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Palestine
IS in Palestine
IS Partners in Palestine
Go to:
IS Jobs in Palestine
Country information
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Short introduction and occupation/political
Palestine, known to some as comprising Israel and the Occupied
Palestinian territories (Opts - the West Bank and the Gaza Strip), and
known to others simply as the Occupied Palestinian territories, is home
to arguably the highest-profile and one of the longest national
struggles of modern times. The geographical area that is now Israel and
the OPts has been ruled for the past several centuries by various
occupying forces – Ottoman Turks from 1516 to 1917, Britain (under a
post-World War I mandate by the League of Nations) from 1918 to 1948,
and Israel from 1948 until present-day. Between 1948 and 1967 the West
Bank was under Jordanian sovereignty while the Gaza Strip was under
Egyptian rule. |
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The history of the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is
highly disputed. East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip were
occupied by Israel in 1967. With the signing of the Oslo and Cairo
Accords of 1993 and 1994, Gaza came under the direct control of the
Palestinian Authority (PA). The West Bank was demarcated into three
areas and subject to a timetable of handovers and dual authority. The
West Bank and the Gaza Strip, known as the Palestinian territories since
the end of the 1967 War (between Israel and the three armies of Egypt,
Jordan and Syria), were reoccupied by Israeli military forces during the
Al Aqsa’ intifada, or Palestinian uprising (the second Intifada), which
began in September 2000. |
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The Hamas election victory in January 2006 has
led to a stalemate in the political dialogue between the Palestinian
Authority government, donors and the Government of Israel. The internal
political rift between the two dominant Palestinian factions, Hamas and
Fatah, fuelled tensions and resulted in intermittent violence,
especially in the Gaza Strip. Many donors have imposed anti-terrorist
financing blocks on transactions with the PA and ceased all financial
support channelled through the PA. The Government of Israel decided to
withhold the customs tax and VAT it collects on behalf of the PA. Severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian people and goods remain
firmly in place, within the West Bank especially. These restrictions,
which the Israeli government argues are necessary for security reasons,
have been in place since the onset of the second Intifada. The Gaza
Strip has no regular checkpoints or barriers within it following the
Israeli disengagement in August 2005; however, Israel controls all
movements in and out of the Strip. |
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Indicators |
Pale-stine |
UK |
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Life expectancy (years) |
72.7 |
78.5 |
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Under 5 year mortality rate (per
1000) |
24 |
7 |
Maternal Mortality
(per 100.000) |
100 |
7 |
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Births per woman |
5.6 |
1.7 |
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Adult literacy (%) |
92.4 |
... |
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Urban Population (% of total) |
71.5 |
89.5 |
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People under poverty limit 2$/day
(% of total) |
... |
... |
Undernourished People
(% of
total) |
16 |
... |
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Annual per capita GDP (US$) |
1026 |
30,821 |
Human Development Index
(of 173) |
100 |
18 |
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Human Development Report, UNDP 2006 |
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Geography/population
The West Bank is an area of 5,655 km2
with a projected 2007 population of approximately 2.5 million. It is
an inland, hilly region, bordering Jordan. The main towns are Nablus,
Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Agriculture is the main
feature of the economy although production has been seriously
restricted under occupation.
The Gaza Strip covers an area of only
365 km2 with a projected 2007 population of over 1.5 million, 70% of
whom are registered refugees living in camps first established in
1948, with third and fourth generations living under what are
continuing to be classed as temporary conditions. Gaza is thus one of
the most densely populated areas in the world and at the rate the
population is growing it will double in 12 years. |
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Economic
Economic activity in the West Bank and Gaza has been disrupted by border
closures, curfews and restrictions of movement in general. The
Palestinian economy is declining from an already low level. According to
preliminary Palestine Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) data, real GDP
per capita could decline by 8–10 percent, bringing the cumulative
decline in average incomes to over 30 percent since 1999. About a
quarter of the Palestinian labour force is unemployed. The situation is
particularly tenuous in Gaza, where the unemployment rate increased to
36 percent in 2006, from 29 percent in 2005. As the inhabitants are
unable to move freely they are heavily reliant on the limited natural
resources available within Gaza. In the short term, continued high
levels of donor assistance are critical for sustaining the Palestinian
economy. Movement restrictions have reduced the number of Palestinians
working in Israel. An average of 35,000 Palestinians worked in Israel
and Israeli settlements during the first six months of 2006, compared to
40,000 in 2005—a decline of 12 percent. Virtually no Palestinians from
Gaza work in Israel anymore. (World Bank Report – West Bank and Gaza,
Public Expenditure Review, Volume Two, February 2007). |
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IS Work in
Palestine |
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History/mission statement/current focus
International Service has been involved in one way or another in
partnerships with organisations in Gaza and the West Bank for many
years. During both the first and second Intifadas IS has maintained
project partnerships with a broad range of Palestinian NGOs. IS and its
partners have grown and adapted their programmes in accordance with the
changing needs of Palestinian society.
