ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the structure, transformation, and dynamics of the Palestinian minority in Israel from 1948 to the present. The Palestinian minority in Israel was left largely without a national social, economic, or political leadership. Perhaps more significant, the internal refugees lost their lands and their property and were classified by the Israeli government as "absentees". Creating a Jewish state in Palestine, like creating any settler colonial project, necessitated first and foremost the acquisition of land from the indigenous Palestinians. The spectacular process of urbanization of the Palestinian Arab population in Israel reflects the proletarianization of the Palestinian peasantry. To begin with, the income of workers in certain branches of production in Israel tends to be lower than the income of workers in public service, finance, and even transport. In employment, occupational status is determined by the character and requirements of the labor itself, particularly the educational level.
