Palestinian Population Research Articles

The Uses and Abuses of Collective Memory

The Uses and Abuses of Collective Memory Ilan Pappe Tamir Sorek, Palestinian Commemoration in Israel: Calendars, Monuments, and Martyrs. Stanford: Standford University Press, 2015. 328 pp. Thomas Philip Abowd, Colonial Jerusalem: The Spatial Construction of Identity and Difference in a City of Myth, 1948-2012. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 2014. 288 pp. One of Michel Foucault's enduring scholarly legacies is his formulation of biopolitics as a potent force in our lives. What he had in mind, among other issues, was the pervasive and comprehensive power of states and industries to affect all aspects of life. Power, for Foucault, could insinuate itself into all microphysical social and physical contact and thus disciplined bodies and minds alike. Ever since his death in 1984, we are looking for ways of shaking off his gloomy observation that rings true and yet we wish to resist (Foucault 2003:242–243). Quite surprisingly, Foucault did not relate the concept of biopolitics, or biopower, to racism and colonialism as Robert Young observed already in 1995. For Foucault this was the domain of the modern nation state and its particular mode of domination (although he inspired one of the most important work on colonialism, Edward Said's Orientalism [1979]). However, what happens if the modern state is a settler colonial state? Are we allowed to apply this micro domination to such a case study? I think we can, as the two books under review—without committing them to this paradigm they have not chosen—indicate the usefulness of this possible [End Page 255] departure point for discussing the relationship between the settler colonial state of Israel and the native Palestinian population. The first book, Palestinian Commemoration in Israel: Calendars, Monuments, and Martyrs, by Tamir Sorek examines the commemorative culture of the Palestinian minority in Israel through formative events in their national lives (beginning, of course, with the 1948 catastrophe, the Nakbah). For Sorek, these commemorative spaces empower the minority within the Jewish state, but also indicate its willingness to dialogue with it. His approach is multidisciplinary and he provides us with a very thorough and comprehensive view on this culture in various manifestations since the inception of the Jewish State. In Colonial Jerusalem: The Spatial Construction of Identity and Difference in a City of Myth, 1948-2012, Thomas Philip Abowd roams the streets of Jerusalem with local friends and tries to share with them the harsh reality of colonization. His focus is the urban reality as a scene of colonialist erasure and counter commemoration by the colonized. The book moves in and out of history, covering some of the most known acts of urbicide that Israel committed in Jerusalem as well as less known instances of the colonization as a project of the de-Arabization of the city. He gives much space to the people themselves and conveys not just their thoughts, but their emotions and aspirations as much as he can. There are still today quite a few students of Israel and Palestine who find it hard to append the adjectives colonial, or settler colonial, to the Jewish State. However, recent scholarship is quite adamant that this is the appropriate paradigm for analyzing the past and the present of Israel and Palestine.1 This paradigm was applied by scholars to review the events of 1948; the Judaization policies in the south of Israel; the economic policies of Israel in the occupied West Bank and the industrial relationship during the Mandatory period, to mention but few of the major works in this area of inquiry (Lloyd 2012, Nasara 2012, Hever 2012, Mansour 2012). Major works in the field are those by Patrick Wolfe (2006), Lorezno Veracini (2006), and Gaby Piterberg (2008). The modern settler state of Israel represents a rare combination in our time of a nation-state still practicing settler colonialism (and by this, I do not mean just in the occupied West Bank but rather all over Israel). Zionism was not the only settler colonial movement and Israel was not the only settler colonial state. However, most of the nation-states, which were born out of settler colonial projects, defeated, and nearly annihilated, the [End Page 256] native population. The nation-state of Israel is...

