Palestine

Asia

Palestine refers to the land of the Occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. After the state of Israel was declared in 1948 and the Six Day War in 1967, there have been many territorial disagreements as to who owns this land and many unsuccessful attempts at peace agreements. Often, there are run-ins between the occupying Israeli Defense Forces and Palestinians, which lead to many human rights abuses.¹ Because of economic suppression and restricted movement, the Palestinian economy fails to grow, and there are high poverty and unemployment rates.¹ ^{1 http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/westbankandgaza/publication/economic-outlook-spring-2016}

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About Palestine

Quick Facts

ISO Code: PS
Continent: Asia
Active Causes: 12

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Causes in Palestine

Environment

Natural water sources in Palestine, such as the Jordan River and Dead Sea, are continuing to lower and become more polluted due to population increases and manufacturing.¹ Due to little funding and landfills, most trash ends up being improperly disposed of, and this contributes to significant air pollution and toxins in Palestine.²

Family

Palestinian families have a strong sense of tradition and identification with honor and hospitality being two distinct traits.¹ Palestinian culture is traditionally patriarchal and over 50% of Gazan and 29% of West Bank women have reported being abused in their household.² Muslim families are growing at a much faster rate than other groups with an average of four children per family whereas the Christian average is two, and it is not uncommon to find extended families living in the same house.³

Human Rights

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) commit discriminatory actions towards Palestinians such as forced home demolitions and the support of the construction of unlawful Israeli settlements in Palestine.¹ Furthermore, the IDF restricts Palestinians’ right to movement by establishing various border and internal checkpoints and continuing the construction of a separation barrier.² These restrictions on Palestinians enforced by the IDF often cause backlash to which the IDF responds with excessive force and collective punishment.² In Gaza, Hamas tortures prisoners and unfairly treats certain people groups, and in the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority is accused of severe treatment of those who disagree with them.¹

Education

Palestine has one of the highest literacy rates in the world at 96%.¹ Even with this high rate, however, there are significant barriers to education including schools destroyed in war in Gaza, military checkpoints, and lack of public school funding free from outside assistance.¹ Higher education is prioritized in Palestinian culture, and enrollment has increased significantly in the last decade, particularly for women who now make up more than half of all students.² There are 53 accredited post-secondary institutions, but some report that it is difficult to gain acceptance to Israeli institutions or receive recognition of their degrees within Israel.¹

Poverty

26% of Palestinians live in poverty with the rate in Gaza nearly double that of the West Bank.¹ The Israeli occupation impedes upon economic development and restricts trade which leads to high unemployment, difficulty traveling, and food insecurity.²

Religion

Palestine is approximately 84% Muslim with a predominant Sunni presence, 13% Jewish who almost all live in Israeli settlements, and 2% Christian.¹ Over 420,000 of Israeli citizens now live in Jewish settlements in Palestinian land, many of whom claim the land is theirs based on Jewish tradition.² Christians have rapidly been fleeing the country in recent years in search of less persecution and more opportunities. Christians are now concentrated only in major cities like Bethlehem.³ Palestine is home to many holy sites to Jews, Christians, and Muslims including the Church of the Nativity, Rachel’s Tomb, Tomb of the Patriarchs, and the Temple Mount. There is constant tension with neighboring Israel over control of these sites based on international borders and peace treaties.

Clean Water

In Palestine, most freshwater resources are controlled by Israel under the Oslo Accords, and the amount of water allocated to Gaza and the West Bank has not sufficiently changed in over 20 years even though the population has doubled.¹ This causes unreliable water access to Palestinians with water being turned off for weeks at time at random.² Over 80% of Gazans and 35,000 people in areas of the West Bank do not have reliable access to water.³ In addition, in Gaza, sewage contaminates over 90% of the water in the ground, aquifers, and coastline meaning that most Gazans depend on international aid and bottled water.⁴

Economy

Palestine’s biggest industries are tourism, small-scale manufacturing, and olive oil products.¹ The economy struggles to grow beyond these industries because of Israeli trade restrictions, the threat of violence, and political instability.¹ These factors also cause unemployment to remain high with Gaza’s unemployment rate at 42% and the West Bank’s at 18%.²

Government

The Palestinian government, the Palestinian Authority (PA), was established with Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1994 under the Oslo Peace Accords, and the system is a parliamentary democracy with elections to be held every four years.¹ The two major political factions, Fatah and Hamas, have struggled to form a unity government since the 2006 parliamentary elections when Hamas won a majority that was quickly renounced internationally and led to Fatah and PA President Mahmoud Abbas fighting to regain legislative control of Palestine.² The Fatah party has also been accused of corruption, money laundering, a lack of transparency and over 80% of Palestinians believe that both Hamas and Fatah are corrupt.³

