Palestinian Region Research Articles

The reference value of serum vitamin B12 among An-Najah National University.

Serum vitamin B12 plays a crucial role in cellular growth, DNA synthesis, and maintaining a healthy nervous system. Its deficiency can lead to various health issues, including cardiovascular problems. The reference range for vitamin B12 varies between populations due to cultural, genetic, and dietary differences. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 127 healthy An-Najah National University students aged between 18 and 25. Blood samples were collected, and a questionnaire assessed factors affecting vitamin B12 levels. Serum vitamin B12 levels were measured using ACCUBIND ELIZA microwells. The study found a reference range for serum vitamin B12 of 136-640 pg/mL (5th to 95th percentile) among the studied population, which differed from the manufacturer's claimed range of 200-835 pg/mL. Gender did not significantly affect the reference intervals. The study highlights the importance of establishing local reference values for laboratory tests like vitamin B12 due to variations in demographics. Further research in different Palestinian regions and age groups with larger sample sizes is recommended to refine these reference values.

Exploring Factors and Disparities: Female Labor Force Participation in the Palestinian Regions: East Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza Strip

This paper investigates Female Labor Force Participation (FLFP) across the Palestinian regions of East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. Utilizing data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics spanning from 1999 to 2018, we employ logistic regression models and age-period-cohort analyses to examine the determinants and trends shaping FLFP. Despite a notable increase in FLFP rates in Gaza since 2008, East Jerusalem witnesses a declining trend, widening the gap between East Jerusalem and the West Bank/Gaza strip. Our investigation aims to elucidate these regional differences, considering both supply-side and demand-side factors. Supply-side factors encompass social and gender norms, as well as social structure, while demand-side factors include structural changes in the economy over time, the availability of public sector employment, predominant economic activities engaging women (services and agriculture), and the repercussions of economic shocks on FLFP (added worker effect), among other factors.

Coalitions across divides: The interactional maintenance paradigm

AbstractOver the years, scholars have investigated how alliances begin and end, paying particular attention to factors that facilitate the emergence of movement and campaign coalitions. However, the issue of maintaining co‐resistance among distinct activist groups that lasts over time is still understudied. This contribution aims to fill this gap. Through an in‐depth empirical study of the long‐lasting cooperation of Israeli‐Palestinian activist organizations in the Palestinian region of the South Hebron Hills, this article singles out various factors that allowed this alliance to survive intense repression and change in political opportunities. Methodologically, a Protest Event Analysis was carried out after 2 months of preliminary fieldwork in Palestine (2019). It was followed by another 3 months of fieldwork in spring 2022 spent living with the community of Susiya and joining their everyday life and activism. Twenty‐three interviews with activists from both communities were conducted.

Variation in Negation Patterns of Verbless Clauses in Ammani Arabic

This study aims to examine the extent to which the alternation between the common negation patterns of verbless clauses in Ammani Arabic, namely [mu] and [miʃ], is socially constrained. Gender, age, level of education and region (West Amman vs. East Amman) were investigated in this regard. Twenty-five hours of audio-recorded sociolinguistic interviews with 32 speakers who were born and raised in Amman were conducted. After using computer software GOLDVARB X (Sankoff et al. 2005), we propose that the alternation between [mu] and [miʃ] is socially conditioned. The most significant social factor is gender. The variant [mu] is found to be a solid sign of femininity. The second most significant social factor is age, whose effect is correlated with the assumption that young speakers, unlike old speakers, prefer less-complex forms. Education and region were also found, yet to a lesser extent, significant. West Amman speakers prefer [miʃ] in contrast to East Amman people who prefer [mu]. Although this finding is arguably unpredicted as [mu] is the variant which is socially viewed as more prestigious (therefore it would be more preferred by wealthier West Amman dwellers), it is nonetheless consistent with the demographic situation of Amman. East Amman is mostly inhabited by Jordanians who descended from Palestinian regions of which the common negation pattern of verbless sentences manifests [mu] rather than [miʃ]. Keywords: Language Variation and Change, Verbless-Sentences Negation, Age, Gender, Education, Region, Ammani Arabic. Keywords: Language Variation and Change, Verbless-Sentences Negation, Age, Gender, Education, Region, Ammani Arabic.

