Palestinian Arab ethnicity is associated with an adverse metabolic phenotype.

PubMed

Weiss, Ram; Nassar, Hisham; Sinnreich, Ronit; Abu-Ahmad, Wiessam; Otvos, James; Kark, Jeremy D

2017-12-01

Urban-dwelling Palestinians have been shown to have higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and prevalence of diabetes than urban Israelis. Inflammation is implicated in the etiology of these conditions. We hypothesized that increased inflammatory activation, manifested as increased GlycA, a novel biomarker of global inflammation, would be evident in Palestinians. We compared GlycA concentrations between Palestinians and Israelis and assessed the associations of GlycA with anthropometric, health behavioral and clinical variables in a sample of 1674 Palestinians and Israelis aged 25-74, residing in Jerusalem. The main outcome measure was GlycA concentration. GlycA was higher in Palestinians than Israelis (p<0.001). This finding persisted in young Palestinians with normal glucose tolerance. GlycA, total white blood cell count, the triglyceride to HDL-cholesterol ratio and small LDL-cholesterol particles were all significantly higher in Palestinians compared to Israelis across obesity and glucose tolerance categories. Palestinian women had greater GlycA compared to Israeli women and men of both ethnicities. GlycA as well as adverse cardiovascular biomarkers are all higher in Palestinian Arabs than Israeli Jews, even in young healthy adults. This propensity to inflammation may be a driver of the higher risk of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and diabetes observed in this population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Justification, Perception of Severity and Harm, and Criminalization of Wife Abuse in the Palestinian Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haj-Yahia, Muhammad M.; Wilson, Rula M.; Naqvi, Syed Agha M.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of Palestinian adults toward different dimensions of wife abuse. A cross-sectional survey, using a combination of self-administered questionnaires and interviews, was conducted among a systematic random sample of 624 adult Palestinian men and women from the West Bank and Gaza Strip (18 years…

Oasis of Dreams: Teaching and Learning Peace in a Jewish-Palestinian Village in Israel.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feuerverger, Grace

This book provides an interpretive/ethnographic inquiry into the relationship between Jews and Palestinians who live in a small cooperative community and into its two schools, which are devoted to peaceful coexistence. The village aims to create a social, cultural, and political framework of equality and mutual respect for the residents while…

'This is ordinary behaviour': categorization and culpability in Hamas leaders' accounts of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict.

PubMed

McKinlay, Andy; McVittie, Chris; Sambaraju, Rahul

2012-12-01

The present paper examines the talk of three senior figures from the Palestinian Hamas political movement. Data are drawn from a series of journalistic interviews that were conducted in the months leading up to the invasion of Gaza by Israel in December 2007. Using membership categorization analysis, we explore the membership categories and category-bound attributes that interviewers use in questions about responsibility for potentially culpable actions and the ways that these are taken up, challenged, or reworked by interviewees in presenting their own versions. The analytic findings show that interviewers deploy categories bound up with terrorism while interviewees develop alternative categorizations of resistance. Interviewers construct Palestinians as victims of Hamas' actions while interviewees construct them as victims of Israeli aggression and international indifference. In warranting these alternative constructions, the interviewees contrast current behaviours of the international community with those of the past and align current Palestinian actions with those previously taken by Western nations in resisting illegitimate occupations. Through these descriptions of categories and actions, the interviewees attribute to the wider international community responsibility for addressing the events of the ongoing conflict. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

Peace and Human Rights Education in the Middle East: Comparing Jewish and Palestinian Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velloso, Agustín

1998-07-01

The Washington agreement of 1993 gave a new impetus to attempts by Palestinian and Israeli leaders to find a peaceful solution to their differences. The author asks to what extent this process has been accompanied by peace/human rights education programmes for Israeli and Palestinian children. While such programmes exist, they are very limited and have so far made little impact in reversing the long educational legacy of mutual distrust and hostility, which the article examines in detail. Furthermore, the continuing conflicts between the two communities make peace/human rights education difficult. However, despite the enormous obstacles, the author concludes that the efforts of peace/human rights educators are not wasted.

Health-related quality of life of Palestinian refugees inside and outside camps in Jordan.

PubMed

Alduraidi, Hamza; Waters, Catherine M

Jordan hosts more Palestinian refugees than any country in the world. Conditions under which people in a community live influence their health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The purpose of this descriptive comparative cross-sectional study was to compare HRQOL of Palestinian refugees in Jordan who live inside camps with those who live outside camps. Participants, recruited from inside the Baqa'a camp (n = 86) and the surrounding Abu Nsair community (n = 91), completed the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief questionnaire. There were disparities in education and social relations and environment HRQOL related to income and residency, but not gender, among refugees. Refugees living inside camps, particularly if poorer, fared worse than refugees living outside camps. Enhanced programs and policies may be needed to improve HRQOL, education, and socioeconomics for camp refugees. Nursing's perspective on refugee health could make an important contribution to humanitarian efforts and health diplomacy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Loss of social resources predicts incident posttraumatic stress disorder during ongoing political violence within the Palestinian Authority.

PubMed

Hall, Brian J; Murray, Sarah M; Galea, Sandro; Canetti, Daphna; Hobfoll, Stevan E

2015-04-01

Exposure to ongoing political violence and stressful conditions increases the risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in low-resource contexts. However, much of our understanding of the determinants of PTSD in these contexts comes from cross-sectional data. Longitudinal studies that examine factors associated with incident PTSD may be useful to the development of effective prevention interventions and the identification of those who may be most at-risk for the disorder. A 3-stage cluster random stratified sampling methodology was used to obtain a representative sample of 1,196 Palestinian adults living in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Face-to-face interviews were conducted at two time points 6-months apart. Logistic regression analyses were conducted on a restricted sample of 643 people who did not have PTSD at baseline and who completed both interviews. The incidence of PTSD was 15.0 % over a 6-month period. Results of adjusted logistic regression models demonstrated that talking to friends and family about political circumstances (aOR = 0.78, p = 0.01) was protective, and female sex (aOR = 1.76, p = 0.025), threat perception of future violence (aOR = 1.50, p = 0.002), poor general health (aOR = 1.39, p = 0.005), exposure to media (aOR = 1.37, p = 0.002), and loss of social resources (aOR = 1.71, p = 0.006) were predictive of incident cases of PTSD. A high incidence of PTSD was documented during a 6-month follow-up period among Palestinian residents of Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. Interventions that promote health and increase and forestall loss to social resources could potentially reduce the onset of PTSD in communities affected by violence.

Differences in the triglyceride to HDL-cholesterol ratio between Palestinian and Israeli adults.

PubMed

Weiss, Ram; Nassar, Hisham; Sinnreich, Ronit; Kark, Jeremy D

2015-01-01

To evaluate differences in the triglyceride to HDL-cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL), thought to be a proxy measure of insulin resistance, between Palestinian and Israeli adults in view of the greater incidence of coronary heart disease and high prevalence of diabetes in Palestinian Arabs. A population-based observational prevalence study of cardiovascular and diabetes risk factors in Jerusalem. Participants (968 Palestinians, 707 Israelis, sampled at ages 25-74 years) underwent fasting and 2 h post-75 g oral challenge plasma glucose determinations. Metabolic risk was assessed using the surrogate index TG/HDL. Sex-specific comparisons were stratified by categories of body mass index and sex-specific waist circumference quartiles, adjusted by regression for age, glucose tolerance status and use of statins. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was substantially larger in Palestinians (p = 0.005). Prevalence of diabetes was 2.4 and 4 fold higher among Palestinian men and women, respectively (p<0.001). Adjusted TG/HDL was higher in Palestinians than Israelis across BMI and waist circumference categories (p<0.001 for both). Higher TG/HDL in Palestinians persisted in analyses restricted to participants with normal glucose tolerance and off statins. Notably, higher TG/HDL among Palestinians prevailed at a young age (25-44 years) and in normal weight individuals of both sexes. Palestinians have a higher TG/HDL ratio than Israelis. Notably, this is evident also in young, healthy and normal weight participants. These findings indicate the need to study the determinants of this biomarker and other measures of insulin resistance in urban Arab populations and to focus research attention on earlier ages: childhood and prenatal stages of development.

Differences in the Triglyceride to HDL-Cholesterol Ratio between Palestinian and Israeli Adults

PubMed Central

Weiss, Ram; Nassar, Hisham; Sinnreich, Ronit; Kark, Jeremy D.

2015-01-01

Aims To evaluate differences in the triglyceride to HDL-cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL), thought to be a proxy measure of insulin resistance, between Palestinian and Israeli adults in view of the greater incidence of coronary heart disease and high prevalence of diabetes in Palestinian Arabs. Research Methods A population-based observational prevalence study of cardiovascular and diabetes risk factors in Jerusalem. Participants (968 Palestinians, 707 Israelis, sampled at ages 25-74 years) underwent fasting and 2h post-75g oral challenge plasma glucose determinations. Metabolic risk was assessed using the surrogate index TG/HDL. Sex-specific comparisons were stratified by categories of body mass index and sex-specific waist circumference quartiles, adjusted by regression for age, glucose tolerance status and use of statins. Results Prevalence of overweight and obesity was substantially larger in Palestinians (p = 0.005). Prevalence of diabetes was 2.4 and 4 fold higher among Palestinian men and women, respectively (p<0.001). Adjusted TG/HDL was higher in Palestinians than Israelis across BMI and waist circumference categories (p<0.001 for both). Higher TG/HDL in Palestinians persisted in analyses restricted to participants with normal glucose tolerance and off statins. Notably, higher TG/HDL among Palestinians prevailed at a young age (25-44 years) and in normal weight individuals of both sexes. Conclusions Palestinians have a higher TG/HDL ratio than Israelis. Notably, this is evident also in young, healthy and normal weight participants. These findings indicate the need to study the determinants of this biomarker and other measures of insulin resistance in urban Arab populations and to focus research attention on earlier ages: childhood and prenatal stages of development. PMID:25635396

Death Obsession in Palestinians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdel-Khalek, Ahmed M.; Al-Arja, Nahida S.; Abdalla, Taysir

2006-01-01

The authors explored death obsession level and correlates among a sample (N=601) of Palestinians living in the city of Beit Jala, the village of Al-Khader, and the Aida refugee camp in the Bethlehem area. They live in war conditions; the houses of half of them have been demolished. The Death Obsession Scale (DOS) was administered. Its alpha…

Political Imprisonment and Adult Functioning: A Life Event History Analysis of Palestinians.

PubMed

McNeely, Clea; Barber, Brian K; Spellings, Carolyn; Belli, Robert; Giacaman, Rita; Arafat, Cairo; Daher, Mahmoud; El Sarraj, Eyad; Mallouh, Mohammed Abu

2015-06-01

Political imprisonment is a traumatic event, often accompanied by torture and deprivation. This study explores the association of political imprisonment between 1987 and 2011 with political, economic, community, psychological, physical, and family functioning in a population-based sample of Palestinian men ages 32-43 years (N = 884) derived from a dataset collected in 2011. Twenty-six percent (n = 233) had been politically imprisoned. Men imprisoned between 1987 and 2005 reported functioning as well as never-imprisoned men in most domains, suggesting that men imprisoned as youth have moved forward with their lives in ways similar to their nonimprisoned counterparts. In an exception to this pattern, men imprisoned during the Oslo Accords period (1994-1999) reported higher levels of trauma-related stress (B = 0.24, p = .027) compared to never-imprisoned men. Men imprisoned since 2006 reported lower functioning in multiple domains: human insecurity (B = 0.33, p = .023), freedom of public expression (B = -0.48, p = .017), perceived government stability (B = -0.38, p = .009), feeling broken or destroyed (B = 0.59, p = .001), physical limitations (B = 0.55, p = .002), and community belonging (B = -0.33, p = .048). Findings pointed to the value of examining the effects of imprisonment on functioning in multiple domains. © 2015 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Obesity and selected co-morbidities in an urban Palestinian population.

PubMed

Abdul-Rahim, H F; Abu-Rmeileh, N M; Husseini, A; Holmboe-Ottesen, G; Jervell, J; Bjertness, E

2001-11-01

To assess the prevalence of obesity and central obesity in an urban Palestinian population and their associations with selected co-morbidities, including diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidaemia. A population-based cross-sectional survey in an urban Palestinian community. Men and women aged 30-65 y residing in the urban community, excluding pregnant women. According to WHO guidelines, obesity for men and women was defined as BMI> or =30 kg x m(-2), while pre-obesity was defined as BMI 25-29.9 kg x m(-2). Central obesity was defined as a waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) of >0.90 in men and >0.85 in women. The prevalence of obesity in this population was high at 41% (49% and 30% in women and men, respectively). Central obesity was more prevalent among men (59% compared to 25% in women). After adjusting for the effects of age, sex, smoking and each other, obesity and central obesity were found to be significantly associated with diabetes, low HDL-cholesterol and elevated triglycerides in separate logistic regression analyses. Central obesity was also significantly associated with hypertension (OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.30-3.91). Obesity and central obesity are prevalent in the urban Palestinian population. Their associations with diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidaemia point to a potential rise in cardiovascular disease (CVD). An understanding of the reasons behind the high prevalence of obesity is essential for its prevention as well as for the prevention of the morbidities to which it may lead.