The Determinants of Non-Revenue Water & Financial Viability for the Palestinian Water Service Providers

Imagine that your water service provider gives your family at the end of the year $70 as a result of non-revenue water. Indeed, it is the value of Palestinian non-revenue water for year 2015; where, it was equivalent to a deposit $13 for each individual person. Due to its importance, this paper empirically evaluates the determinants of non-revenue water for the providers that deliver water services to 72% of Palestinian population. Two multiple regressions have been conducted; the first one measuring the non-revenue water. The findings of this measurement show that staff productivity, daily consumption, average price, energy cost, service providers’ size and structure, have significant impact on the non-revenue water; wherein, the water production variable impact is not significant. However, those predictors have been included into another regression to explain the financial viability of the Palestinian Water Service Providers. The results indicate that staff productivity, daily consumption, average price, energy cost, and water production have significant effect on the financial viability. Only service providers’ size and structure, have insignificant effect. In Palestine, the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) is the policy maker. The results of this research implicate that PWA may put targets for Palestinian Service Providers at national level; such as non-revenue water, staff productivity, profitability, and water production. Therefore, this will lead to increase the performance of the water providers in non-revenue water and overall enhance their financial viability.

Evidence for Hepatitis A virus endemic circulation in Israel despite universal toddlers' vaccination since 1999 and low clinical incidence in all age groups.

Universal toddlers vaccination (UTV) introduced in 1999, reduced hepatitis A incidence in Israel from 50.4 to <1.0/100,000. The current Hepatitis A virus (HAV) molecular epidemiology in Israel was studied 13-14y post UTV introduction.. An outbreak in Tel-Aviv with 75 cases in 2012-2013 was investigated. Real-time RT-PCR and sequencing of the VP1-2A region (1100bp) was done on: a. serum samples from patients with acute Hepatitis A (12/ 75 in Tel-Aviv and 31 patients hospitalized in 3 other major cities in 2011-2013); b. in sewage samples (27 from metropolitan Tel-Aviv, 14 from the other 3 cities and 6 from Gaza). The outbreak began among intravenous drug users then spread to the general population. Patients' mean age was 33.2y, 4/75(5.3%) had been vaccinated and 58/75(77.3%) were hospitalized. No common environmental source was found. HAV was detected in sewage samples: 16/27(59.2%) from Tel-Aviv; 4/14(28.6%) collected throughout Israel and 6/6 (100%) from Gaza. Genotype IB predominated (52/53 sequenced samples) and identical strains were demonstrated in the Israeli and Palestinian populations by phylogenetic analysis. Despite the UTV success, HAV circulation in the Israeli population continues, apparently due to its close contacts with the endemic Palestinian population. Reassessment of vaccination policy is recommended.

Postpartum depression in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: a longitudinal study in Bethlehem.

BackgroundPostpartum depression (PPD) affects women from different cultures around the world. No previous studies have investigated PPD among women in Palestine. Fertility rates in Palestine are among the highest in the world, hence even low rates of PPD could have considerable national impact. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of, and risk factors for, PPD among Palestinian mothers.Methods101 mothers were recruited during the registration of their child’s birth (within 1 week) at the Bethlehem branch of the Ministry of Interior. Participants were assessed via a face to face interview, and were followed up 1 week, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months later by telephone interview. Interviews included the Arabic Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), with PPD indicated by depressive symptoms (EPDS score ≥11) at ≥2 follow-up time points. Pearson’s correlation was calculated between repeated EPDS scores, and multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate risk factors for PPD.ResultsThe prevalence of depressive symptoms was fairly constant (14–19%) over the follow-up period. Most depressive symptoms developed within 1 month of delivery; mothers with depressive symptoms at 3 months postpartum were highly likely to still have symptoms at 6 months. 27.7% (28/101) of women met our criteria for PPD. High parity (odds ratio (OR) 4.52 (95% CI 0.90, 22.8) parity 3+ versus primiparous), unplanned pregnancy (OR 2.44 (0.99, 6.01)) and sex of child not being the one desired (OR 5.07 (1.12, 22.9)) were associated with PPD, but these associations were attenuated in multivariable analysis.ConclusionsThe prevalence of PPD in Palestine appears to be higher than in high income countries, but similar to the prevalence in other Middle Eastern countries. High parity and unplanned pregnancy were identified as risk factors for PPD, suggesting that fully meeting the need for family planning could reduce the incidence of PPD in the Palestinian population.

The investigation of the origin of Southern Tunisians using HLA genes.