Health

There are many significant barriers to adequate healthcare in Palestine. Blocked roads, military checkpoints, and the need to obtain a special medical permit all make many hospitals difficult to travel to. Gazans in particular have experienced a severe shortage of medical supplies and economic means to afford necessary health care after the 2014 war with Israel which led to isolation and a freeze on most imports.¹ Palestinians have a life expectancy of 71 years.²

Children

Children in Palestine live in the frequent threat of hostility due to the 50 year Israeli occupation. In response to occupation, youth often throw stones at IDF soldiers or Israeli settlers, and this leads to aggressive retaliation.¹ In 2016, over 30 children were killed by the IDF.² In addition, children can be subject to military checkpoints on their way to school hindering their access to education and after school enrichment programs.³

Animals

Over hunting has contributed to the decline of many of the traditional species living in Palestine like hippopotamuses, lions, and gazelles.¹ Palestine is a junction for more than 50 million birds due to the intersection of three continents’ migration routes.²

Location

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Nonprofits Working in Palestine

Discover organizations making a difference in Palestine

CHURCHES FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE

Our Mission CMEP works to encourage U.S. policies that actively promote a just, lasting, and comprehensive resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ensuring security, human rights and religious freedom for all the people of the region.

Washington, District Of Columbia

Good Samaritan Ministries

Good Samaritan Ministries, founded in 1979, is a ministry of faith wholly supported through donations provided by: Engaged people who believe in helping their fellow man reach their full potential Compassionate people who reach out to touch the forgotten, the widows, orphans, and the poor. Active churches who involve themselves in expanding Godâ€™s love, compassion, and sharing good news. Kingdom businesses who are aligning with Kingdom principles and support Samaritans worldwide. Friends who have experienced the profound, non-judgmental, shocking love of God through our programs.

Beaverton, Oregon

Seeds of Peace, Inc.

In the face of some of the worldâ€™s most intractable conflicts, Seeds of Peace gives rise to new generations of leaders uniquely inspired and equipped to build lasting peace.

New York, New York

Seeds of Peace

Seeds of Peace inspires and cultivates new generations of global leaders in communities divided by conflict. We equip them with the skills and relationships they need to accelerate social, economic, and political changes essential for peace.

New York City, New York

Ten Thousand Villages Hagerstown

Making a difference in communities through dedicated service and impact.

Hagerstown, Maryland

CLUB1040.COM

A Relational Missionary Movement Reaching the Unreached

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

FRIENDS OF THE THIRD WORLD, INC.

Since 1972 working for economic justice in the marketplace thru the cooperative economic model and public education to promote voluntary action to address the root causes of poverty. We are a founding member of the Fair Trade Federation here in the U.S.

FORT WAYNE, Indiana

ADVOCACY PROJECT

The Advocacy Project helps marginalized communities around the world to tell their story, claim their rights, and produce social change.

Washington, District Of Columbia

Karuna Center For Peacebuilding

Civil wars, political instability, and environmental challenges are an increasing threat to human security across the globe. Our multi-dimensional approach to peacebuilding builds the social resilience that will be required to adapt to 21st century challenges. We engage stakeholders at all levels of society to work on cooperative solutions to complex challenges. We bridge divides to build sustainable peace.

Amherst, Massachusetts

Trauma Recovery, EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Programs (HAP)

Both at home and abroad, Trauma Recovery, EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Programs (Trauma Recovery/HAP), focuses its efforts on building the capacity of under-served communities to secure effective trauma treatment through proper training and developing our Trauma Recovery Network (TRN) in communities throughout the country.

Hamden, Connecticut

ANGIOGENESIS FOUNDATION INC

Angiogenesis Foundation is speeding the progress of modern medicine, teaching doctors how to adopt 21st century treatments as they emerge, and laying the groundwork for future breakthroughs in diet and lifestyle research to improve health. Because angiogenesis plays a role in so many different diseases, the Foundation â€˜cross-fertilizesâ€™ knowledge from one disease research area to another, so that medical progress for many diseases can be catalyzed at once. Programs are centered on scientific collaboration, research, education, and advocacy.

Cambridge, Massachusetts

JUST VISION INC

Just Vision creates documentary films and multimedia tools to generate media coverage and support for Palestinian and Israeli nonviolence leaders working to end the occupation and resolve the conflict. Just Vision is a team of Palestinian, Israeli, North and South American journalists, human rights advocates and filmmakers working from Jerusalem, New York and Washington, DC.

Washington, District Of Columbia

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