Community-Based Service-Learning for Youth Empowerment in Palestine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Trae

2012-01-01

Palestinian youth face developmental, cultural, and political barriers that impede them from fully engaging in civic life. Non-traditional, youth-centered pedagogies of engagement, like community-based service-learning (CBSL), have shown promise to motivate marginalized populations and provide space and roles for them to form individual identities…

Occurrence and fate of endocrine disrupting compounds in wastewater treatment plants in Israel and the Palestinian West Bank.

PubMed

Dotan, Pniela; Godinger, Tal; Odeh, Wad; Groisman, Ludmila; Al-Khateeb, Nader; Rabbo, Alfred Abed; Tal, Alon; Arnon, Shai

2016-07-01

Israel and its Palestinian neighbors constitute a unique venue for evaluating the treatment efficiency and potential environmental risks of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), because of their physical proximity yet contrasting societal dynamics. Israel primarily relies on advanced tertiary sewage treatment and recycles over 85% of its treated wastewater, while in the Palestinian Authority (PA), there is only secondary treatment levels at WWTPs and reuse is minimal (<1%). To evaluate the extent of EDC occurrence and treatment efficiency, we conducted four sampling campaigns over two consecutive years, and measured the concentrations of selected EDCs in raw wastewater (WW), treated WW and sludge in six WWTPs in Israel, as well as in two Palestinian plants. Low concentrations of bisphenol A, octylphenol and triclosan measured in the raw WW in the Palestinian WWTPs reflected the relatively modest industrial activity and consumption habits as compared to the westernized consumer patterns in Israel. On the other hand, hormone concentrations in raw WW were higher in the Palestinian WWTPs than those in the Israeli WWTPs, presumably because of a dilution effect associated with a higher water per capita consumption among Israelis. Despite these differences in raw WW concentrations, the removal efficiency in all advanced WWTPs was relatively high when compared to averages reported internationally. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Promoting the Middle East peace process by changing beliefs about group malleability.

PubMed

Halperin, Eran; Russell, Alexandra G; Trzesniewski, Kali H; Gross, James J; Dweck, Carol S

2011-09-23

Four studies showed that beliefs about whether groups have a malleable versus fixed nature affected intergroup attitudes and willingness to compromise for peace. Using a nationwide sample (N = 500) of Israeli Jews, the first study showed that a belief that groups were malleable predicted positive attitudes toward Palestinians, which in turn predicted willingness to compromise. In the remaining three studies, experimentally inducing malleable versus fixed beliefs about groups among Israeli Jews (N = 76), Palestinian citizens of Israel (N = 59), and Palestinians in the West Bank (N = 53)--without mentioning the adversary--led to more positive attitudes toward the outgroup and, in turn, increased willingness to compromise for peace.

Thinking from God's perspective decreases biased valuation of the life of a nonbeliever.

PubMed

Ginges, Jeremy; Sheikh, Hammad; Atran, Scott; Argo, Nichole

2016-01-12

Religious belief is often thought to motivate violence because it is said to promote norms that encourage tribalism and the devaluing of the lives of nonbelievers. If true, this should be visible in the multigenerational violent conflict between Palestinians and Israelis which is marked by a religious divide. We conducted experiments with a representative sample of Muslim Palestinian youth (n = 555), examining whether thinking from the perspective of Allah (God), who is the ultimate arbitrator of religious belief, changes the relative value of Jewish Israelis' lives (compared with Palestinian lives). Participants were presented with variants of the classic "trolley dilemma," in the form of stories where a man can be killed to save the lives of five children who were either Jewish Israeli or Palestinian. They responded from their own perspective and from the perspective of Allah. We find that whereas a large proportion of participants were more likely to endorse saving Palestinian children than saving Jewish Israeli children, this proportion decreased when thinking from the perspective of Allah. This finding raises the possibility that beliefs about God can mitigate bias against other groups and reduce barriers to peace.

Thinking from God’s perspective decreases biased valuation of the life of a nonbeliever

PubMed Central

Ginges, Jeremy; Sheikh, Hammad; Atran, Scott; Argo, Nichole

2016-01-01

Religious belief is often thought to motivate violence because it is said to promote norms that encourage tribalism and the devaluing of the lives of nonbelievers. If true, this should be visible in the multigenerational violent conflict between Palestinians and Israelis which is marked by a religious divide. We conducted experiments with a representative sample of Muslim Palestinian youth (n = 555), examining whether thinking from the perspective of Allah (God), who is the ultimate arbitrator of religious belief, changes the relative value of Jewish Israelis’ lives (compared with Palestinian lives). Participants were presented with variants of the classic “trolley dilemma,” in the form of stories where a man can be killed to save the lives of five children who were either Jewish Israeli or Palestinian. They responded from their own perspective and from the perspective of Allah. We find that whereas a large proportion of participants were more likely to endorse saving Palestinian children than saving Jewish Israeli children, this proportion decreased when thinking from the perspective of Allah. This finding raises the possibility that beliefs about God can mitigate bias against other groups and reduce barriers to peace. PMID:26711991

Violence against women in the context of war: experiences of Shi'i women and Palestinian refugee women in Lebanon.

PubMed

Holt, Maria

2013-03-01

In times of war, women are likely to experience, in addition to the "normal" violence of peacetime, random cruelties perpetrated by the enemy against all members of the community. During research conducted with Palestinian refugees and Shi'i Muslims in Lebanon, women described various forms of violence and, in this article, I examine violence suffered by women in the context of conflict from three perspectives: victimization, trauma, and resistance. I argue that traumatic events have the effect of obliterating identity, but they can also strengthen the resolve to resist.

Palestinian nurses' lived experiences working in the occupied West Bank.

PubMed

Taha, A A; Westlake, C

2017-03-01

Since the construction of the separation wall between Israel and the West Bank, Palestinians living in occupied West Bank have endured intense conflict, and severe restrictions on people's movement, trade and healthcare access, all of which resulted in spiralling poverty. These issues have created challenges for nurses that, to date, have not been explored. To explore the lived experience of Palestinian nurses working in the occupied West Bank. Qualitative phenomenological study using interviews with Palestinian nurses working in public hospitals in the West Bank. Seventeen nurses were interviewed. Despite ongoing experiences of trauma and humiliation, personal/professional role conflicts, political workplace bias and blurred role boundaries, these nurses persevered because of their commitment to caring and sense of moral duty to 'the people of this land'. Nurses in conflict areas are subject to layers of trauma. Palestinian nurses in the West Bank not only experience ongoing personal trauma, loss and humiliation of living in a conflict zone but they also experience additional professional trauma. The findings provide first-person reports of the unique challenges of nurses working in the occupied West Bank. Understanding the experiences of nurses working in occupied territories provides authentic information for local authorities and the global healthcare community. Practice improvements must be addressed and implemented. Local and global organizations that mobilize support, invest in human capital, and protect human rights in areas of conflict may benefit from understanding the experiences of nurses in this study. © 2016 International Council of Nurses.

Psychosocial Outcomes Related to Subjective Threat from Armed Conflict Events (STACE): Findings from the Israeli-Palestinian Cross-Cultural HBSC Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harel-Fisch, Yossi; Radwan, Qasrowi; Walsh, Sophie D.; Laufer, Avital; Amitai, Gabriel; Fogel-Grinvald, Haya; Abdeen, Ziad

2010-01-01

Objective: This study investigates the relationship between exposure to armed conflict and terror events, and an array of mental and behavioral outcomes within a large cross-cultural scientifically representative sample of 24,935 Palestinian (7,430 West Bank and 7,217 Gaza) and Israeli (5,255 Jewish and 6,033 Arab) 11-, 13-, and 15-year-old school…

Psychological Factors Associated with Emotional Distress among Palestinian Arabs from East Jerusalem Accessing Psychiatric Care in Israel.

PubMed

Nakash, Ora; Nagar, Maayan; Levav, Itzhak; Danilovich, Eli; Abu-Tair, Mamoun; Podolsky, Grigory

2016-01-01

The Palestinian population residing in East Jerusalem is characterized by high rates of poverty and unemployment and is subject to discrimination in various forms, including infrastructure of mental health services. Little is known about the help seeking needs and practices of East Jerusalem residents. We examined socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of a consecutive sample Palestinian residents from East Jerusalem (N=50) who accessed a specially assigned psychiatric clinic in Israel. In addition, we examined the psychological factors associated with emotional distress among these service-users upon entry to care. Participants completed a survey in Arabic that included a socio-demographic questionnaire and measures assessing emotional distress, perceived exposure to discrimination and social support, and mental health stigma. Participants reported high levels of emotional distress. Female gender, low socioeconomic status, higher perceived exposure to discrimination and higher perceived social support were associated with increased emotional distress. Findings add to the scarce body of knowledge on specific mental health characteristics of East Jerusalem Palestinian residents.

Druze Linguistic Landscape in Israel: Indexicality of New Ethnolinguistic Identity Boundaries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isleem, Martin

2015-01-01

The Druze community in Israel is a distinct religious community currently undergoing important ethnolinguistic shifts. The government's implementation of an official policy has led to the deconstruction and reshaping of the Druze political and national identity to one that differs substantially from that of the Palestinian minority in Israel. In…

Perception of the minority's collective identity and voting behavior: the case of the Palestinians in Israel.

PubMed

Suleiman, Ramzi

2002-12-01

The author investigated how Palestinian (n = 130) and Jewish (n = 153) Israeli university students perceived the collective identity of the Palestinian minority in Israel. The Palestinian and Jewish respondents perceived the "identity space" of the minority as linear, or bipolar, with 1 pole defined by the national (Palestinian) identity and the other defined by the civic (Israeli) label. The Palestinian respondents defined their collective identity in national (Palestinian, Arab) and integrative (Israeli-Palestinian) terms; the Jewish respondents perceived the minority's identity as integrative (Israeli-Palestinian). Different political outlooks among Palestinian respondents were related to their identification with the civic (Israeli) identity but not to their identification with the national (Palestinian) identity. In contrast, different political outlooks among Jewish respondents were related to their inclusion, or exclusion, of the national (Palestinian) component in their definition of the minority's identity. Implications of the results are discussed in terms of a minority acculturation model (J. Berry, J. Trimble, & E. Olmedo, 1986).

Public concerns about and perceptions of solid waste dump sites and selection of sanitary landfill sites in the West Bank, Palestinian territory.

PubMed

Al-Khatib, Issam A; Abu Hammad, Ahmad; Sharkas, Othman A; Sato, Chikashi

2015-04-01

Palestinian inhabitants have disposed of their solid wastes at open dumpsites over the past 40 years without an adequate solid waste management (SWM) plans. Recently, the Palestinian Authority initiated SWM planning to establish controlled sanitary landfills, based on a participatory approach. The purpose of this study was to assess public concerns about existing solid waste dumpsites and public perceptions of sanitary landfill site selection. The study will also take into consideration the effect of diverse social, economic, and environmental related factors of the inhabitants on sitting suitable landfill sites in three Palestinian districts in the West Bank, namely, "Nablus," "Salfit," and "Ramallah and Al-Bireh." The results of this study showed that 64.9% of the sample population are aware of the problems and potential impacts associated with random dumpsites, and 41.6% think that they are suffering from the dumps. Among the environmental, socioeconomic, and political factors, the environmental factors, air pollution in particular, are thought be the most important consideration in selecting a landfill site. The "fairness in selecting a landfill site" was chosen to be one of the most important socioeconomic factors, possibly as a reaction to the Israeli occupation and subsequent land use restrictions in the West Bank, Palestinian territory.

Dental Caries Status, Socio-Economic, Behavioral and Biological Variables among 12-Year-Old Palestinian School Children.