Public knowledge, attitude, and acceptance toward COVID-19 vaccines in Palestine: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical and mental health in addition to the global economy are huge. Vaccination is a pivotal measure to decrease COVID-19 morbidity and mortality and to help bring the pandemic under control. Yet, success of the vaccination process depends on the population’s willingness to be vaccinated which may be determined by their level of knowledge about and trust in currently available COVID-19 vaccines. Therefore, this study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and acceptance of Palestinians towards COVID-19 vaccines.MethodsA national cross-sectional study was distributed in different Palestinian regions to assess the knowledge and attitude of Palestinians toward COVID-19 vaccines using an online questionnaire, it included three sections; sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge assessment questions, and attitude assessment questions.ResultsA total of 6226 participants completed the questionnaire; among them, 41.36% believed that vaccines are safe, 69.02% agreed that vaccines are vital to protect from COVID-19; in addition, 55.1% approve administering the vaccine once available, and 37.86% do not believe their benefits outweigh the risks. The Source of information for 22.07% of participants in social media, while 11.92% rely on health care providers. Participants’ attitudes and knowledge were significantly affected by gender, governorate, age, education level, and marital status (P <0.001).ConclusionThe findings suggest that there is good knowledge and attitude toward the vaccination process against COVID-19 in Palestine, although low acceptance was detected. Awareness campaigns are required to spread reliable knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines.

Assessing Artemisia arborescens essential oil compositions, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects gathered from two geographic locations in Palestine

Artemisia arborescens essential oil (EO), collected from two Palestinian regions, Bethlehem and Jenin, were extracted by hydro-distillation and examined for their chemical compositions, cytotoxic, antimicrobial, cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme inhibitory effects, and their influence on neuronal (AMPA) receptors. The EO sample from Bethlehem A. arborescens had just 13 molecules, which accounted 100% of the total EO. Meanwhile, 18 molecules that accounted for 100% of the total EO were determined in the Jenin A. arborescens sample. β-thujone (89.64%), camphor (5.34%), and β-pinene (2.01%) were the major molecules in the Bethlehem EO sample, while β-thujone (79.16%), camphor (6.58%), and sabinene (3.44%) were the dominating components in the Jenin EO sample. Moreover, both EOs have antimicrobial effects against all of the examined microorganisms. The EO from Jenin has slightly higher cytotoxic potential against cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cancer cells than the EO from Bethlehem, which has IC50 of 0.326 and 0.467 mg/mL, respectively. The COX inhibitory IC50 calculations showed that A. arborescens EO from Jenin has high potency against COX-1 (1.8 µg/mL). At the same time, the EO from Bethlehem was slightly more potent against COX-2 (IC50 =81.7 µg/mL). Both EOs show significant impacts on the different AMPAR types, yet Jenin EO shows more significant inhibition on amplitude, desensitization, and deactivation mechanisms generated by the receptors. Both EOs may be effective in reducing overexcitation of AMPARs and reducing the effects of ischemia. These results support the possible therapeutic application of A. arborescens EO from both regions to prevent and treat certain pathogenic infections, cancers, inflammations, and neurodegenerative diseases.

MULTILATERAL CONFLICTS OF PALESTINE - HISTORY, PRESENT AND TRENDS

Palestine, a historical land inhabited by both Jews and Arabs, has been the source of disagreement for the two ethnic communities since their establishment in this territory. Over time, as a consequence of this antagonism, the Middle East region has hosted a multilateral conflict generated by a number of factors (historical, ethnic, national and religious), which is currently manifested in three subsequent disputes: Arab-Israeli, Israeli-Palestinian and religious. The social dispute was initially generated by the inter-communal misunderstandings between Arabs and Jews, in the territory of the British mandate of Palestine and degenerated into a series of wars between Israel and the Arab states that led to an open armed conflict between Israel and Gaza. Also, the religious dispute, which permanently accompanied the other two, is related to the equally claiming by Jews and Muslims of both the entire territory of this historical land, as well as Jerusalem. The paper is intended to be a clarification of what the historic Palestinian region represents and how it has transformed under the impact of the conflict generated against the background of the desire for statehood expressed by Jews and Arabs in the same space. In the following, some aspects will be shown presenting the historical sources of territoriality, statehood and conflict in the region, and current forms of Palestinian multilateral conflict, as well as the predominant side of the conflict in the contemporary period, focusing on developments in the first half of 2021, but also some trends that are expected in the evolution of the Palestinian issue.