The south of Tunisia is characterized by marked ethnic diversity, highlighted by the coexistence of native Berbers with Blacks, Jews and Arab-speaking populations. Despite this heterogeneity, genetic anthropology studies investigating the origin of current Southern Tunisians were rarely reported. We examined human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I (A, B) and class II (DRB1, DQB1) gene profiles of 250 unrelated Southern Tunisians, and compared them with those of Arab-speaking communities, along with Mediterranean and sub-Sahara African populations using genetic distances, neighbor-joining dendrograms, correspondence and haplotype analysis. In total, 137 HLA alleles were detected, which comprised 32 HLA-A, 52 HLA-B, 32 DRB1 and 21 DQB1 alleles. The most frequent alleles were HLA-A*02:01(18.02%), HLA-B*50:01 (9.11%), HLA-DRB1*07:01 (22.06%) and HLA-DQB1*02:01 (17.21%). All pairs of HLA loci show significant linkage disequilibrium. The four loci depict negative Fnd (the normalized deviate of the homozygosity) values indicating an overall trend to balancing selection. Southern Tunisians appear to be closely related to others Tunisian populations including Berbers, North Africans and Iberians. On the contrary, Southern Tunisians were distinct from Palestinian, Lebanese and Jordanian Middle Eastern Arab-speaking population, despite the deep Arab incursions and Arabization that affected Southern Tunisia. In addition, Southern Tunisians were distant from many sub-Saharan communities, evidenced by genetic distance analysis. Collectively, this indicates a limited genetic contribution of Arab invasion and Black caravans on the makeup of Southern Tunisian gene pool.

Position of the Mental Foramen in a Northern Regional Palestinian Population

ntroduction Mental Foramen is a small foramen situated in anterolateral aspect of the body of the mandible. Normally, Mental Foramen is located below the interval between the premolars [1]. It transmits mental nerve, artery and vein. Mental nerve is a branch of inferior alveolar nerve which supplies sensation to lower lip and the labial mucosa and lower canines and premolars. The most useful injection for anaesthetizing the mandibular teeth is the inferior alveolar nerve block [2]. To anaesthetize the anterior teeth, including the premolars and canines, it is possible to avoid giving inferior alveolar nerve block by injecting anesthetic solution adjacent to the Mental Foramen.

In vitro and in vivo postmarketing surveillance of valsartan, alone or in combination with amlodipine or hydrochlorothiazide, among Palestinian hypertensive patients.

ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to evaluate the general quality of the most prescribed products of valsartan (VL; alone or in combination) and to evaluate their efficacy and safety among Palestinian population through in vivo postmarketing surveillance.Patients and methodsThe first part was pharmacopeial quality control assay, including dissolution, disintegration, friability, and weight uniformity for VL. The second part was a 3-month cardiology clinics, observational, postmarketing surveillance pilot study that included 103 hypertensive patients who were prescribed 80 mg or 160 mg of VL as monotherapy or combination therapy. The end points were reduction in blood pressure (BP) and the rate of incidence of adverse effects (AEs) at weeks 4 and 8.ResultsAccording to our quality control tests, all VL products showed high-quality standards according to the international guidelines. A reduction in BP was observed at weeks 4 and 8, and no significant difference was observed between the strengths of 80 mg and 160 mg. Higher BP reduction was observed after the use of combination therapy. Moreover, VL was well tolerated; most of the AEs were of mild-to-moderate intensity. In general, the most frequently reported AEs included headache (17.5%), dizziness (11.75%), and weakness (11.7%). No serious AEs or death cases were reported during the study period.ConclusionHigh quality of VL tablet products was used; hence, the observed efficacy and safety results should be related to patient’s factors and not due to any product defects or substandard quality. Moreover, VL is an effective treatment for essential hypertension.

Development as Struggle: Confronting the Reality of Power in Palestine

The occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) are a major recipient of global aid flows, ostensibly aimed at improving development outcomes for the Palestinian population. This article presents a critical analysis of the ways that development is being conceived and practiced by major actors in the oPt. By analyzing different conceptions of power, the article examines how dominant approaches to development hide the ongoing reality of Israeli settler colonialism by dehistoricizing Zionism and its project; incorporating the structures of Israeli occupation into official Palestinian development strategy; and promoting an economic perspective that views development as an objective and disinterested process operating above (and outside) power relations. After considering some of the ramifications of current approaches to development, the article concludes with brief remarks on how this critique can help to reframe and articulate an alternative strategy.