PubMed

Sgan-Cohen, H D; Bajali, M; Eskander, L; Steinberg, D; Zini, A

2015-01-01

There are currently inadequate data regarding the prevalence of dental caries and its associated variables, among Palestinian children. To determine the current prevalence of dental caries and related variables, among Palestinian children in East Jerusalem. A stratified sample of 286 East Jerusalem Palestinian children was selected, employing randomly chosen sixth grade clusters from three pre-selected socio-economic school groups. Dental caries was recorded according to WHO recommendations. Salivary flow, pH, buffer capacity and microbial parameters, were recorded according to previously employed methodologies. The mean level of caries experience, by DMFT, was 1.98 ± 2.05. This level was higher than those found among Israeli children, but lower than several other Middle Eastern countries. In uni-variate analysis, significant associations were revealed between caries and school categories, which indicated lower, middle and higher socio-economic position(SEP), mothers' employment, home densities, dental visits, tooth brushing, Streptococci mutans (SM), Lactobacilli (LB), and saliva pH. According to a linear logistic regression model, children learning in lower SEP schools, with higher SM levels and more acidic saliva, had a higher chance of experiencing dental caries. These findings should be considered in the planning of services and dental health care programs for Palestinian children.

Making up 'national trauma, in Israel: From collective identity to collective vulnerability.

PubMed

Plotkin-Amrami, Galia; Brunner, José

2015-08-01

We sketch a variety of institutional, discursive, professional, and personal 'vectors', dating back to the 1980s, in order to explain how 'national trauma' was able to go from a cultural into a professional category in Israeli mental health during the Al-Aqsa Intifada (2000-2005). Our genealogy follows Ian Hacking's approach to transient mental illnesses, both illustrating its fertility and expanding its horizon. Thus, we also explore the dynamics that developed in the Israeli mental health community with the advent of 'national trauma': while the vast majority of Israeli psychologists and psychiatrists did not adopt the category, they embraced much of its underlying logic, establishing a link between Israeli identity and the mental harm said to be caused by Palestinian terror. Remarkably, the nexus of national identity and collective psychic vulnerability also prompted the cooperation of Jewish and Palestinian-Israeli mental health scholars seeking to explore the psychological effect that the minority status of Israeli Palestinians had on them during the Al-Aqsa Intifada.

Both sides retaliate in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict

PubMed Central

Haushofer, Johannes; Biletzki, Anat; Kanwisher, Nancy

2010-01-01

Ending violent international conflicts requires understanding the causal factors that perpetuate them. In the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israelis and Palestinians each tend to see themselves as victims, engaging in violence only in response to attacks initiated by a fundamentally and implacably violent foe bent on their destruction. Econometric techniques allow us to empirically test the degree to which violence on each side occurs in response to aggression by the other side. Prior studies using these methods have argued that Israel reacts strongly to attacks by Palestinians, whereas Palestinian violence is random (i.e., not predicted by prior Israeli attacks). Here we replicate prior findings that Israeli killings of Palestinians increase after Palestinian killings of Israelis, but crucially show further that when nonlethal forms of violence are considered, and when a larger dataset is used, Palestinian violence also reveals a pattern of retaliation: (i) the firing of Palestinian rockets increases sharply after Israelis kill Palestinians, and (ii) the probability (although not the number) of killings of Israelis by Palestinians increases after killings of Palestinians by Israel. These findings suggest that Israeli military actions against Palestinians lead to escalation rather than incapacitation. Further, they refute the view that Palestinians are uncontingently violent, showing instead that a significant proportion of Palestinian violence occurs in response to Israeli behavior. Well-established cognitive biases may lead participants on each side of the conflict to underappreciate the degree to which the other side's violence is retaliatory, and hence to systematically underestimate their own role in perpetuating the conflict. PMID:20921415

The enemy as animal: Symmetric dehumanization during asymmetric warfare.

PubMed

Bruneau, Emile; Kteily, Nour

2017-01-01

Historically, dehumanization has enabled members of advantaged groups to 'morally disengage' from disadvantaged group suffering, thereby facilitating acts of intergroup aggression such as colonization, slavery and genocide. But is blatant dehumanization exclusive to those at the top 'looking down', or might disadvantaged groups similarly dehumanize those who dominate them? We examined this question in the context of intergroup warfare in which the disadvantaged group shoulders a disproportionate share of casualties and may be especially likely to question the humanity of the advantaged group. Specifically, we assessed blatant dehumanization in the context of stark asymmetric conflict between Israelis (Study 1; N = 521) and Palestinians (Study 2; N = 354) during the 2014 Gaza war. We observed that (a) community samples of Israelis and Palestinians expressed extreme (and comparable) levels of blatant dehumanization, (b) blatant dehumanization was uniquely associated with outcomes related to outgroup hostility for both groups, even after accounting for political ideologies known to strongly predict outgroup aggression, and (c) the strength of association between blatant dehumanization and outcomes was similar across both groups. This study illuminates the striking potency and symmetry of blatant dehumanization among those on both sides of an active asymmetric conflict.

The enemy as animal: Symmetric dehumanization during asymmetric warfare

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Historically, dehumanization has enabled members of advantaged groups to ‘morally disengage’ from disadvantaged group suffering, thereby facilitating acts of intergroup aggression such as colonization, slavery and genocide. But is blatant dehumanization exclusive to those at the top ‘looking down’, or might disadvantaged groups similarly dehumanize those who dominate them? We examined this question in the context of intergroup warfare in which the disadvantaged group shoulders a disproportionate share of casualties and may be especially likely to question the humanity of the advantaged group. Specifically, we assessed blatant dehumanization in the context of stark asymmetric conflict between Israelis (Study 1; N = 521) and Palestinians (Study 2; N = 354) during the 2014 Gaza war. We observed that (a) community samples of Israelis and Palestinians expressed extreme (and comparable) levels of blatant dehumanization, (b) blatant dehumanization was uniquely associated with outcomes related to outgroup hostility for both groups, even after accounting for political ideologies known to strongly predict outgroup aggression, and (c) the strength of association between blatant dehumanization and outcomes was similar across both groups. This study illuminates the striking potency and symmetry of blatant dehumanization among those on both sides of an active asymmetric conflict. PMID:28746412

'My happiness is the refugee camp, my future Palestine': optimism, life satisfaction and perceived happiness in a group of Palestinian children.

PubMed

Veronese, Guido; Castiglioni, Marco; Tombolani, Marco; Said, Mahmud

2012-09-01

This study aimed to explore optimism, perceived happiness and life satisfaction in a group of Palestinian children living in urban districts, rural areas and a refugee camp in the West Bank, as well as in a city in Israel. Three self-report instruments were administered to a convenience sample of school-age children (n. 226; 8-12 years old): the Youth Life Orientation Test (YLOT), the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) and the Face Scale (FS). The scores were analyzed using anovas and correlation tests (Pearson's r). Gender and age differences were explored. Optimism, life satisfaction and perceived happiness characterize the entire group of Palestinian children in general. Very little difference was found as a function of gender. Palestinian children seem to enjoy a satisfactory quality of life with regard to optimism, satisfaction and perceived happiness. We hypothesize that these factors may reinforce resilience and positive adjustment to trauma in children. The implications for clinical psychology are discussed. © 2011 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2011 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Process evaluation of a community-based mental health promotion intervention for refugee children

PubMed Central

Nakkash, Rima T.; Alaouie, Hala; Haddad, Pascale; El Hajj, Taghreed; Salem, Heba; Mahfoud, Ziyad; Afifi, Rema A.

2012-01-01

Public health interventions are complex in nature and composed of multiple components. Evaluation of process and impact is necessary to build evidence of effectiveness. Process evaluation involves monitoring extent of implementation and comparison against the program plan. This article describes the process evaluation of the ‘Qaderoon’ (We are Capable) intervention; a community-based mental health promotion intervention for children living in a Palestinian refugee camp of Beirut, Lebanon. The manuscript describes the context of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, the intervention, the process evaluation plan and results. The process evaluation was guided by the literature and by a Community Youth Committee. Findings indicated that attendance was 54 and 38% for summer and fall sessions, respectively. Session objectives and activities were commonly achieved. Over 78.4% of activities were reported to be implemented fully as planned. Over 90% of the children indicated high satisfaction with the sessions. Contextual facilitators and challenges to implementing the intervention are discussed. The most challenging were maintaining attendance and the actual implementation of the process evaluation plan. Findings from process evaluation will strengthen interpretation of impact evaluation results. PMID:21908850

Substance use among Palestinian youth in the West Bank, Palestine: a qualitative investigation.

PubMed

Massad, Salwa G; Shaheen, Mohammed; Karam, Rita; Brown, Ryan; Glick, Peter; Linnemay, Sebastian; Khammash, Umaiyeh

2016-08-17

Youth health risk behaviors, including substance use (psychoactive substances including alcohol and illicit drugs), have been the subject of relatively limited study to date in Middle Eastern countries. This study provides insights into the perceived prevalence and patterns of alcohol and drug use among Palestinian youth. The study was based on ten focus groups and 17 individual interviews with youth aged 16-24 years (n = 83), collected as part of the formative phase of a cross-sectional, population representative study of risk taking behaviors among Palestinian youth in the West Bank in 2012. Qualitative analysis was used to code detailed notes of focus groups and interviews. Most participants reported that substance use exists, even in socially conservative communities. Almost all participants agreed that alcohol consumption is common and that alcohol is easily available. The top alcoholic drinks referred to by the study participants were vodka, whisky, beer, and wine. Most participants claimed that they drink alcohol to cope with stress, for fun, out of curiosity, to challenge society, and due to the influence of the media. Participants were familiar with illicit drugs and knew of youth who engaged in drug use: marijuana, cocaine, and heroin were mentioned most frequently. Study participants believed that youth use drugs as a result of stress, the Israeli occupation, inadequate parental control, lack of awareness, unhappiness, curiosity, and for entertainment. Many participants were unaware of any local institutions to support youth with substance use problems. Others expressed their distrust of any such institution as they assumed them to be inefficient, profit-driven, and posing the risk of potential breaches of confidentiality. Although this study uses a purposive sample, the results suggest that substance use exists among Palestinian youth. Risk behaviors are a concern given inadequate youth-friendly counseling services and the strong cultural constraints on open discussion or education about the impact of high risk behaviors. These barriers to treatment and counseling can exacerbate the health and social consequences of alcohol abuse and illicit drug use.

Giving the Underdog a Leg Up

PubMed Central

Lane, Daniel; Saleem, Muniba

2017-01-01

In the current work, we experimentally examined the effect of exposure to a narrative of nonviolent resistance on third-party attitudes toward and support for a disempowered group involved in asymmetric conflict. Across three experiments, we found that Americans exposed to a brief video about Palestinian nonviolent resistance consistently registered more favorable attitudes toward Palestinians than people who watched a film trailer either unrelated to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict or a trailer to a Palestinian-made film about sympathetic Palestinians violently opposing Israelis. Americans’ attitudes toward Palestinians and behavior supporting Palestinian collective action persisted weeks after exposure to nonviolent resistance and were mediated by decreased perceptions that Palestinians are inherently violent. Importantly, positive attitudes toward Palestinians did not result in increased negativity toward Israelis. These data show that exposure to nonviolent resistance can have lasting effects on third-party attitudes and behavior toward an underdog/disempowered group, without driving partisanship. PMID:29187958

Dieting behaviours, obesity and predictors of dieting among female college students at Palestinian universities.

PubMed

Bayyari, W D; Henry, L J; Jones, C

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore dieting practices of female Palestinian college students. Participants ( = 410) were selected by cluster-sampling from 4 Palestinian universities. A regression model investigated dieting using: body mass index (BMI); body satisfaction; self-esteem; dress style; exercise; sociocultural factors; residence; strength of faith; perceived impact of weight on social interaction; and number of previous times dieting. Significant predictors of dieting were low body satisfaction, number of previous dieting times, perceived media pressure, regular exercising, BMI, and perceived impact of weight on social interaction, The model accounted for 45% of the variance in dieting. Body satisfaction was not significantly correlated with self-esteem or strength of faith, which indicates that "internalization of thinness" may be becoming evident among populations in certain developing countries, as in "Western" countries.

[Attitudes and opinions of Palestinian decision-makers about premarital examination law].

PubMed

El Sharif, Nuha; Rifai, Ayshea; Assi, Sana'a; Al Hmidat, Amjad

2006-11-01

We explored the attitudes and opinions of 90 Palestinian decision-makers about the draft law on premarital examination. The findings revealed that decision-makers were aware of the spread of genetic diseases but not infectious diseases. The majority agreed on the draft law; however, they differed on the mode of its application. Half believed that the law is not ready yet for application due to insufficient financial support to establish the needed infrastructure. The most significant recommendations made by the decision-makers were to: enhance community awareness of the law, ensure proper coordination among the concerned ministries and institutions, and establish a national organization to work on endorsement of the tests and issuance of the appropriate application strategies and regulations.

Challenges for nurses who work in community mental health centres in the West Bank, Palestine.

