Palestinian Non-Governmental-Organizations

Although the past few decades have witnessed a remarkable upsurge in the activity of the Palestinian non-governmental organization (NGO) sector within Israel, the sector is not a new one. It dates back centuries and has encountered new struggles and victories over time.

Pre-World War I: The first NGOs in geographic Palestine were founded in the 1800's and early 1900's to provide social, cultural, and educational services; at this time, most were religious organizations.
1914-1947: Many NGOs formed during the war years in response to humanitarian crises and in the face of British colonialism and Zionism.
1948-1966: After the establishment of Israel, the Palestinian NGO sector all but disappeared. When the State imposed military rule on all Palestinian citizens, it effectively prevented the existence of independent Palestinian organizations through restrictions on civil liberties and the creation of an atmosphere of harassment of political and social leaders within the community.
1967-today: After the repeal of martial law in 1967, Palestinian NGOs appeared again on the political and social scene. Increased activity in the '70's continued through the '80's and blossomed in the '90's, when 656 Arab nonprofits were officially registered with the State in 10 years.

The Post-Oslo generation of NGOs is growing in strength and in its ability to face the challenges presented by a discriminatory State. A new awareness of the need for networking and cooperation with other organizations at the local, national, and international levels has fostered a sense of unity which is crucial to the fight for equality.

Challenges From the State

While several Jewish organizations have been granted quasi-governmental status by the State, Palestinian NGOs struggle to survive with minimal government funding or support. Israel has repeatedly expressed, through direct and indirect policies, its lack of respect for the Palestinian right to assemble and organize.

Palestinian NGOs rely entirely on foreign and individual donors for their economic survival. This is very challenging, as most of the major contributions coming into the State are from Jewish sources. In addition, there is little recognition, either in the Arab world or internationally, of the needs of Palestinians in Israel as an under-developed community in an industrialized country. Indirect discrimination by the State also harms the sector financially. The criteria for tax exempt status, for example, is oriented so that it can more easily be met by Jewish organizations than by Palestinian organizations. Also, while several ministries provide special budgets to NGOs, the criteria to receive these budgets are also biased toward Jewish applicants.

The State also takes every opportunity to exert control over the Palestinian NGO sector - by conducting "investigations" regarding relationships with other Palestinian NGOs, major donors, and other internal matters, for example. As the sector gets stronger, the State appears to be increasing this political pressure rather than decreasing it.

A Turning Point for the Palestinian NGO Sector

The year 1989 was one of increased activity and enthusiasm in the Palestinian NGO sector. The beginning of this new phase was marked by the defeat of the proposed Bill For Amendment of the Anti-Terror Act (No. 3), which claimed that Palestinian NGOs received funds from "terrorist organizations" and could therefore be banned. The bill was formulated by the government of Likud Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, which felt increasingly "threatened" by the growing strength of the Arab sector. The Bill passed its first reading in the Knesset but never made it through the Legislation and Law Committee due to a tremendous lobbying campaign by a coalition of Arab and Israeli NGOs.

This victory marked a new stage in the history of Palestinian NGOs. Empowered by their proven ability to coordinate activities and work in broad coalitions to support their community, the sector moved forward with greater confidence and strength.