paid to online activism and its features.