IS Development Workers are recruited from many different nationalities,
bringing a wide range of skills and expertise from diverse backgrounds.
In response to the economic and social crisis resulting from years of
conflict in the West Bank and Gaza, IS country strategy focuses on
continuing to build strong partnerships with local NGOs and educational
institutions. IS supports capacity building, organisational and
institutional development of NGOs who focus on human rights and
sustainable livelihoods and are targeting issues related to women,
children and youth as well as persons with a disability. Current
partners are listed below. Potential new partners are being pursued,
both in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip; however, postings in Gaza will
not be activated until the situation allows for it. |
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IS Field office in Palestine |
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Field Director: Janny Bosscher
Postal Address: PO Box 18581
Jerusalem
Tel: + 00972 (2) 582 3941
Fax: + 00972 (2) 582 4759
Email: info@unais.ps
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Other Palestine Links |
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Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics,
PCBS: www.pcbs.gov.ps
The World Bank:
www.worldbank.org/wbi countries/westbank and gaza
UN OCHA: www.ochaopt.org
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
www.undp.ps |
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IS Partners in Palestine |
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Al Haq
Field of Work: Human Rights – Advocacy and Documentation covering the
West Bank and Gaza. Al Haq focuses on monitoring, documenting and
advocating against the violations of the individual and collective
rights of Palestinians under international law.
Development Worker Posting: Legal Research - Advocacy
www.alhaq.org
DCI/PS – Defense for Children International, Palestine
Field of Work: Focuses exclusively on investigating and documenting
violations of children’s rights, both individual and collective,
covering the West Bank and Gaza. Development Worker Posting: Research
and Advocacy
www.dci-pal.org
PARC – Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees
Field of Work: Promoting sustainable development in rural areas in
Palestine through agriculture related development projects and advocacy.
Development Worker Posting: Lobbying and Advocacy
www.pal-arc.org
GUDP – General Union of Disabled Palestinians
Field of Work: Advocacy and lobbying for the Rights of all the Disabled,
working closely with the government on the legislative process and on
the implementation of laws.
Development Worker Posting: Capacity Building
ACAD – Arab Centre for Agricultural Development
Field of Work: ACAD specialises in Micro-Credit in an effort to
encourage and support small and micro enterprises in the agricultural as
well as non-agricultural sectors.
Development Worker Posting: Micro Credit Financing
BirZeit University
Field of Work: Higher Education – Home to over 7000 students
The Right to Education Campaign seeks to raise international awareness
about the obstruction and denial of education in Palestine.
Development Worker Posting: Right to Education Campaign
www.birzeit.edu
An-Najah University, Nablus
Field of Work: Higher Education – Home to over 10,000 students
The Right to Education Campaign seeks to raise international awareness
about the obstruction and denial of education in Palestine. The Campaign
is conducted in collaboration and partnership with BirZeit University.
Development Worker Posting: Right to Education Campaign
www.najah.edu
PWRDC – Palestinian Women’s Research and Documentation Centre
Field of Work: Research & Field of Work: Documentation; Promotion of
Women’s Rights, both social and political.
Development Worker Posting: “Violence against Women” Campaign
Burj Al LaqLaq Community Centre
Field of Work: Burj Al Laq Laq aims to provide the Old City residents -
as well as the wider Jerusalem community – with a designated space for
sports, recreation and opportunities for self-improvement.
Development Worker Posting: Children and Youth Activities
Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre for Disabled Children
Field of Work: JCDC Provision of services to children with various
disabilities and their families who live in East Jerusalem and the
central and northern West Bank.
Development Worker Posting: Special Education Teaching (Vacant) |
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If you have any questions on IS programme in Palestine,
contact Palestine Programme Manager, Catherine Jessop, email:
Catherine@internationalservice.org.uk |
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