International Journal of Political Science and Development
 

International Journal of Political Science and Development

Vol. 4(2), pp. 57–62, February, 2016. 

DOI: 10.14662/IJPSD2016.012

ISSN: 2360-784X

Research Paper

Identity and entity in contradiction: The case of Palestinian schisms and divisions

Salwa S. Farrag

Lecturer of Political Science, Suez Canal University, Egypt. E-mail: farragsalwa@yahoo.com

Accepted 29 February 2016

The Palestinian identity was born in crisis. For Palestinians, identity and being a political entity have never been the same because the Palestinian national project lacked particular regional and social domains. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) personified the moral-political representation of the Palestinians and was an expression of their identity. However, the PLO adoption of the 'settlement program' in 1974 has been the primary factor behind the schism in their political regime. This adoption represents a withdrawal from the main ideas upon which they founded their identity, the ideas that considered the Palestinian people and its land and political project identical. Moreover, the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1994 has not achieved a national existence for the Palestinian people on its land due to the failure in transforming the Palestinian Authority into a Palestinian State that can redefine Palestinian identity and due to the ensuing power struggle. These factors pushed the Palestinian identity into an acute crisis. In addition to the religious component that was introduced with the emergence of Hamas. These political schism have posed a serious threat to the Palestinian identity.

Keywords: Political Schism and Divisions, Palestinian Identity (Culture), Palestinian Nationalism.


 

Cite This Article As: Farrag SS (2016). Identity and entity in contradiction: The case of Palestinian schisms and divisions. Inter. J. Polit. Sci. Develop. 4(2): 57-62

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