PubMed

Marie, Mohammad; Hannigan, Ben; Jones, Aled

2017-01-01

Nurses in Palestine (occupied Palestinian territory) work in a significantly challenging environment. The mental health care system is underdeveloped and under-resourced. For example, the total number of nurses who work in community mental health centres in the West Bank is seventeen, clearly insufficient in a total population of approximately three million. This research explored daily challenges that Palestinian community mental health nurses (CMHNs) face within and outside their demanding workplaces. An interpretive qualitative design was chosen. Face-to-face interviews were completed with fifteen participants. Thirty-two hours of observations of the day-to-day working environment and workplace routines were conducted in two communities' mental health centres. Written documents relating to practical job-related policies were also collected from various workplaces. Thematic analysis was used across all data sources resulting in four main themes, which describe the challenges faced by CMHNs. These themes consist of the context of unrest, stigma, lack of resources, and organisational or mental health system challenges. The study concludes with a better understanding of challenges in nursing which draws on wider cultural contexts and resilience. The outcomes from this study can be used to decrease the challenges for health professionals and enhance the mental health care system in Palestine.

Catastrophic healthcare payments and impoverishment in the occupied Palestinian territory.

PubMed

Mataria, Awad; Raad, Firas; Abu-Zaineh, Mohammad; Donaldson, Cam

2010-01-01

Financial protection from the risks of ill health has globally recognized importance as a principal performance goal of any health system. This type of financial protection involves minimizing catastrophic payments for healthcare and their associated impoverishing effects. Realization of this performance goal is heavily influenced by factors related to the overall policy environment and sociopolitical context in each country. To examine the incidence and intensity of catastrophic and impoverishing healthcare payments borne by Palestinian households between 1998 and 2007. The incidence and intensity of these effects are examined within the historically unique policy and socioeconomic context of the occupied Palestinian territory. A healthcare payment was considered catastrophic if it exceeded 10% of household resources, or 40% of resources net of food expenditures. The impoverishing effect of healthcare was examined by comparing poverty incidence and intensity before and after healthcare payments. The data source was a series of annual expenditure and consumption surveys covering 1998 and 2004-7, and including representative samples of Palestinian households (n = 1231-3098, per year). Total household expenditure was used as a proxy for household level of resources; and the sum of household expenses on a comprehensive list of medical goods and services was used to estimate healthcare payments. While only around 1% of the surveyed households spent ≥40% of their total household expenditures (net of food expenses) on healthcare in 1998, the percentage was almost doubled in 2007. In terms of impoverishing effect, while 11.8% of surveyed households fell into deep poverty in 1998 due to healthcare payments, 12.5% of households entered deep poverty for the same reason in 2006. Over the same period, the monthly amount by which poor households failed to reach the deep poverty line due to healthcare payments increased from $US9.4 to $US12.9. The inability of the Palestinian healthcare system to protect against the financial risks of ill health could be attributed to the prevailing sociopolitical conditions of the occupied Palestinian territory, and to some intrinsic system characteristics. It is recommended that pro-poor financing schemes be pursued to mitigate the negative impact of the recurrent health shocks affecting Palestinian households.

Traditional Arabic Palestinian ethnoveterinary practices in animal health care: A field survey in the West Bank (Palestine).

PubMed

Ali-Shtayeh, Mohammed S; Jamous, Rana M; Jamous, Rania M

2016-04-22

In Palestine, medicinal plants have continued to play a vital role in fulfilling animal healthcare needs of rural communities. However, these valuable resources are being depleted mainly due to over-harvesting, inappropriate agricultural practices (e.g., over use of herbicides), agricultural expansion, and over-grazing. Therefore, immediate action is required to conserve these resources and document the associated knowledge. The purpose of this study was, thus, to document and analyze information associated with medicinal plants that are used in managing animal health problems in the West Bank, Palestine. Ethnobotanical data were collected from Apr 2012 to Feb 2014 mainly using semi-structured interviews with informants sampled using purposive sampling technique and through field observations. The study revealed the use of 138 medicinal plant species in the West Bank for the treatment of several livestock diseases, of these 75 species representing 70 genera and 33 families were reported by 3 independent informants or above. Classification of the ethnoveterinary plant species cited by three informants or above used in a rank-order priority (ROP) based on their claimed relative healing potential has demonstrated that the following are the plants with the highest efficacy: Camellia sinenses, Teucrium capitatum, and Salvia fruticosa with ROPs of 97.1, 93.2, and 91.4, respectively, are used primarily to relieve gastric disorders. Gastrointestinal disorders is the disease group in the study area that scored the highest Informant consensus factor (ICF) value (0.90), followed by urinary, and reproductive disorders (0.89). Our study provided evidence that medicinal plants are still playing important role in the management of livestock diseases, and showed that ethnoveterinary plants used in animal health care in Palestine have been also recorded in human Traditional Arabic Palestinian Herbal Medicine (TAPHM), and demonstrated a strong link between human and veterinary medical practices. This survey has identified a number of important medicinal plants used by the Palestinian farmers of the West Bank area for the treatment of various animal ailments. It provides a baseline for future phytochemical and pharmacological investigations into the beneficial medicinal properties of such plants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A community of citizens: disability rehabilitation in the Palestinian transition to statehood.

PubMed

Giacaman, R

2001-09-20

It has been widely argued that community based programmes offer considerable advantages to the classical institutional forms of health and rehabilitation services delivery. With about 10 years of experience in operating community based rehabilitation projects (CBR) for the disabled, the Palestinian experience points to potentially serious problems relating to the conception and operationalization of such programmes in real life situations. Of importance is the issue of the impact of communal care on the already burdened lives of women, especially when such care is expected to be voluntary in nature. Caretaking in the Palestinian context, especially of the disabled, elderly and the sick, is a pre-defined sex linked role dictated by a patriarchal society and system of policy making that excludes women from economic and social life. The voluntary care aspect entailed in the CBR conception and practice, can and does contribute further to the exclusion of women not only from the labour force, but from most other aspects of life as well. This represents an apparent contradiction between the needs of two excluded groups, the disabled and women. The other problematic entailed in the communal model of caring for the disabled is the strategic and operational bias focusing on community, to the exclusion of the notion of social rights of all citizens, and the role and duty of state structures in the fulfilment of the disabled basic needs. Such an approach can only relegate the disabled rights back to their original place as charity. On the other hand, when CBR projects are operated holistically, in the context of social movements existing within power relation and with a broader democratic agenda engaging different groups-including a disability movement-as is currently taking place in Palestine, CBR projects can also turn into a mobilizing force for the social rights of all excluded groups. Thus the question is not merely one of governmental involvement as opposed to the involvement of non-governmental organizations and charitable societies in community based projects. Rather, it is a question of the right to a decent life for all, in dignity and security, that citizenship and statehood promise, but have yet to deliver in many developing countries, especially in Palestine.

Role Conflict and the Dilemma of Palestinian Teachers in Israel.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makkawi, Ibrahim

2002-01-01

Data from interviews with Palestinian activist college students about their earlier schooling in Israel are used to illustrate Palestinian teachers' dilemmas and challenges and to confirm that the Israeli authorities systematically use formal education to repress Palestinian national identity and awareness among students. Educational goals of…

Culture and acculturation influences on Palestinian perceptions of prenatal genetic counseling.

PubMed

Awwad, Rawan; Veach, Patricia McCarthy; Bartels, Dianne M; LeRoy, Bonnie S

2008-02-01

Patient cultural backgrounds strongly influence decision-making processes and outcomes in genetic counseling. The present study investigated influences of culture and acculturation on prenatal decision making processes of native Palestinians and Palestinian Americans. Seventeen native Palestinians and 14 first-generation, Palestinian Americans were interviewed and asked to imagine themselves as patients in hypothetical premarital and prenatal situations. Five major issues were investigated: 1) Influence of family history of an inherited condition on pre-marital decisions; 2) Perceptions of non-directive genetic counselor statements regarding options; 3) Role of gender in prenatal decisions; 4) Gender differences in emotional expression; and 5) Role of family and society in prenatal decisions. Several similarities and differences in native Palestinian and Palestinian American responses were obtained. Similarities appear to be due to common cultural roots, while differences may be due to acculturation. Practice and research recommendations are provided.

Evaluation of Root Canal Configuration of Mandibular First Molars in a Palestinian Population by Using Cone-Beam Computed Tomography: An Ex Vivo Study

PubMed Central

Mukhaimer, Raed Hakam

2014-01-01

Aim. The purpose of this study was to investigate the number of canals and variations in root canal configuration in the mandibular permanent first molar teeth of a Palestinian population using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Methods. A sample of 320 extracted double-rooted mandibular permanent first molars from Palestinian population was collected for this study and scanned with CBCT scanner. The following observations were made: number of root canals per root and canal configuration in each root based on Vertucci's classification. Results. Of the 320 mandibular first molars analyzed, 174 (54.4%) had three canals, 132 teeth (41.3%) had four canals, and only four teeth had two canals. The most common canal configuration in the mesial roots was Vertucci type IV (53.8%) followed by type II (38.8%). In the distal roots, the most prevalent canal configuration was Vertucci type I (57.5%) followed by type II ( 22.5%) and type III (10.6%). Conclusion. Our results showed that the number of canals and canal configuration in Palestinian population were consistent with previously reported data. The present study also indicates that CBCT is helpful as a diagnostic tool for the investigation of root canal morphology. PMID:27379321

Traumatic dental injuries and related factors among sixth grade schoolchildren in four Palestinian towns.

PubMed

Livny, Alon; Sgan-Cohen, Harold D; Junadi, Samer; Marcenes, Wagner

2010-10-01

Traumatic dental injuries (TDI) are recognized as an important dental public health issue among children. The West Bank, a part of the Palestinian Authority, is in immediate neighborhood to Israel. There are inadequate epidemiologic data among the Palestinian people, on dental health issues. To determine the occurrence of TDI to permanent teeth among sixth grade Palestinian schoolchildren living in four large towns of the West Bank and to investigate associations with anatomic and demographic factors. Eight hundred and four children were sampled and examined in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and Jericho. Data collection included clinical examinations in schools and questionnaires for demographic and socio-economic background. The prevalence of traumatic dental injuries was 17.7%. Enamel fractures and injuries involving dentine accounted for 41% and 42.5% of all injuries, respectively. The most affected teeth (89%) were upper central incisors. Only 5% of the injured teeth were treated. Results of multiple logistic regression confirmed that TDI were significantly (P < 0.001) more prevalent among boys, children presenting incisal overjet larger than 5 mm, and incompetent lip coverage. The relative high prevalence and very low levels of treated TDI identified in this study suggested that both prevention and treatment of TDI in the West Bank were inadequate. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Palestinian Youth of the Intifada: PTSD and Future Orientation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lavi, Tamar; Solomon, Zahava

2005-01-01

Objective: To assess the nature of chronic exposure to terror and its psychological and cognitive toll on Palestinian youths, as is reflected in posttraumatic symptoms, future orientation, and attitudes toward peace. Method: In the summer of 2001, 245 Palestinian and 300 Israeli-Palestinian adolescents in the sixth to ninth grades were assessed…

Intermarriages between Western Women and Palestinian Men: Multidirectional Adaptation Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roer-Strier, Dorit; Ezra, Dina Ben

2006-01-01

This article addresses cultural adaptation of Western-Palestinian intermarried couples. Using in-depth interviews, information was gathered from 16 participants, 7 Western women and 9 Palestinian men, living in Palestinian cities in the West Bank. Adaptation strategies are typified by the extent to which each spouse embraces the partner's culture.…

Characterization of Theileria equi genotypes in horses in Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan.