Prevalence and perception of smoking habits among the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip.

BackgroundThe Gaza Strip is a densely populated place with ~2 million inhabitants in an area of 365 km2. The aim of this study was to determine the smoking prevalence in the Gaza Strip and to identify the perception of the Palestinian population on smoking.MethodA cross-sectional study was conducted in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian territories, during the period from June to September 2014. Convenient sampling method was adopted. A structured pretested questionnaire was used.ResultsA total of 600 adults aged 15 years or older completed the questionnaires with a response rate of 83.3%. The prevalence rate of smoking was 26.3%, with a significantly higher rate among males (31%) than females (6.9%) (P<0.001). The mean starting age was 17.4±3.9 years. The study revealed that influence of friends is the major reason for initiation of smoking and the most influential factor in convincing smokers to quit was the family. Smokers’ knowledge about smoking risks motivates them to try stop smoking (64.9%) or desire to stop smoking (65.2%).ConclusionThe study revealed that tobacco use is significantly prevalent in the Gaza Strip. The author recommends rapid antismoking campaigns with stress on the family role and massive intervention programs to encourage young people to change their behavior toward smoking.

The wall has feet but so do we: Palestinian workers in Israel and the ‘separation’ wall

While the Israeli-constructed wall in the occupied West Bank seemingly signifies a shift to a policy of separation, every year thousands of West Bank Palestinians legally and illegally cross its bounds into Israel for work. In this article, I explore the varying regimes of (il)legality and (im)mobility that have accompanied the construction of the Israel–West Bank separation wall, which decisively impact the lives of Palestinians who work in Israel. The peculiar separation legislated by the wall, which is often treated as a de facto ‘border’, obscures the ways in which it facilitates continued Israeli territorial expansion and deepens the subjugation of the Palestinian population. As a border, the separation wall functions more as a colonial frontier, the asymmetry of which has powerful implications for the border crossings of documented and undocumented workers, as well as their respective experiences of illegality inside the West Bank and in Israel. It is in the context of West Banker Palestinians who work in Israel, I argue, that the doctrine of separation embodied in the wall is exposed as not only deceptive, but also obfuscating of the relation of asymmetrical dependence between the two entities.

International Human Rights and Israel as Seen in the Work of the Treaty Bodies: Do They Walk the Talk?

The purpose of this article is to review the manner in which the human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) treat Israel, focusing on the system of periodic reporting, with the aim of examining whether Israel is being accorded ‘special treatment’ or, put more simply, whether a bias against Israel can be ascertained in the work of the HRTBs. In analysing the concluding observations (COBs) issued in respect of six of Israel's recent periodic reports, we identified four distinct population groups within Israeli society, and studied the number and nature of the COBs targeting each of these groups. This we termed the ‘output’. We then looked into the amount of the alternative information provided to the Committees by civil society organisations, which we termed the ‘input’. An examination of the two reveals a clear correlation between the relatively greater weight accorded to the Palestinian population in the occupied territories in the input side of the exercise (the alternative reports) and the output side (the COBs). Thus, what might initially be perceived as proved bias in the treatment of Israel by the HRTBs in light of the seemingly disproportional weight they accord to the conflict, turns out to be at least partially influenced by the information and materials provided to the Committees.

Divided we rise: politics, architecture and vertical cityscapes at opposite ends of Jerusalem

This paper explores how planning, politics and architecture work together to socially produce new vertical cityscapes. Our contention is that the inception and development of high‐rises are interlocked into the narrations of cities, reflecting cultural values and social cleavages, political interests and planning agendas, symbolic connotations and everyday life experiences. By using a mixed‐method approach, which includes the analysis of official documents and interviews with decisionmakers, planners and observers, we examine two trajectories of tall‐building development at opposite ends of Jerusalem. In Israeli West Jerusalem, the development of high‐rises is part of a neo‐liberal growth package that seeks to stimulate economic activity, rebrand the city and increase the city's competiveness at national and global scales while evading highly contentious religious‐cultural cleavages. At the other end of the city, the construction of tall buildings in grey spaces symbolically represents a Palestinian revolt against Israeli restrictive planning and development policies, but also addresses day‐to‐day needs and changing preferences of the Palestinian population. Our analysis uses verticality as a representation of social relations demonstrating manipulations of power and legitimacy. In Jerusalem, planning and development of ordinary high‐rises next to recently completed icons, the Bridge of Strings and the Separation Wall, epitomises a dialogue that unmistakably promotes political agendas and produces symbolic meanings. This dialogue can either support the original values and aims of urban icons or challenge them.

