Abstract

Based on ethnographic material collected in Israel between 2008 and 2012, this paper studies the ideas and identity transmitted through the institutions of the Islamic Movement in Israel. In order to resist the pressures, and limit the influence of, the Israeli state and Jewish society on Muslim Palestinian citizens of Israel, the Islamic movement has adopted a policy of selfreliance. It does this through the establishment and maintenance of institutions and organizations that cater to its constituency. A central goal of the Islamic Movement’s strategy is to improve the communal autonomy of Palestinians in Israel by providing them with facilities and services that are not provided by the state and that have an Islamic content and outlook. In turn, the provision of such facilities and services serves to introduce and develop a Muslim Palestinian Arab identity in Israel