ABSTRACT
One of the most important developments taking place among the Arab-Palestinian minority in Israel is the rising voice and increased sociological presence of the “present absentees.” Any understanding of the major trends in Arab-Palestinian politics in Israel must conceptualize this development. This chapter deals with the historical sociology of the internally displaced Palestinians and the political implications of their emergence as a central socio-political agent in Arab-Palestinian politics in Israel. The chapter opens up with a brief theoretical discussion of the IDP phenomenon and its treatment in the legal and political literature. Then, it delves into the history of this important group. The third section of this chapter deals with the socio-legal constitution of this group. Finally, the fourth section deals with the re-emergence of this group as an active player in Arab politics and the implications that such a change is having and could have in the future on the entire Israeli–Palestinian conflict and on state–minority relations inside Israel.