Genesis 12 and the Abraham‐Paradigm Concerning the Promised Land

Genesis 12 and the Abraham‐Paradigm Concerning the Promised Land

&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;ACE Insertion/Deletion (I/D)&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; Polymorphism in Hypertensive Patients of Palestinian Population

Hypertension is a risk factor for coronary heart disease, stroke, and renal failure; resulting from interaction of several genes with each other and with environmental factors. The renin-angiotensin system(RAS) plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is an enzyme of the RAS. ACE ID gene polymorphism has been associated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. The objective of this work was to determine the frequencies of the ACE gene alleles D and I and any associations to hypertension risk factors in Palestinian population. Genomic DNA was isolated from 293 subjects who have participated in a case–control study. ACE gene ID polymorphism was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction in 193 hypertension cases and 100 healthy controls. The frequency of ACE genotype were: DD 62.2%, II 6.7% and ID 31.1%,while as in control group the DD frequency is 54.0%, II 4. 0% and ID 42.0%. The frequencies of the ACE D and I alleles of the study population were 0.78 and 0.22for case group, 0.75 and 0.25 for control group respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups with respect to genotype distribution. Furthermore, we did not find any significant difference in the frequency of ACE ID polymorphism in hypertension subjects when stratified by gender (p = 0.61).The results showed that there was no significant association between the ACE ID gene polymorphism and hypertension in Gaza strip.

Prevalence of Keratoconus Among a Palestinian Tertiary Student Population.

Purpose:To screen for keratoconus and potential associated risk factors in a tertiary student population sample.Population and Methods:This cross sectional study included 1234 students attending An-Najah National University (Nablus, West Bank, Palestine), that were randomly selected from a total of 20,000 university students. 634 (51.3%) student participants responded by completing a self-administered questionnaire and were assessed by means of corneal topography. Following initial evaluation, participants were referred for Pentacam evaluation if they demonstrated either a mean keratometry of more than 45 diopters, corneal astigmatism of more than 2 diopters and/or if asymmetric topographic patterns were present. Pentacam images were analyzed by an experienced ophthalmologist based on a number of indices and the participants were classified as normal, keratoconus suspects, and keratoconus patients.Results:A total of 620 participants (mean age, 20.1±1.6 years) were included in this study, 379 (61.1%) were females and 241 (38.9%) were males. Nine subjects were diagnosed with keratoconus, demonstrating a prevalence of 1.5%. 52 (8.4%) participants showed at least one abnormal pentacam index, and were considered as KC suspects.Conclusion:Keratoconus is a prevalent disease among the tertiary Palestinian student population. This may be related to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. The results of this study signal the need for public health outreach and intervention for keratoconus.

Urinary organophosphate metabolite levels in Palestinian pregnant women: results of the Middle East Regional Cooperation Project

The purpose of the study was to measure urinary organophosphate (OP) metabolites in Palestinian pregnant women, and to compare levels with those in pregnant women in Jerusalem and women from the general population in Israel. We measured six dialkyl phosphates in urine samples collected from 148 pregnant women from the West Bank area. Median total dimethyl phosphate (DMtotal) levels were significantly lower in Palestinian women compared to Jerusalem pregnant women and women in Israel (p = 0.041). In Palestinian women reporting that their place of residence was near an agricultural field, DMtotal levels were significantly higher (p = 0.037). Lower urinary excretion of dimethyl phosphate pesticide metabolites in Palestinian women compared to Israeli women may result from lower consumption of fruits and vegetables in the Palestinian population. Our findings highlight differences in OP pesticide exposure in populations with close geographical proximity but with differences in culture, diet, lifestyle, and regulatory oversight of pesticides.