Spectral characterization, antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and cyclooxygenase inhibitory activities of Aloysia citriodora essential oils collected from two Palestinian regions

BackgroundAloysia citriodora Palau (AC) is commonly known as Lemon Verbena and has been utilized as a medicinal tea in folkloric medicine for the treatment of abdominal spasm, anxiety, and fever. The present investigation aimed to identify the chemical ingredients of AC essential oil (EO) collected from two different locations in Palestine and to assess their antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitory effects.MethodsGas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) technique was used to identify the chemical components of the hydro-distilled EO from both regions, while DPPH, MTS, and COX assays were utilized to estimate the antioxidant, cytotoxic, and COX inhibitory activities of the EOs, respectively. Moreover, a broth microdilution assay was used to assess antimicrobial potentials against seven microbial strains.ResultsThe GC/MS technique revealed the presence of 17 compounds from the AC collected from the Umm al-Fahm region and 13 compounds from the sample from the Baqa al-Gharbiyye region, while α-citral was the major component of both EOs, representing 47.62 and 43.46%, respectively. The Baqa al-Gharbiyye AC EO exerted more potent antioxidant activity than the Umm al-Fahm EO, with IC50 values of 11.74 ± 0.18 and 35.48 ± 0.14 μg/mL, respectively, while the positive control Trolox had antioxidant IC50 values of 2.45 ± 0.01 μg/mL. Interestingly, both EOs inhibited more potential activity against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Proteus vulgaris than Ciprofloxacin and Ampicillin antibiotics and also showed more potent antifungal activity against Candida albicans than Fluconazole. Moreover, the Baqa al-Gharbiyye AC EO had a more potent cytotoxic effect than the Umm al-Fahm EO, with IC50 values of 84.5 ± 0.24 and 33.31 ± 0.01 μg/mL, respectively, compared with Doxorubicin, which had an IC50 dose of 22.01 ± 1.4 μg/mL. The EOs from Baqa al-Gharbiyye showed potent activity against both COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes, with IC50 of 52.93 ± 0.13 and 89.31 ± 0.21 μg/mL, respectively, while the EOs from the Umm al-Fahm region showed weaker activity against these enzymes, with IC50 of 349.99 ± 0.33 and 1326.37 ± 1.13 μg/mL, respectively.ConclusionBoth characterized EOs have a huge variety of chemical components. The Baqa al-Gharbiyye AC EO has more potent antioxidant and cytotoxic activities than the Umm al-Fahm EO, but both have potential antimicrobial activity against MRSA, P. vulgaris, and C. albicans. These results suggest the use of AC EOs as promising sources of active ingredients in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.

Specification of blood meals ingested by female sand flies caught in Palestinian foci and identification of their concomitant leishmanial infections.

Since leishmaniases are zoonotic vector-borne diseases transmitted through the bites of infected female sand flies, identification of the sources of imbibed blood meals and the detection and identification of leishmanial DNA in them are important in discerning animal reservoirs, clarifying the epidemiology and facilitating control of local leishmaniases. CDC light traps, aspirators and sticky paper traps were used to collect sand flies in four Palestinian foci of both, CL and VL. Phlebotomine species identification was based on morphological keys. Female specimens were screened to detect and identify leishmanial infections, using kDNA-PCR and ITS1-PCR, and engorged female specimens were analyzed to identify the origin of their blood meals, using an RDB blood meal assay based on the amplification of the cytochrome b gene (cytb) of vertebrate mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Twenty sand fly species, 11 of the genus Phlebotomus and nine the genus Sergentomyia, were identified. The most abundant species was Ph. papatasi (33.7%), followed by Ph. sergenti (21%). Among the 691 female sand fly specimens, 18.5% (128/691) were positive for leishmanial DNA, using the kDNA-PCR and 6.4% (44/691) were positive using the ITS1-PCR. DNA from parasites of the genus Leishmania was identified in only 1.5% of the infected sand flies. That of Leishmania tropica parasites was detected in six female specimens of Ph. sergenti and that of L. major parasites in two female specimens of Ph. papatasi. Interestingly, two engorged females of the species Se. (Neophlebotomus) sp. were positive for L. tropica DNA. Ninety engorged female sand flies of Ph. papatasi and 104 of Ph. sergenti had fed on a large variety of vertebrate hosts such as humans, hyraxes, rats, cows, goats and birds. Regarding blood-meals showing a mixture from different species of animal host, hyrax and rat blood was revealed in 8/104 (7.7%) females of Ph. sergenti. Detection of hyrax blood in engorged female sand flies of the species Ph. sergenti supports the role of hyraxes being a potential reservoir of L. tropica in Palestinian regions. Rat blood meals might be significant since a few strains L. tropica and L. infantum were isolated from rats. Further studies must be undertaken before conclusions could be drawn.

