ABSTRACT
This article explores the relationship between the transformations and developments taking place in the Palestinian society in Israel and the representativeness of its political leadership. It explains the reasoning behind the success of the leadership, represented in recent years by the Joint List, in winning the legitimacy of the community it serves. It argues that the synergy of two factors, namely, the growing sociological differentiation of the leadership and its interactional behavior, is what stands behind its success to win the conditional support of its constituency. This support is won despite the remaining differences between the various components of the Joint List on the ideological and valuational levels. This does not mean that the Joint List is the only political mechanism, viable or possible, to represent the aspirations and interests of the Palestinian community in Israel. It has no intrinsic value, except through the people’s consent to it. In the event the parties that compose it do not act as expected, it is conceivable that they would lose the people’s trust even if the characteristics of their leadership reflect the influential social groups in the community.
