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PALESTINIAN SOCIETY - Fafo

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tinians. The 9% support of Arabism as a prime political preference<br />

does not translate into a political constituency for Arab nationalism.<br />

Instead, adherence to this allegiance seems to have been replaced, fIrst<br />

and foremost, by loyalty to the Palestinian cause. Especially among<br />

men, attachmentto emergingforms ofIslamic identity is very notable.<br />

The distribution of farnily loyalties and loyalties to Palestine and Islam<br />

formen are examined by type oflocality, and presentedin Figure 9.19.<br />

The fIgures indicate that local family loyalties remain strongest in<br />

Arab Jerusalem and Gaza Town and weakest in the Gaza refugee<br />

camps. The low correlation with the Gaza camps may reflect the extent<br />

to which wider family units have been splintered and the subsequent<br />

penetration of more explicitly politically defIned sentiments, especiaIly<br />

Palestinian nationalism. However, again the fIgures show that<br />

Islarnic militancy is not particularly associated with Gaza. The fIgure<br />

would suggest that such militancy is more developed in the refugee<br />

camps of the West Bank.<br />

ff these loyalties are examined in relation to age, the picture that<br />

emerges confmns trends seen elsewhere in this chapter (Figure 9.20).<br />

The young express less attachment than the middle-aged to family<br />

bonds and more attachment to bonds thatare ideologically delineated.<br />

The increase in identifIcation among young women with Palestinian<br />

nationalism is particularly marked. 43% of women in the age group<br />

15 to 19 name the Palestinian people as their ultimate attachment<br />

compared to 34% of women in general. Loyalty to Islam among<br />

Figure 9. 19 Men 's ultimate loyalties by type of locality<br />

West Bank<br />

camps<br />

West Bank<br />

villages<br />

West Bank<br />

towns<br />

Gaza camps<br />

Gaza<br />

towns/villages<br />

Gaza City<br />

I<br />

O<br />

i<br />

10<br />

j<br />

20<br />

i<br />

30<br />

i<br />

40<br />

i<br />

50<br />

i<br />

60<br />

i<br />

70<br />

I<br />

80<br />

I<br />

90<br />

I<br />

100<br />

Percent<br />

273

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