ROMA İMPARATORLUĞU NDA HIRİSTİYANLARA YÖNELTİLEN AHLÂKSIZLIK (ENSEST) VE YAMYAMLIK İDDİALARI VE KİLİSE BABALARININ BUNLARA KARŞI CEVAPLARI

Christianity emerged as a Jewish revival movement in the Palestinian region within the borders of the Roman Empire at the beginning of the first century AD. However, this religion was reacted by both Jews and Roman citizens. In this context, some allegations were made against the Christians, such as incest, child murder or cannibalism, and Christians were sometimes subjected to persecution. The formation of these claims was primarily influenced by the fact that Christians did not have a certain place of worship during the first centuries, that they were gathered in homes, and especially that these meetings were held at night. Contrary to Roman practices, the secret nature of these meetings led Christians to be seen as suspicious and spread rumors about them. Yet another reason is that the main proponents of paganism cannot accept and understand Christianity. In addition, the different interpretation of the sacred texts of Christianity and the attitudes and behaviors of Christians in their religious practices such as Eucharist were effective in the formation of the claims. However, all these claims were tried to be refuted by the fathers of the church with historical and logical evidence. In this study, the Eucharist worship, the historical background of the allegations, the accusations of Christians by the pagans and the answers of some church fathers to these claims will be mentioned

The Review of Conflict between the Arabs and the Israelis

The Arab-Israeli clash originated from the conflict of the devotion of the two sides to a similar land which is the Palestinian regions settled by both the Arabs and the Jews. This section will attempt to review the advancement of the conflict on the domain by explaining the impacts of Jewish movement, the improvement of Zionist thought, the command period, political groups among the two sides and the wars between the gatherings. Along these lines, the start of the contention and the improvement of the contention will be worried to comprehend the clashing places of the two sides. These positions targets helping the peruse see all the more unmistakably the stop in the harmony procedure.

The amphorae of the Ma‘agan Mikhael B shipwreck: preliminary report

Ongoing excavations of the Maʻagan Mikhael B shipwreck have revealed the largest maritime cargo assemblage of Byzantine and Early Islamic ceramics discovered along the Israeli coast to date. Dated between the mid-7th and the mid-8th century CE, the nearly 20-metre-long shipwreck has yielded a cargo of various types of amphorae, including the Late Roman amphora (LRA) types LR 1, LR 2/globular amphorae, LR 4, and LR 5, several bearing inscriptions or dipinti. Some of the jars had stoppers of leather, stone and ceramic, and contained remains of various preserved foodstuffs. The significance of the cargo amphorae is relevant to the discussion of maritime trade networks during the late 7th and early 8th centuries in the Palestinian region, specifically, the information on inter-regional contacts and exchange during the transitional period between the Byzantine and Islamic eras.

