ABSTRACT
This chapter studies the role of members of Palestinian civil society organizations in the performance of statecraft in the occupied West Bank. It begins by tracing the development of the Palestinian non-governmental organizations (NGOs), before and after the establishment of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and demonstrates the manner in which these organizations were appropriated into the theater of statecraft in the occupied Palestinian territories. Our interviewees in this chapter are not as politically responsible as international stakeholders who furbish the theatrical performance of statecraft in the occupied Palestinian territories; nor are they as materially invested as the PA functionaries. Many are openly critical of the politics and conduct of the PA. Yet, these employees of Palestinian NGOs nonetheless become a part and parcel of the theater of statecraft whether they refrain from openly criticizing the PA or do so unequivocally. Either way, their conduct is shaped by the theater as they defy the PA or stay mute in their criticism fearing retribution.