PubMed

Ketter-Ratzon, Dafna; Tirosh-Levy, Sharon; Nachum-Biala, Yaarit; Saar, Tal; Qura'n, Lara; Zivotofsky, Doni; Abdeen, Ziad; Baneth, Gad; Steinman, Amir

2017-06-01

Equine theileriosis caused by Theileria equi is endemic in the Middle East, where it causes a severe disease as well as widespread subclinical infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diversity of T. equi genotypes in Israel and the neighboring Palestinian Authority and Jordan. Blood samples from 355 horses from Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan were tested for the prevalence of T. equi DNA. Two hundred and fourteen (60%) were found positive for T. equi infection by PCR. Of those, the 18S rRNA (1458bp) and the EMA-1 (745bp) genes of T. equi were sequenced from 15 horse samples that represent Israel's geographical distribution together with four samples from the Palestinian Authority and two from Jordan. The results were used for genotype characterization and phylogenetic analysis of T. equi in the equine population in Israel and its surroundings. Three 18S rRNA genotype clades were found in Israel (A, C and D) with clade D being the most prevalent and included all four isolates from the PA. In contrast, the EMA-1 gene showed little diversity with all sequences clustering in the same clade apart from one Jordanian sequence. Results suggest that although the Israeli horse population is small and relatively confined geographically, it is probable that the genetic variability, which was found among Israeli horses, is a result of introduction of horses from other countries. It also suggests that the EMA-1 gene is probably not a good target for the evaluation of variance in T. equi populations. Characterization of the different genotypes prevalent in a certain region is important in order to map out the intra-species sequence heterogeneity of the parasite, which is needed in order to develop new diagnostic tools and vaccines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

The Holocaust in Palestinian Textbooks: Differences and Similarities in Israel and Palestine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alayan, Samira

2016-01-01

The article explores how the Holocaust is represented in history textbooks for Palestinian pupils in the Palestinian and Arab-Israeli curricula from a pedagogical perspective. Since no mention of the Holocaust was found in Palestinian Authority textbooks, the study seeks to explain why this is so, while examining representations of the Holocaust…

Social Understanding in Young Israeli-Jewish, Israeli-Palestinian, Palestinian, and Jordanian Children: Moral Judgments and Stereotypes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brenick, Alaina; Killen, Melanie; Lee-Kim, Jennie; Fox, Nathan; Leavitt, Lewis; Raviv, Amiram; Masalha, Shafiq; Murra, Farid; Al-Smadi, Yahia

2010-01-01

Research Findings: An empirical investigation was conducted to test young Palestinian, Jordanian, Israeli-Palestinian, and Israeli-Jewish children's (N = 433; M = 5.7 years of age) cultural stereotypes and their evaluations of peer intergroup exclusion based upon a number of different factors, including being from a different country and speaking…

Fragmented Foundations: Education and Chronic Crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicolai, Susan

2007-01-01

This study explores the setting up and development of the first Palestinian-led education system, from 1994 to 2005. Given the context of chronic crisis, and the immensity of the endeavour, the Palestinians have made substantial progress in a relatively short time. However, the Palestinian education story does not end here. The author looks at…

Internal displacement and health among the Palestinian minority in Israel.

PubMed

Daoud, Nihaya; Shankardass, Ketan; O'Campo, Patricia; Anderson, Kim; Agbaria, Ayman K

2012-04-01

Long term health impacts of internal displacement (ID) resulting from political violence are not well documented or understood. One such case is the ID of 300,000-420,000 Palestinian citizens of Israel and their descendants during the Nakba of 1948 (Palestinian Catastrophe). We aim to document the long term health impacts of this ID. We draw on data collected in 2005 from a nationwide random sample of 902 individuals aged 30-70. Research participants were interviewed in person after being selected through a multistage sampling procedure. About 24% of participants reported that either they or their families had been internally displaced. Palestinian internally displaced persons (IDPs), that is, those who were forcibly displaced and dispossessed from their homes and lands during the Nakba and its aftermath, as well as their families and descendants, and who reside within the current borders of Israel, had an odds ratio of 1.45 (95% CI = 1.02-2.07) for poor self-rated health (SRH) compared to non-IDPs after controlling for demographic, socioeconomic and psychosocial factors. No difference was found between IDPs and non-IDPs in limiting longstanding illness following control for confounders. Low socioeconomic position and chronic stress were significantly related to ID and to SRH. Our findings suggest adverse long term health impacts of the Nakba on the IDPs when compared to non-IDPs. We propose that these disparities might stem from IDPs' unhealed post-traumatic scars from the Nakba, or from becoming a marginalized minority within their own society due to their displacement and loss of collective identity. Given these long term health consequences, we conclude that displacement should be addressed with health and social policies for IDPs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Current Palestinian Uprising: Al-Aqsa Intifadah

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-01-01

demand for brand-name, easily-identifiable American products and franchises , including fast- food restaurants, bottled beverages , cigarettes, cleaning...limiting Palestinians from entering Israel.12 Critics, however, say that Palestinians who benefit from access to the Israeli labor market have rarely...widespread refusal to remit taxes to an occupying authority that rarely reinvested this money for the benefit of the Palestinian people and by popular

Looking Backward to Move Forward: Effects of Acknowledgment of Victimhood on Readiness to Compromise for Peace in the Protracted Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

PubMed

Hameiri, Boaz; Nadler, Arie

2017-04-01

Two large-scale surveys conducted in Israel (Study 1A) and the Palestinian Authority (Study 1B) show that the belief by group members that people in the "enemy" group acknowledge their victimhood (i.e., Holocaust and Nakba for Jews and Palestinians, respectively) is associated with Israeli-Jews' readiness to accept responsibility for Palestinian sufferings and offer apologies. For Palestinians, this belief is linked to a perceived higher likelihood of a reconciled future with Israelis. Three field experiments demonstrate that a manipulated high level of acknowledgment of Jewish victimhood by Palestinians (Studies 2 and 4) and of Palestinian victimhood by Israeli-Jews (Study 3) caused greater readiness to make concessions for the sake of peace on divisive issues (e.g., Jerusalem, the 1967 borders, the right of return) and increased conciliatory attitudes. Additional analyses indicate the mediating role of increased trust and reduced emotional needs in these relationships.

University students' knowledge of corneal donation and willingness to donate corneas in the occupied Palestinian territory: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Al-Labadi, Liana; Gammoh, Yazan; Shehada, Reham; Shahin, Reem; Jbarah, Walaa; Amro, Madleen; Athamny, Hanan

2018-02-21

Access to corneal transplantation is limited worldwide because of poor knowledge. Ethical, religious, and cultural barriers contribute to low rates of corneal donation. In the occupied Palestinian territory, limited information is available on factors affecting corneal donation. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and willingness towards corneal donation in Palestinian students. This cross-sectional study included university students selected through convenience sampling in Nablus in the summer of 2016. The sample size was determined using the sample formulae and a 15% non-response rate. All students registered in obligatory courses were included in the study after verbal consent. Each participant was given a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 14 questions to assess knowledge, awareness, and willingness toward corneal donation. Frequencies were used for descriptive analysis, and associations were determined using multivariate analysis and χ 2 test, with a p value of less than 0·05 considered significant. Of the 634 students completing the questionnaire, 411 (65%) were women, 614 (97%) were Muslims, and 155 (25%) were health or medical students. 592 (93%) respondents were unaware of eye bank availability, and 407 (69%; p=0.002) of these respondents did not show willingness towards corneal donation. 431 (67%) respondents were aware of a lack in corneal donation, but 274 (64%; p=0·01) of these respondents did not show willingness towards corneal donation. 429 (68%) respondents were not willing to donate their corneas, the most common reasons being disapproval by family members and poor awareness. We found no association between sociodemographic factors and willingness was determined. Palestinian students are aware of the lack of local cornea donation but are unwilling to donate their corneas. The study results are not representative of the entire population because of the homogeneous nature of the sample. Large efforts are needed locally to develop the eye bank infrastructure to increase knowledge and awareness relating to corneal donation. None. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does war beget child aggression? Military violence, gender, age and aggressive behavior in two Palestinian samples.

PubMed

Qouta, Samir; Punamäki, Raija-Leena; Miller, Thomas; El-Sarraj, Eyad

2008-01-01

We examined, first, the relations between children's exposure to military violence and their aggressive behavior and the role of age and gender in that relation in two Palestinian samples. Second, we tested parenting practices as a moderator of the relation between exposure to military violence and aggressive behavior, and third, whether exposure to military violence of different nature (direct victimization versus witnessing) has specific associations with different forms of aggression (reactive, proactive and aggression-enjoyment). Study I was conducted in a relatively calm military-political atmosphere in Palestine-Gaza, and included 640 children, aged 6-16 years whose parents (N=622) and teachers (N=457) provided reports. Older children (> or =12 years) provided self-reports (N=211). Study II included 225 Palestinian children aged 10-14-year, who participated during a high-violence period of the Al Aqsa Intifada characterized by air raids, killing and destruction. Results showed that witnessing severe military violence was associated with children's aggressive and antisocial behavior (parent-reported) in study I, and with proactive, reactive and aggression-enjoyment (child-reported) in the study II. As hypothesized, good and supporting parenting practices could moderate the link between exposure to military violence and aggressive behavior. Aggr. Copyright 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The Impact of Parental Detention on the Psychological Wellbeing of Palestinian Children

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Background Since 1967, the Palestinian Occupied Territories are marked by a political conflict between Palestinians and Israel. During this conflict, about one fifth of the Palestinian population has been detained; about one quarter of these are parents. Although we know that father’s incarceration might impact their children’s psychological wellbeing, little is known about the impact of father’s imprisonment on young children (under 11 years old), and when the incarceration is framed in contexts of political conflict. Therefore, this study aimed at gaining insight into the impact of parental detention on young children’s psychological wellbeing, and the impact of witnessing the detention process itself. Methods Based on the list of imprisoned Palestinian men with children living in the West Bank, a group of 79 (3- to 10-years old) children was randomly composed. Above, through schools and health centers, a comparison sample of 99 children who didn’t experience imprisonment of a family member was selected. Mothers of these children completed two cross-culturally validated questionnaires on their children’s psychological wellbeing, the UCLA-PTSD-Index and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results Results showed higher levels of PTSD and general mental health problems associated with father’s capturing. Above, when the children watched the arrest process of their fathers, scores still increased further. Younger children tended to show higher SDQ scores, and children living in villages reported higher posttraumatic stress scores compared to children living in urban areas or refugee camps. Little gender differences were found. Conclusion This study shows the important impact of parental detention on the psychological wellbeing for young children and urges for more psychological care and support for family members – in particular children – of detainees. PMID:26186687

HAMAS through a Constructivist Lens

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

opposed to the Egyptian government from or through the Palestinian territories into Egypt. The current elected majority party in the Palestinian...Brotherhood provided the ideological underpinnings of HAM AS and ultimately its sense of what HAMAS was to be as an organization. An Egyptian ...of departure for the Palestinians from the Egyptian branch. The Muslim Brotherhood spread to the Palestinian territories in the late 1960s. In 1978 it

Exposure to Violence across the Social Ecosystem and the Development of Aggression: A Test of Ecological Theory in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

PubMed Central

Boxer, Paul; Huesmann, L. Rowell; Dubow, Eric F.; Landau, Simha F.; Gvirsman, Shira Dvir; Shikaki, Khalil; Ginges, Jeremy

2012-01-01

Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological model proposes that events in higher-order social ecosystems should influence human development through their impact on events in lower-order social ecosystems. This proposition was tested with respect to ecological violence and the development of children’s aggression via analyses of three waves of data (one wave yearly for three years) from three age cohorts (starting ages 8, 11, and 14) representing three populations in the Middle East: Palestinians (N = 600), Israeli Jews (N = 451), and Israeli Arabs (N = 450). Results supported a hypothesized model in which ethno-political violence increases community, family, and school violence and children’s aggression. Findings are discussed with respect to ecological and observational learning perspectives on the development of aggressive behavior. PMID:22906188

Imprisoned Husbands: Palestinian Wives and Experiences of Difficulties.

PubMed

Shehadeh, Amer; Dawani, Sama; Saed, Mohammed; Derluyn, Ilse; Loots, Gerrit

2016-01-01

This study aimed to investigate difficulties experienced by the wives of Palestinian men arrested and held in Israeli prisons. 16 captives' wives were interviewed using a semi-structured interview to provide them with a greater opportunity to speak about their experiences. Three main research questions were discussed; community difficulties, social support, and coping strategies. A thematic analysis was used throughout the interviews. We concluded that in addition to the stress of being separated from their husbands, the frustrating visitation process to prison and the ongoing political conflict, the wives expressed a frustrating social network characterized by constant interferences in their personal lives and the choices they make. Most women expressed a lack in psychosocial support given through governmental and non-governmental organizations; in addition they expressed a need for that kind of support. Coping strategies ranged from religious, acceptance, distraction, to planning strategies.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and associated socioeconomic and demographic factors among Palestinian adults (20-65 years) at the Gaza Strip.

PubMed

Sirdah, Mahmoud M; Al Laham, Nahed A; Abu Ghali, Asmaa S

2011-01-01

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a multifaceted syndrome and has been described as a clustering of several risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of MetS and its individual components among Palestinian adults, 20-65 years old in Gaza Strip. In addition to find any possible associations with socioeconomic and demographic factors. The study sample included 230 adults aged 20-65 years. Data were collected by questionnaire interviews, anthropometrics, and biochemical analysis that included: serum glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, and LDL. MetS was defined according to the NCEP/ATP III diagnostic criteria. Overall prevalence of MetS was 23.0% among the study subjects, with no significant differences between males (18.1%) and females (28.1%). The prevalence of MetS increased significantly with age and was associated significantly with physical activity and martial status, while no significant associations were found with household income; geographical locality; smoking; watching TV; or family history. Age, sex, physical activity and marital status are risk factors independently associated with MetS in the Palestinian population at the Gaza Strip. National health awareness and preventive programs should be established aiming at decreasing of MetS trends in the Palestinian population at Gaza Strip. Copyright © 2012 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of the peace treaty on psychological well-being: a follow-up study of Palestinian children.