Social enterprises in Palestine: a critical analysis

PurposeThis paper aims to critically examine the concept of social enterprises in Palestine. It uses the lens of institutional theory to understand how the political and economic context of the society can influence certain types of entrepreneurial behaviors and be responsible for the emergence of social enterprises. The paper uses a critical perspective to deconstruct social enterprises in Palestine to shed light on reasons for their emergence, motives and agendas.Design/methodology/approachA case study design was used to examine the phenomenon of social enterprises. The case study method is valuable in describing the how and why issues of a phenomenon in the present time frame. Two leading social enterprises operating within the Palestinian region were identified. The two enterprises were contacted for a series of interviews (over a period of few months) with their owners and other active members.FindingsThe empirical findings suggest that social enterprise model is still in its embryonic stages in Palestine. Their social mission of community development and sustainability is not completely sincere. The social entrepreneurs were willing to compromise social mission for economic surplus. The national structure, political framework, legal environment, social, cultural and the economic conditions of Palestine have served as suitable launching pads for social enterprises with not so authentic mission of serving the society. It has encouraged entrepreneurial philosophy and behavior, which has masked hidden economic and political agendas with exterior goals of social welfare and community development.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper adopts a critical perspective and a qualitative methodology, and this raises the concern if the arguments pertaining to social enterprise raised in this paper can sustain in a developed nation with a stabilized political scenario or whether this alternative ideology is only relevant to underdeveloped countries with unstable, political conditions, such as Palestine.Practical implicationsThis paper provides relevant information for students, critical academics and policymakers.Social implicationsThe paper argues for a more concise definition for the model of social enterprises. It argues for clear legal guidelines which could monitor the formation of social enterprises in Palestine.Originality/valueThis paper provides an alternative perspective on social enterprises within a constrained and political unstable economy of Palestine.

Endocrine disrupting compounds in streams in Israel and the Palestinian West Bank: Implications for transboundary basin management

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) frequently enter surface waters via discharges from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), as well as from industrial and agricultural activities, creating environmental and health concerns. In this study, selected EDCs were measured in water and sediments along two transboundary streams flowing from the Palestinian Authority (PA) into Israel (the Zomar-Alexander and Hebron-Beer Sheva Streams). We assessed how the complicated conflict situation between Israel and the PA and the absence of a coordinated strategy and joint stream management commission influence effective EDC control. Both streams receive raw Palestinian wastewater in their headwaters, which flows through rural areas and is treated via sediment settling facilities after crossing the 1949 Armistice Agreement Line. Four sampling campaigns were conducted over two years, with concentrations of selected EDCs measured in both the water and the sediments. Results show asymmetrical pollution profiles due to socio-economic differences and contrasting treatment capacities. No in-stream attenuation was observed along the stream and in the sediments within the Palestinian region. After sediment settling in treatment facilities at the Israeli border, however, significant reductions in the EDC concentrations were measured both in the sediments and in the water. Differences in sedimentation technologies had a substantial effect on EDC removal at the treatment location, positively affecting the streams' ability to further remove EDCs downstream. The prevailing approach to addressing the Israeli-Palestinian transboundary wastewater contamination reveals a narrow perspective among water managers who on occasion only take local interests into consideration, with interventions focused solely on improving stream water quality in isolated segments. Application of the “proximity principle” through the establishment of WWTPs at contamination sources constitutes a preferable strategy for reducing contamination by EDCs and other pollutants to ensure minimization of public health risks due to the pollution of streams and underlying potable groundwater.

The Effectiveness of Positive Communication Skills in Reducing Pain during Physiotherapy Session: A Quantitative Result from Questionnaire Surveys of Palestinian Orthopaedic Patients

Background: Physiotherapist has to communicate on a daily basis with clients and their families, friends, and other health care professionals. Physiotherapists assist patients with their pain in primary care settings aiming at relieving their pain, and improving their quality of life. Studies showed that poor communication often results in many negative consequences. However, few studies provide sufficient evidence to support the use of positive communication skills in reducing pain among orthopedic patient. Objectives: Examine the effectiveness of positive communication skills in reducing pain among orthopedic patient during physiotherapy sessions in 20 Palestinian rehabilitation centers dispensers on several areas and through an investigative program for the views of the orthopaedic patients among interview questionnaire for the inclusion of positive communication skills in the treatment session and its impact on relieving their pain. Methods: The current study employed non-experimental design by conducting a self-report questionnaires has approved by 3 of academic in the physiotherapy section at AAUJ, the study group covered a total number of (96) orthopaedic patients used a normal distribution to calculate an optimum sample size randomly selected from 20 centers in different Palestinian regions; 48 were male and 48 were female. Results: There was statistically significant change in intensity of pain in correlation with integration positive communication skill among orthopedic patients regardless of nature of disease during physiotherapy sessions indicate that (sig. =0.00, p< 0.05). Non-significant correlations were evident between patient's demographic factors, pain and disease related factors, and change in the intensity of pain. Validity and reliability of the instrument were tested and the total instrument reliability test (Cronbach's Alpha) was 0.732. Conclusion: Physiotherapist communication skills play an essential role during treatment sessions to relive patient's pain. Our data showed high impact of positive communication skills in reducing pain among orthopedic patient during physiotherapy session. The results show positive impact on patient's psychology and physiologies which are inseparable. However, results showed there are no statistical variances between study samples according to the independent variables.