The 2014 War on Gaza: engineering trauma and mass torture to break Palestinian resilience

AbstractThis paper discusses the psychological sequelae of the recent Israeli war on Gaza, codenamed Operation Protective Edge, and its detrimental impact on the mental health of its Palestinian population. The author contends that deliberate measures by the Israeli military to induce feelings of helplessness, uncontrollability, horror, persistent life‐threatening fear, and sleep deprivation against an entire besieged population for 50‐days, constitutes mass torture. This policy of engineering mass trauma and torture through war to achieve political subjugation is framed as a paradigm shift in the Israeli colonial occupation of Palestine. Ramifications of this policy are discussed with regard to its potentially caustic effects on Palestinian resilience, and the serious mental health risks it poses, including complex traumatic reactions, identity distortions, severe psychopathology, and multigenerational transmission of trauma. Recommendations emphasize the need to fortify Palestinian resilience to protect individuals and communities from political violence and further mass trauma. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Repenting for What Israel Did to Gaza—Without Condoning the Wrongs Committed by Hamas

Repenting for What Israel Did to Gaza—Without Condoning the Wrongs Committed by Hamas

The Impact of Parental Detention on the Psychological Wellbeing of Palestinian Children.

BackgroundSince 1967, the Palestinian Occupied Territories are marked by a political conflict between Palestinians and Israel. During this conflict, about one fifth of the Palestinian population has been detained; about one quarter of these are parents. Although we know that father’s incarceration might impact their children’s psychological wellbeing, little is known about the impact of father’s imprisonment on young children (under 11 years old), and when the incarceration is framed in contexts of political conflict. Therefore, this study aimed at gaining insight into the impact of parental detention on young children’s psychological wellbeing, and the impact of witnessing the detention process itself.MethodsBased on the list of imprisoned Palestinian men with children living in the West Bank, a group of 79 (3- to 10-years old) children was randomly composed. Above, through schools and health centers, a comparison sample of 99 children who didn’t experience imprisonment of a family member was selected. Mothers of these children completed two cross-culturally validated questionnaires on their children’s psychological wellbeing, the UCLA-PTSD-Index and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).ResultsResults showed higher levels of PTSD and general mental health problems associated with father’s capturing. Above, when the children watched the arrest process of their fathers, scores still increased further. Younger children tended to show higher SDQ scores, and children living in villages reported higher posttraumatic stress scores compared to children living in urban areas or refugee camps. Little gender differences were found.ConclusionThis study shows the important impact of parental detention on the psychological wellbeing for young children and urges for more psychological care and support for family members – in particular children – of detainees.

The association between parental imprisonment and the mental health of Palestinian adolescents.

Since 1967, the Palestinian Occupied Territories are marked by a protracted political conflict. During this conflict, about one fifth of the Palestinian population has been detained; a considerable part of them having children outside prison. Although parental detention negatively impacts children's psychological well-being, little is known about this impact within contexts of protracted armed conflict. Therefore, this study aimed at gaining insight into the impact of parental detention onto adolescents' psychological well-being. Of 314 (11- to 18-year old) Palestinian adolescents who took part, the fathers of 204 adolescents were detained in Israeli prisons. The adolescents completed two self-report questionnaires: the UCLA-PTSD-Reaction Index, investigating symptoms of posttraumatic stress, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, looking at overall psychological problems. Several hierarchical regression analyses investigated mental health differences between both the groups, and possible associations between sociodemographic characteristics and the witnessing of the father's arrest, and the mental health outcomes. Parental detention largely impacted adolescents' mental health, with one fifth to two thirds of the adolescents reporting considerable mental health problems. Witnessing the arrest of the father even increased this risk considerably. Above, girls, younger adolescents, participants living in refugee camps, and those living with extended families also reported higher scores on both questionnaires. Detention of fathers in the context of protracted armed conflicts has a large impact on adolescents' mental health. Besides an overall plea to end armed conflicts as fast as possible, the study also delineates considerable implications for the support and care for these adolescents and their families.