PubMed

Qouta, S; Punamäki, R L; el Sarraj, E

1995-10-01

This research examined the impact of the Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty and Palestinian children's perception of it on their self-esteem and neuroticism. We also studied the relative importance of earlier exposure to traumatic experiences and psychosocial resources indicated by the children's creativity, intelligence and political activity in influencing their psychological well-being after the peace treaty. The sample used was a follow-up group of 64 Palestinian children of 11-12 years of age, living in the Gaza Strip. The results showed that the level of neuroticism was significantly lower after the peace treaty than before. The children's earlier exposure to traumatic experiences was still significantly related to high neuroticism and low self-esteem after the peace treaty. Acceptance of the treaty and participating in the subsequent festivities mitigated the negative impact of the traumatic experiences on their well-being. Increased neuroticism and decreased self-esteem were found only among children who refused to accept the peace treaty and did not participate in the festivities. Creativity and Intifada activity promoted their post-peace treaty well-being, in terms of psychosocial resources. The more creative the children were, the more their neurotic symptoms decreased because of the treaty and the higher self-esteem they had after it. The more active the children were during the Intifada, the more their self-esteem increased because of the treaty.

Jimmy Carter, Palestinian Art, and Brandeis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jankowski, Paul

2007-01-01

The principle, in the author's mind, is simple enough--to allow expression on campus when it is not hateful or defamatory or threatening, and to encourage it when it is civil and open-minded and of probable interest to some members of the community. The devil lies in the practice. In this article, the author discusses various issues that have…

Social ecology of resilience and Sumud of Palestinians.

PubMed

Marie, Mohammad; Hannigan, Ben; Jones, Aled

2018-01-01

The aim of this article is to provide an overview of theoretical perspectives and practical research knowledge in relation to 'resilience', the resilience of Palestinians in particular and the related concept of 'Sumud'. 'Sumud' is a Palestinian idea that is interwoven with ideas of personal and collective resilience and steadfastness. It is also a socio-political concept and refers to ways of surviving in the context of occupation, chronic adversity, lack of resources and limited infrastructure. The concept of 'resilience' has deep roots, going back at least to the 10th century when Arabic scholars suggested strategies to cope with life adversity. In Europe, research into resilience extends back to the 1800s. The understanding of resilience has developed over four overlapping waves. These focus on individual traits, protective factors, ecological assets and (in the current wave) social ecological factors. The current wave of resilience research focuses on the contribution of cultural contextualisation and is an approach that is discussed in this article, which draws on Arabic and English language literature located through a search of multiple databases (CINAHL, British Nursing Index, ASSIA, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and EMBASE). Findings suggest that 'Sumud' is linked to the surrounding cultural context and can be thought of as an innovative, social ecological, approach to promoting resilience. We show that resilience is a prerequisite to 'Sumud', meaning that the individual has to be resilient in order to stay and not to leave their place, position or community. We close by pressing the case for studies which investigate resilience especially in underdeveloped countries such as Palestine (occupied Palestinian territories), and which reveal how resilience is embedded in pre-existing cultural contexts.

The impact of occupation on child health in a Palestinian refugee camp.

PubMed

Basak, Polly

2012-12-01

This article focuses on child health in the Palestinian refugee camp of Dheisheh in the West Bank region of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Thirty in-depth interviews were carried out with parents to determine their perceptions of their children's health. The questions related to physical, mental and social well-being, access to health facilities, factors that were likely to hinder health and measures that could be implemented to improve child health. The study was carried out prior to and during the Gaza War in December 2008 that resulted in the deaths of 1380 Palestinians including 431 children and 112 women [1]. The effects of occupation, conflict and being a refugee had a detrimental impact on perceptions of health. Interviewees revealed that their perceptions of their children's health were determined by the camp's conditions, the current economic climate, past and current political conflict and financial and social restrictions. The understanding of being healthy incorporated physical and mental health as well as social well-being. As a result, 70% of interviewees deemed that their children were not in good health. This finding accelerated to 100% after the Gaza War, showing the negative effect war has on health perceptions. Findings showed that perceptions of physical health are very much interlinked with mental well-being and parents' perceptions of their children's health, and are closely related to their state of mental health. Consequently, a clear correlation can be discerned between the ongoing occupation and its detrimental effects on mental health. Therapeutic and preventive health programmes such as child therapy and stress management that have already been implemented by the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme would be highly beneficial to both children and adults in Dheisheh refugee camp.

Social ecology of resilience and Sumud of Palestinians

PubMed Central

Marie, Mohammad; Hannigan, Ben; Jones, Aled

2017-01-01

The aim of this article is to provide an overview of theoretical perspectives and practical research knowledge in relation to ‘resilience’, the resilience of Palestinians in particular and the related concept of ‘Sumud’. ‘Sumud’ is a Palestinian idea that is interwoven with ideas of personal and collective resilience and steadfastness. It is also a socio-political concept and refers to ways of surviving in the context of occupation, chronic adversity, lack of resources and limited infrastructure. The concept of ‘resilience’ has deep roots, going back at least to the 10th century when Arabic scholars suggested strategies to cope with life adversity. In Europe, research into resilience extends back to the 1800s. The understanding of resilience has developed over four overlapping waves. These focus on individual traits, protective factors, ecological assets and (in the current wave) social ecological factors. The current wave of resilience research focuses on the contribution of cultural contextualisation and is an approach that is discussed in this article, which draws on Arabic and English language literature located through a search of multiple databases (CINAHL, British Nursing Index, ASSIA, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and EMBASE). Findings suggest that ‘Sumud’ is linked to the surrounding cultural context and can be thought of as an innovative, social ecological, approach to promoting resilience. We show that resilience is a prerequisite to ‘Sumud’, meaning that the individual has to be resilient in order to stay and not to leave their place, position or community. We close by pressing the case for studies which investigate resilience especially in underdeveloped countries such as Palestine (occupied Palestinian territories), and which reveal how resilience is embedded in pre-existing cultural contexts. PMID:28177266

mHealth for mental health in the Middle East: Need, technology use, and readiness among Palestinians in the West Bank.

PubMed

Ben-Zeev, Dror; Fathy, Cherie; Jonathan, Geneva; Abuharb, Batoul; Brian, Rachel M; Kesbeh, Lana; Abdelkader, Samer

2017-06-01

Palestinians in the West Bank are at heightened risk for mental health problems. Limited availability of clinicians and a host of geopolitical, topographical, and infrastructural challenges create significant regional barriers to clinic-based care. The objective of this study was to examine whether mHealth approaches that leverage mobile phones for remote mental health treatment may be viable alternatives. We surveyed 272 Palestinian adults in urban, rural, and refugee camp settings. Most participants (93.4%) reported owning mobile phones. The penetration of mobile devices was high across all study sites. Males and females did not differ in their access to this resource. Among mobile phone owners, 79.9% had smartphones, 32.2% had basic mobile phones, and 12.2% owned both. Respondents reported having reliable access to electricity (99.6%) and Wi-Fi (80.9%). Almost all mobile phone owners (99.6%) reported using social media such as Facebook, WhatsApp, or Twitter. When asked to estimate the prevalence of mental health problems in the region, 61.4% of participants reported that over half of the people in their communities struggled with depression, posttraumatic stress, or auditory hallucinations. Most participants indicated that they would personally be interested in mHealth for Mental Health options such as bi-directional texting with clinicians (68.8%), smartphone applications (66.5%), unidirectional support texts (64.7%), or web-based interventions (64.0%). Given the Palestinian populations' broad access to technology and technological infrastructure, need for care, and openness to engage in mobile interventions, mHealth should be considered a promising strategy for mental health services in the West Bank. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recent Foreign Language Education Policies in Palestine.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amara, Muhammad Hasan

2003-01-01

Investigates the development of foreign language education policies in Palestine at a time when the establishment of a Palestinian state has become a real option, and when, following the Oslo agreements, the Palestinians have become responsible for Palestinian education. (Author/VWL)

The Y Chromosome Pool of Jews as Part of the Genetic Landscape of the Middle East

PubMed Central

Nebel, Almut; Filon, Dvora; Brinkmann, Bernd; Majumder, Partha P.; Faerman, Marina; Oppenheim, Ariella

2001-01-01

A sample of 526 Y chromosomes representing six Middle Eastern populations (Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Kurdish Jews from Israel; Muslim Kurds; Muslim Arabs from Israel and the Palestinian Authority Area; and Bedouin from the Negev) was analyzed for 13 binary polymorphisms and six microsatellite loci. The investigation of the genetic relationship among three Jewish communities revealed that Kurdish and Sephardic Jews were indistinguishable from one another, whereas both differed slightly, yet significantly, from Ashkenazi Jews. The differences among Ashkenazim may be a result of low-level gene flow from European populations and/or genetic drift during isolation. Admixture between Kurdish Jews and their former Muslim host population in Kurdistan appeared to be negligible. In comparison with data available from other relevant populations in the region, Jews were found to be more closely related to groups in the north of the Fertile Crescent (Kurds, Turks, and Armenians) than to their Arab neighbors. The two haplogroups Eu 9 and Eu 10 constitute a major part of the Y chromosome pool in the analyzed sample. Our data suggest that Eu 9 originated in the northern part, and Eu 10 in the southern part of the Fertile Crescent. Genetic dating yielded estimates of the expansion of both haplogroups that cover the Neolithic period in the region. Palestinian Arabs and Bedouin differed from the other Middle Eastern populations studied here, mainly in specific high-frequency Eu 10 haplotypes not found in the non-Arab groups. These chromosomes might have been introduced through migrations from the Arabian Peninsula during the last two millennia. The present study contributes to the elucidation of the complex demographic history that shaped the present-day genetic landscape in the region. PMID:11573163

Justification, perception of severity and harm, and criminalization of wife abuse in the Palestinian society.

PubMed

Haj-Yahia, Muhammad M; Wilson, Rula M; Naqvi, Syed Agha M

2012-07-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of Palestinian adults toward different dimensions of wife abuse. A cross-sectional survey, using a combination of self-administered questionnaires and interviews, was conducted among a systematic random sample of 624 adult Palestinian men and women from the West Bank and Gaza Strip (18 years or older). Study results indicated a strong tendency to justify wife beating in different situations, such as when the wife is perceived as having an affair with another man or as physically attacking her husband. Participants considered the following acts of husband's violence against wife as most severe: using a weapon (86%), having sex with the wife against her will (67%), and hitting her with his fist (57%). The majority of participants thought that wife beating should be considered a crime (82.3%). Traditional marital role expectations was the main significant predictor for all of the study criterion variables. Gender, place of residence, age, and marital status were significant predictors of some of the criterion variables.

Assessment of compost quality and usage for agricultural use: a case study of Hebron, Palestine.

PubMed

Al-Sari, Majed I; Sarhan, Mohammed A A; Al-Khatib, Issam A

2018-03-15

Complying with the technical specifications of compost production is of high importance not only for environmental protection but also for increasing the productivity and promotion of compost use by farmers in agriculture. This study focuses on the compost quality of the Palestinian market and farmers' attitudes toward agricultural use of compost. The quality is assessed through selection of 20 compost samples of different suppliers and producers and lab testing for quality parameters, while the farmers' attitudes to compost use for agriculture are evaluated through survey questionnaire of 321 farmers in the Hebron area. The results showed that the compost in the Palestinian markets is of medium quality due to partial or non-compliance with the quality standards and guidelines. The Palestinian farmers showed a positive attitude since 91.2% of them have the desire to use compost in agriculture. The results also showed that knowledge of difference between compost and chemical fertilizers, perception of compost benefits, and previously experiencing problems in compost use are significant factors affecting the farmers' attitude toward the use of compost as an organic fertilizer.

Exposure to violence across the social ecosystem and the development of aggression: a test of ecological theory in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

PubMed

Boxer, Paul; Rowell Huesmann, L; Dubow, Eric F; Landau, Simha F; Gvirsman, Shira Dvir; Shikaki, Khalil; Ginges, Jeremy

2013-01-01

Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological model proposes that events in higher order social ecosystems should influence human development through their impact on events in lower order social ecosystems. This proposition was tested with respect to ecological violence and the development of children's aggression via analyses of 3 waves of data (1 wave yearly for 3 years) from 3 age cohorts (starting ages: 8, 11, and 14) representing three populations in the Middle East: Palestinians (N = 600), Israeli Jews (N = 451), and Israeli Arabs (N = 450). Results supported a hypothesized model in which ethnopolitical violence increases community, family, and school violence and children's aggression. Findings are discussed with respect to ecological and observational learning perspectives on the development of aggressive behavior. © 2012 The Authors. Child Development © 2012 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

'Nature Knows No Boundaries': The Role of Nature Conservation in Peacebuilding.