LOS CAMBIOS LEGISLATIVOS EN LOS TERRITORIOS OCUPADOS POR ISRAEL DESPUÉS DE 1967

After Six-Day War in 1967, the State of Israel occupied Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Following its occupation, a military government that has the power to make legislative changes under maintains order and security in the region is established. However, the authorization of the government of Israel to build Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territory has impacted social and economic status in the region. The hypothesis of this paper is that these changes have not always favored the civilian population because they create a dual legislation: one for residents of the Palestinian region and another one for the resident population in Jewish settlements.

Genesis 12 and the Abraham‐Paradigm Concerning the Promised Land

Genesis 12 and the Abraham‐Paradigm Concerning the Promised Land

Development of A Fragility and Exposure Model for Palestine – Application to The City of Nablus

Earthquakes are highly catastrophic natural events, in terms of casualties and economic losses. Regions with a large percentage of non-seismically designed buildings and reduced urban planning are particularly vulnerable to seismic events. In such regions, it is nevertheless possible to mitigate seismic risk, given by the convolution of hazard, exposure and vulnerability. The goal of this study is to propose simplified fragility and exposure models for the Palestinian region, specifically built upon local field surveys and data collection, whereas an existing state-of-the-art hazard model, specific for the Middle East region, was selected. The city of Nablus, a Palestinian commercial and cultural center in the northern West Bank, was chosen as a case-study. Special attention has been paid to the local construction practice of RC buildings, for different time periods. The identification of building types and their relative percentages within the in-built, has been conducted, leading to a preliminary taxonomy able to classify the most common structural systems. The outcome of this study enables the assessment of earthquake risk and rapid loss assessment at city and regional scale.

Wine-washing: colonization, normalization, and the geopolitics of terroir in the West Bank's settlements

Terroir describes a set of special characteristics of a given place—geography, geology, climate, and human agricultural traditions—that incarnates in the unique taste of its products, usually wine. In contrast to modern perceptions of territory as an abstract legal–political entity, terroir invokes images of organic relations between people and a specific land with a unique ‘character’. The paper will analyze the evolving discourse in the West Bank settlements in recent years, which shifts the emphasis from biblical history, ideology, and security—to tourism, vineries, and terroir. The argument will be that the usage of sophisticated wine language enables normalization of the Jewish settlements in the West Bank in a paradoxical way that is emphasizing their location and blurring it at the same time. While the concept of normalization is usually applied to the ‘quality-oflife’ urban settlements, our paper concentrates on the small and ‘ideological’ settlements, which are located in the densest Palestinian regions. By that, we wish to contribute to the growing research body on the West Bank settlements, as well as to the fields of geopolitics, colonial and postcolonial studies, and cultural geography.

China's Relationship with Israel, Opportunities and Challenges, Perspectives from China

This article reviews the Sino-Israel relationship from the Chinese perspective. It argues that the relationship is at a crossroad because China is increasingly more proactively involved in the international arena, which will inevitably lead to China's more assertive role in trying to facilitate solving the Israel-Palestinian conflicts. China has been inclined to be more supportive to the Palestinian side based on Chinese cultural values, traditionally stronger ties with Arab countries, and also since Palestine is generally considered as the weaker side of the conflict. A strong Israel-U.S. relationship will help balance Israel's relationship with China. The Sino-Israel relationship cannot be viewed out of the context of a Sino-U.S. relationship. China is more concerned with its relationship with the U.S., the only other world economy comparable in size to China's, in order to protect the peaceful world order for further development. Future Chinese involvement with the Palestinian region will be more constructive.