The Path to the Intifada

Three Factors

• Economic and Social Change in the Territories

• Political frustration with Israel, the Arabs, and the PLO

• The emergence of local leaders

1967-1986

• 1967-1980 = a period of economic growth– Income growth due to access to Israeli labor

markets– Wealth growth to access to oil-rich Arab

states

• 1981-1986 = period of decline– Saturation of the Israeli market– Collapse of oil prices

Occupational Distribution

1969 1982

Ashkenazi Mizrahi Israeli Arabs Palestinians Ashkenazi Mizrahi Israeli Arabs Palestinians

Unskilled 3.2 11.9 22 42.1 2.2 5.8 9.5 37.6

Semisiklled 19.7 30.2 31.3 28.9 12.4 19.9 30.4 38.2

Skilled 48.3 48.4 41.3 26.8 38.6 54.6 46 23.1

Clerical 8.4 4.1 1.1 1.1 10.8 6.7 2.6 0.3

Professional 20.4 5.3 4.3 1.3 35.9 13.1 11.4 0.8

Palestinian incomes as %

Daily Incomes of Palestinians

1969 1975 1981

Israelis Jews Israelis Jews Israelis Jews

Scientific 38 38 58.4 58.2 80.1 79.9

Sales 41.7 40.8 64.6 64.5 60.4 59.5

Service 33.8 33.7 81.2 80.6 82.3 81.9

Skilled 49.7 48.9 88.5 87.9 82.9 81.4

Unskilled 42.6 42.6 93.1 91 90.2 87

Agriculture 47.2 46.5 86.2 84.4 68.67 68.1

Political frustration with Israel

• Increase in Jewish settlements in W. Bank

• Decreased Israeli concern over the W. Bank

• Fear of re-enactment of 1930s

• Political stasis in Israeli politics and preference for a “Jordanian” option

Political frustration with Arabs

• Arab concern with Iran-Iraq war (1980-1987) displaced Palestine on the agenda

• Arab states had defeated and marginalized the PLO

Frustration with the PLO

• Was Tunis a place for confrontation or retreat?

• A symbol of Palestinian “steadfastness” or a political organization with real responsibilities?

The Emergence of Local Leaders

• Bassam Shaka – Mayor of Nablus– Elected 1976; victim of bombing by Israeli

terrorist in 1980

• Zafer al-Masri – Mayor of Nablus– Appointed mayor in 1986; murdered by PFLP

in 1986

• Sari Nusseibeh

• Faisal al-Husseini