PubMed

Roulin, Alexandre; Abu Rashid, Mansour; Spiegel, Baruch; Charter, Motti; Dreiss, Amélie N; Leshem, Yossi

2017-05-01

Humanity is facing a biodiversity crisis. To solve environmental problems, we bring people from Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority to the same table. Conservation efforts are beneficial for all communities and facilitate constructive dialog across divides in conflict zones. This pleads for the integration of nature conservation into peacebuilding interventions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Societal perspectives on community pharmacy services in West Bank - Palestine

PubMed Central

Khdour, Maher R.; Hallak, Hussein O.

Background Understanding the public's view of professional competency is extremely important; however little has been reported on the public's perception of community pharmacists in Palestine Objective To determine the perception of Palestinian consumers of the community pharmacist and the services they offer. Methods This project used the survey methodology administered by structured interviews to consumers who attended the 39 randomly selected pharmacies, in six main cities in Palestine. The questionnaire had range of structured questions covering: Consumers' patronage patterns, consumers’ interaction with community pharmacists, consumers’ views on how the pharmacist dealt with personal health issues, procedure with regard to handling private consultations. Results Of 1,017 consumers approached, 790 consumers completed the questionnaire (77.7 %). Proximity to home and presence of knowledgeable pharmacist were the main reasons for patients to visit the same pharmacy. Physicians were identified as the preferred source of advice by 57.2% and pharmacists by 23.8%. Only 17% of respondents considered pharmacists as health professionals who know a lot about drugs and are concerned about and committed to caring for the public. In addition, 49% indicated that pharmacists spoke more quietly cross the counter during counseling and almost one third reported that the pharmacist used a private area within the pharmacy. The majority of respondents would be happy to receive different extended services in the community pharmacy like blood pressure monitoring. Conclusions Palestinian consumers have a positive overall perception of community pharmacists and the services they offer. Awareness should be created amongst the public about the role of pharmacist and the added value they can provide as health care professional. There is a need to consider privacy when giving patient counseling to increase user satisfaction. PMID:24155812

3 CFR - Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 3 The President 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority Presidential Documents Other Presidential Documents Presidential Determination No. 2011-14 of August 30, 2011 Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority...

3 CFR - Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 3 The President 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority Presidential Documents Other Presidential Documents Presidential Determination No. 2012-7 of April 25, 2012 Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority Memorandum...

Support for Palestinians among Jewish Americans: The Importance of Education and Contact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dessel, Adrienne B.; Abu Ahmad, Manal Yazbak; Dembo, Robert; Ben Hagai, Ella

2017-01-01

The violent and protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues, and Jewish Americans play a significant role in influencing related US foreign policy as well as in promoting positive interactions with Palestinians globally. Diaspora populations have played an important role in international peace processes and American Jews are actively…

Triple Jeopardy: Special Education for Palestinians in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kasler, Jonathan; Jabareen, Yousef T.

2017-01-01

Research comparing special education for Jews and for Palestinian Arabs in Israel outlines major inequalities. This situation has remained largely unchanged for decades and there is little evidential reason to believe there will be improvement in the near future. Palestinian children requiring special education are adversely affected by a…

Gender, Nationalism, and Resistance: Nahla Abdo and the Critical Politics of Palestine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Habib, Jasmin

2008-01-01

Dr. Nahla Abdo is a Professor of Sociology at Carleton University in Ottawa. Among her many achievements her publications include "Women and Citizenship in Israel: Comparing Palestinian, Mizrahi and Ashkenazi Women," (in press); "Women and Poverty in the Palestinian Territories," and UNESCO/Palestinian Women's Research and …

Lessons from psychiatry in the Arab world--a Lebanese trainee psychiatrist's qualitative views on the provision of mental healthcare services for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and an interview with a consultant psychiatrist on the effects of the Arab spring on the mental health of Libyans.

PubMed

Hankir, Ahmed; Sadiq, Asad

2013-09-01

In this manuscript, a Lebanese trainee psychiatrist qualitatively analyses and discusses the provision of mental healthcare services for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. There are more than 250,000 Palestinian people sporadically dispersed in the refugee camps in Sidon, Beirut and other major cities in the Levant. Displacement, conflict, trauma, unemployment and poverty are but some of the myriad factors that influence Palestinian refugee mental health. This article traces the historical, political and socioeconomic determinants of health for Palestinians exiled in Lebanon and describes the pivotal role that the non-Govenmental Organisation Medical Aid for Palestinians is playing in helping to alleviate the psychiatric distress of Palestinian sufferers of mental illness. The latter half of the manuscript contains an interview with a consultant psychiatrist about his experiences volunteering in the war-torn lands of Libya post Arab Spring. He expounds on how he feels mental healthcare services in Libya are woefully inadequate and broaches on his perception of how the resilience and the 'family-centric' model of the Libyan people has conferred a certain degree of protection towards developing severe psychiatric illness.

Endocrine disrupting compounds in streams in Israel and the Palestinian West Bank: Implications for transboundary basin management.

PubMed

Dotan, Pniela; Yeshayahu, Maayan; Odeh, Wa'd; Gordon-Kirsch, Nina; Groisman, Ludmila; Al-Khateeb, Nader; Abed Rabbo, Alfred; Tal, Alon; Arnon, Shai

2017-12-15

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) frequently enter surface waters via discharges from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), as well as from industrial and agricultural activities, creating environmental and health concerns. In this study, selected EDCs were measured in water and sediments along two transboundary streams flowing from the Palestinian Authority (PA) into Israel (the Zomar-Alexander and Hebron-Beer Sheva Streams). We assessed how the complicated conflict situation between Israel and the PA and the absence of a coordinated strategy and joint stream management commission influence effective EDC control. Both streams receive raw Palestinian wastewater in their headwaters, which flows through rural areas and is treated via sediment settling facilities after crossing the 1949 Armistice Agreement Line. Four sampling campaigns were conducted over two years, with concentrations of selected EDCs measured in both the water and the sediments. Results show asymmetrical pollution profiles due to socio-economic differences and contrasting treatment capacities. No in-stream attenuation was observed along the stream and in the sediments within the Palestinian region. After sediment settling in treatment facilities at the Israeli border, however, significant reductions in the EDC concentrations were measured both in the sediments and in the water. Differences in sedimentation technologies had a substantial effect on EDC removal at the treatment location, positively affecting the streams' ability to further remove EDCs downstream. The prevailing approach to addressing the Israeli-Palestinian transboundary wastewater contamination reveals a narrow perspective among water managers who on occasion only take local interests into consideration, with interventions focused solely on improving stream water quality in isolated segments. Application of the "proximity principle" through the establishment of WWTPs at contamination sources constitutes a preferable strategy for reducing contamination by EDCs and other pollutants to ensure minimization of public health risks due to the pollution of streams and underlying potable groundwater. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reproductive health and rights in East Jerusalem: the effects of militarisation and biopolitics on the experiences of pregnancy and birth of Palestinians living in the Kufr 'Aqab neighbourhood.

PubMed

Hamayel, Layaly; Hammoudeh, Doaa; Welchman, Lynn

2017-10-01

Research with marginalised communities points to the need to understand political determinants of reproductive health. For residents of Kufr 'Aqab neighbourhood, Israeli biopolitics in East Jerusalem can be barriers to access to maternal health. This is manifested in women having to cross military checkpoints to give birth in hospitals located in Jerusalem to make their children eligible for "permanent residency", a document required for Palestinians to live in Jerusalem. A basic qualitative design is utilised, and semi-structured in-depth interviews with 27 women and 20 men were conducted and thematic analysis was used to extract themes and subthemes. Women reported exposure to risky conditions during pregnancy and worries of giving birth at checkpoints. Social support was restricted for some women due to inability of the husband/family to reach the hospital at the time of birth. Men reported distress related to inability to attend birth. Giving birth in a Jerusalem hospital, as part of passing residency to children, was perceived as reaffirming Palestinian presence in the City and transforming sites of suffering to sites of resistance. Israeli residency policies and segregation of Jerusalem affect Kufr 'Aqab residents' pregnancy and birth on physical, social and psychological levels. Results indicate the importance of incorporating political determinants of access to maternal care and safe pregnancy in the conceptualisation of reproductive rights.

Temperament-Based Learning Styles of Palestinian and US Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oakland, Thomas; Alghorani, Mohammed Adnan; Lee, Dong Hun

2007-01-01

Temperament styles of 400 Palestinian children living in Gaza are described, examined for possible gender and age differences, and compared with those of 3,200 US children in light of Jung's theory of temperament as modified by Myers and Briggs. The results show that Palestinian children generally prefer practical to imaginative, feeling to…

An Assessment of the Services Quality of Palestine Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koni, Aida; Zainal, Khalim; Ibrahim, Maznah

2013-01-01

The history of the Palestinian universities is relatively recent; however their impact on the Palestinians case and wellbeing is undeniable. Today, almost forty years later the Palestinian universities like many higher education institutions in the region and worldwide tussle to fulfil the students' demands on education while trying to maintain…

Education and Identity Control among the Palestinians in Israel.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makkawi, Ibrahim A.

Unlike many Third World nation minorities living in Western societies, the Palestinians in Israel did not immigrate to the new system; rather, the system was imposed on them by the Israeli Jewish government. This paper argues that the Israeli government uses its hegemony over the educational system for its Palestinian citizens to manipulate and…

78 FR 12585 - Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-22

... certify that it is important to the national security interests of the United States to waive the...-05 of February 8, 2013--Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority.... 2013-05 of February 8, 2013 Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority...

Nationalist Narratives, Boundaries and Social Inclusion/Exclusion in Palestinian Camps in South Lebanon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fincham, Kathleen

2012-01-01

This article explores how in the contexts of exile and statelessness and in the absence of Palestinian institutions, such as schools, Palestinian youth in south Lebanon construct their identities through nationalist narratives of shared history, kinship, culture and religion. Although these narratives help to construct shared notions of…

The Role of Diaspora in University-Industry Relationships in Globalised Knowledge Economy: The Case of Palestine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharabati-Shahin, Mervat H. N.; Thiruchelvam, K.

2013-01-01

University-industry (U-I) linkage is not a new concept. Although there are models for such linkage that have been tested or used, they may remain unsuitable in certain countries and communities. With the unique situation of the Palestinians, the existing models may fall short of meeting the specific needs and targets of establishing such a…

Grassroots medical peace building: training Palestinian physicians in Israel.

PubMed

Kertcher, Chen

2014-01-01

Based on new scholarship on the importance of health in times of conflict, this paper examines the training of Palestinian physicians in Israel from the 1990s to 2010 as a test case for the theory. It shows that although Israeli governments have adopted a passive policy towards such training, and the Palestinian Authority is officially against such cooperation; in practice, individuals and hospitals on both sides work at the grassroots level with the aid of several NGOs to increase cooperation. Thus, grassroots activities are leading to better cooperation between Jewish and Palestinian health professionals, improving Palestinian health capabilities and establishing a bridgehead for better professional cooperation when a peace settlement is achieved. Health, like other social areas, is part of the explanation why the conflict remains stable and how mutual beneficial cooperation has planted the seeds for future cooperation.

Elite formation under occupation: the internal stratification of palestinian elites in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

PubMed

Mazawi, A E; Yogev, A

1999-09-01

This paper examines the internal stratification of Palestinian elites in the West Bank and Gaza Strip under Israeli occupation. Our general aim is to clarify the extent to which social and political subordination to outside rule influences the development of indigenous elites in stateless societies. In contrast to nation-state societies, such elites may be horizontally stratified into a wider range of institutional settings, and vertically stratified by anti-occupation activism alongside the attainment of occupational prestige. In addition, context-specific determinants of their stratification patterns, such as refugee status, regionality, and country in which educational credentials were acquired, should be considered. A secondary content analysis of interviews conducted by the Palestinian Panorama centre with 249 elite members reveals, that the vertical stratification of Palestinian elites along occupational attainment and anti-occupation activism constitutes two quite independent status dimensions. A multinomial logit regression shows that, horizontally, elite groups are embedded in four distinct types of institutional activity, further demonstrating the multi-faceted formation of Palestinian elites. Contextual resources, such as refugee versus non-refugee status, regionality, and the acquiring of Western credentials, have differential effects on the vertical and horizontal stratification of Palestinian elites. The implications of these findings for further research on elite formation in the post-Oslo Palestinian society and in other stateless societies are discussed in conclusion.

Sexual torture of Palestinian men by Israeli authorities.

