The Role of Political Culture in Palestinian National Unity (2007-2015)

This study addresses the case of Palestinian national crisis since the endorsement of the Oslo accords in 1993 from the perspective of political culture. The study examines the basic claim that the transformations Palestinian political culture has went through from one revolved around resistant to occupation and complementarities before 1993, to a fragmented and exclusionary type of political culture have played a crucial role in deepening Palestinian national unity crisis. In order to show these relationships, the study utilized case study and comparative analysis approach. In the first cut, we provide a descriptive depiction and analytical account of the factors that generate Palestinian Political culture and the observed elements of this culture. Then we implement case study techniques to explore the case of Palestine through intervals and static comparison between three different periods depending on the type of political culture prevailed in each: The first extends from 1964 (the establishment of the PLO) until 1993); The second starts in 1993 until the eruption of the second Intifada in 2000; The third goes from 2007 tell today. The study came to a conclusion that the type of political culture dominated Palestinian life in the first period and contributed significantly to national unity was the complimentary, whereas the elements of political culture that prevailed in the two later periods were part of the fragmented and exclusionary type of political culture and thus played a crucial rule as intervening variables in deepening national unity crisis.