PubMed

Weishut, Daniel J N

2015-11-01

In the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, arrests and imprisonment of Palestinian men in their early adulthood are common practice. The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) collected thousands of testimonies of Palestinian men allegedly tortured or ill-treated by Israeli authorities. There are many types of torture, sexual torture being one of them. This study is based on the PCATI database during 2005-2012, which contains 60 cases-- 4% of all files in this period--with testimonies of alleged sexual torture or ill-treatment. It is a first in the investigation of torture and ill-treatment of a sexual nature, allegedly carried out by Israeli security authorities on Palestinian men. Findings show that sexual ill-treatment is systemic, with 36 reports of verbal sexual harassment, either directed toward Palestinian men and boys or toward family members, and 35 reports of forced nudity. Moreover, there are six testimonies of Israeli officials involved in physical sexual assault of arrested or imprisoned Palestinian men. Physical assault in most cases concerned pressing and/or kicking the genitals, while one testimony pertained to simulated rape, and another described an actual rape by means of a blunt object. The article provides illustrations of the various types of sexual torture and ill-treatment of boys and men in the light of existing literature, and recommendations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

31 CFR 594.513 - Transactions with entities under the control of the Palestinian President and certain other...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) who were not elected to the PLC on the party slate of Hamas... authorized to reject transactions with members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) who were elected to the PLC on the party slate of Hamas or any other Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), Specially...

31 CFR 595.511 - Transactions with entities under the control of the Palestinian President and certain other...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) who were not elected to the PLC on the party slate of Hamas... authorized to reject transactions with members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) who were elected to the PLC on the party slate of Hamas or any other Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), Specially...

31 CFR 594.513 - Transactions with entities under the control of the Palestinian President and certain other...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) who were not elected to the PLC on the party slate of Hamas... authorized to reject transactions with members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) who were elected to the PLC on the party slate of Hamas or any other Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), Specially...

31 CFR 597.509 - Transactions with entities under the control of the Palestinian President and certain other...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Council; (3) Members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) who were not elected to the PLC on the... institutions are authorized to reject transactions with members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) who were elected to the PLC on the party slate of Hamas or any other Foreign Terrorist Organization...

31 CFR 597.509 - Transactions with entities under the control of the Palestinian President and certain other...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Council; (3) Members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) who were not elected to the PLC on the... institutions are authorized to reject transactions with members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) who were elected to the PLC on the party slate of Hamas or any other Foreign Terrorist Organization...

31 CFR 595.511 - Transactions with entities under the control of the Palestinian President and certain other...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) who were not elected to the PLC on the party slate of Hamas... authorized to reject transactions with members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) who were elected to the PLC on the party slate of Hamas or any other Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), Specially...

Higher Education for Palestinian Muslim Female Students in Israel and Jordan: Migration and Identity Formation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arar, Khalid; Masry-Harzalla, Asmahan; Haj-Yehia, Kussai

2013-01-01

The article investigates the migration of Palestinian Muslim women, citizens of Israel, to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem or to Jordanian universities for academic studies, and the influence of this migration on their norms, behavior and identity. Narrative interviews were conducted with Palestinian Muslim women graduates: eight from the…

The Everyday Realities of Palestinian College Students Living and Studying in Israel: A Photovoice Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graziano, Kevin J.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to allow Palestinian, primarily Muslim, college students to document, reflect, and critique, through photography and storytelling (photovoice), their everyday realities as Arab citizens living and studying in Israel. Sixty Palestinian, preservice, English teachers participated in this study, of whom 55 were female and…

Academic Spheres, Students' Identity Formation, and Social Activism among Palestinian Arab Students in Israeli Campuses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arar, Khalid

2017-01-01

This article discusses the influence of studies in Israeli academic campuses on the formation of Palestinian Arab students' identity and social activism. Narrative life-story interviews with 14 Palestinian Arab students studying in Israeli academic campuses revealed that these campuses create the first opportunity for daily encounters between…

What Are the Security Requirements for a Two-State Solution between Israel and Palestine?

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

Economic Viability of a Palestinian State...no. 2 (Spring, 1997), 215–229, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4329054. 103 Abed, The Economic Viability of a Palestinian State, 9. 58 might have...LIST OF REFERENCES Abed, George T. The Economic Viability of a Palestinian State. (Washington D.C.: Institute for Palestine Studies, 1990).

3 CFR - Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 3 The President 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority Presidential Documents Other Presidential Documents Presidential Determination No. 2013-11 of July 26, 2013 Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority Memorandum for the Secretary of State By the authorit...

3 CFR - Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 3 The President 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority Presidential Documents Other Presidential Documents Presidential Determination No. 2013-5 of February 8, 2013 Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority Memorandum for the Secretary of State By the...

3 CFR - Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 3 The President 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority Presidential Documents Other Presidential Documents Presidential Determination No. 2009-23 of July 8, 2009 Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority Memorandum for the Secretary of State By the authority...

3 CFR - Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 3 The President 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority Presidential Documents Other Presidential Documents Presidential Determination No. 2010-06 of April 7, 2010 Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority Memorandum for the Secretary of State By the authorit...

The Curriculum in the Palestinian Territories: Drama Processes in Theatre Making and Self-Liberation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Yamani, Hala; Attallah, Susan; Alsawayfa, Fadel

2016-01-01

The Israeli occupation and its strategies employed for controlling the Palestinian Territories have reflected negatively on all aspects of Palestinians' lives. The occupation has also created a closed environment where people have little room to act and react freely. This article highlights the importance of drama and theatre making for…

Emerging Adulthood among Palestinian Minority in Israel: The Relation between Perceived Career Barriers, Future Orientation and Career Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahajna, Sami

2017-01-01

This study examines the relation between perceived career barriers, future orientation and career decisions among young Palestinian-Israeli youth. The study employs a theoretical model that links perceived career barriers and career decisions via variables of future orientation. Three hundred eighty-eight young Palestinian-Israeli women (73.20%)…

Teaching Clinical Social Work under Occupation: Listening to the Voices of Palestinian Social Work Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kokaliari, Efrosini; Berzoff, Joan; Byers, David S.; Fareed, Anan; Berzoff-Cohen, Jake; Hreish, Khalid

2016-01-01

The authors were invited to teach clinical social work in the Palestinian West Bank. In order to teach, we designed a study exploring how 65 Palestinian social work students described the psychological and social effects of working under occupation. Students described social stressors of poverty, unemployment, lack of infrastructure, violence,…

Reconciliation through Education--Experiences from the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schulz, Michael

2008-01-01

This study deals with how to establish positive attitudes and behaviours between Israelis and Palestinians that endure during times of negative shifts in the external conflict. In this study it will be shown that educational projects that bring Israelis and Palestinians together over a longer period of time, and that use the premises of the…

Meanings of Education under Occupation: The Shifting Motivations for Education in Palestinian Refugee Camps in the West Bank

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pherali, Tejendra; Turner, Ellen

2018-01-01

Despite being a protracted refugee crisis that entails international debates and controversies, discussions about Palestinian education have frequently sidelined the perspectives, needs and priorities of the Palestinian refugee population. Drawing upon a qualitative study in the West Bank and engaging with theoretical ideas of Johan Galtung, Paulo…

Gender and Higher Education in Different National Spaces: Female Palestinian Students Attending Israeli and Jordanian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abu-Rabia-Queder, Sarab; Arar, Khaled

2011-01-01

This study examines the higher education experience among Palestinian Arab females in two national spaces and seeks to determine whether studying at an Arab institution of higher learning in a nearby Arab country can alleviate the emotional and economic difficulties that affect Palestinian women at Israeli universities. What can institutions of…

Health risk behaviours of Palestinian youth: findings from a representative survey.

PubMed

Glick, Peter; Al-Khammash, Umaiyeh; Shaheen, Mohammed; Brown, Ryan; Goutam, Prodyumna; Karam, Rita; Linnemayr, Sebastian; Massad, Salwa

2018-05-03

There is little systematic information about health risk behaviours among youth in Middle Eastern countries, leaving public health authorities unprepared to deal with emerging public health threats at a time of major social change. The Palestinian Youth Health Risk study investigates patterns of risk behaviours among Palestinian youth, their perceptions of the risks and benefits of such behaviours, and the relationship of exposure to violence with mental health and engagement in risk behaviours. We conducted a representative survey among 2500 individuals aged 15-24 years in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, permitting reliable comparison across sex and rural-urban divisions. A stratified 2-stage random sample was drawn from the 2007 population census, with strata formed by crossing the 12 governorates with urban, rural and refugee camp locations. Within strata, 208 survey clusters were sampled with probability proportional to size. Within each cluster, 14 households with youth of the appropriate age were sampled. Among youth aged 20-24 years, 22.4% of males and 11.6% of females reported trying alcohol; 10.5% of males and 4.3% of females reported trying drugs. Almost one quarter of unmarried youth aged 20-24 years reported any sexual experience. Tobacco use is high, even among younger youth (45.4% of males and 21.2% of females aged 15-19 smoke). Risk behaviours are higher among males, older youth and in urban areas and refugee camps. While smoking is of particular concern, prevention outreach for all behaviours should be directed at subgroups and areas identified as highest risk. Copyright © World Health Organization (WHO) 2018. Some rights reserved. This work is available under the CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/igo).

When "humanitarianism" becomes "development": the politics of international aid in Syria's Palestinian refugee camps.

PubMed

Gabiam, Nell

2012-01-01

In recent years, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has attempted to go beyond its role as a provider of relief and basic services in Palestinian refugee camps and emphasize its role as a development agency. In this article, I focus on the Neirab Rehabilitation Project, an UNRWA-sponsored development project taking place in the Palestinian refugee camps of Ein el Tal and Neirab in northern Syria. I argue that UNRWA's role as a relief-centered humanitarian organization highlights the everyday suffering of Palestinian refugees, suffering that has become embedded in refugees’ political claims. I show that UNRWA's emphasis on “development” in the refugee camps is forcing Palestinian refugees in Ein el Tal and Neirab to reassess the political narrative through which they have understood their relationship with UNRWA.

Creating Digital Games as Interactive Learning Environments: Factors That Affect Palestinian Teachers' Success in Modifying Video Games for Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Younis, Bilal Khaleel

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that might predict Palestinian teachers' success in modding games for instruction. An instructional game design model named Game Modding for Non-Professionals (GMNP) was created specifically for the training of Palestinian teachers during this study. This study addressed the question: To…

Just Add a Verse from the Quran: Effects of Religious Rhetoric in Gain- and Loss-Framed Anti-Alcohol Messages with a Palestinian Sample.

PubMed

Alhabash, Saleem; Almutairi, Nasser; Rub, Mohammad Abu

2017-10-01

This experiment investigated the effects of message framing (gain vs. loss) and religious rhetoric (religious vs. non-religious) on the expression of anti-alcohol civic intentions with a sample (N = 80) of Palestinian young adults. Results showed that the main effects of message framing (gain > loss) and religious rhetoric (non-religious > religious) on anti-alcohol civic intentions were significant. Furthermore, the study showed that viral behavioral intentions were strongly and significantly associated with expressing anti-alcohol civic intentions, with larger explanatory power for gain-framed PSAs that used a religious rhetoric. Additionally, a serial mediation model showed that the effect of religious rhetoric on anti-alcohol civic intentions was successfully mediated by the serial combination of attitudes toward the PSA and viral behavioral intention for gain-framed PSAs, but not for loss-framed PSAs. Findings are discussed within the framework of persuasion models.

Imposition of virginity testing: a life-saver or a license to kill?

PubMed

Shalhoub-Kevorkian, Nadera

2005-03-01

Little is known about medical and juridical (medicolegal) responses to sexual abuse in Palestinian society. Conventional wisdom posits that the actions of the medicolegal community help victims of sexual abuse and deter offenders. This study focuses on the prevailing practice of imposing a virginity test (IVT) on women in Palestinian society when questions of sexual abuse or perceived misconduct arise. We found that the continuing practice of uncritically collecting forensic reports and the refusal to closely examine the specific dynamics of oppression (medical, cultural, legal, political) in which the victims of sexual abuse are necessarily implicated actually increases the power of medicine and law to adversely function as tools of oppression. However, as I elaborate below, despite the localized factors in play, it is critically important not to view the process of virginity testing merely through the rubrics of "culture"-an approach that more often than not impedes understanding and fails to contextualize what we observe.

Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Historical and Religious Perspective. Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminars Abroad Program, 2000 (Egypt and Israel).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bosso, David

In light of on-going strife in the Middle East, particularly in Palestinian-Israeli relations, it is intriguing to note how relatively unaware many Americans are of the historical and religious framework from which much of the conflict derives. In addition, the perception of many Americans of current Palestinian-Israeli relations has been tainted…

The Other Side of the Story: Israeli and Palestinian Teachers Write a History Textbook Together

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinberg, Shoshana; Bar-On, Dan

2009-01-01

In this essay, Shoshana Steinberg and Dan Bar-On present the work of a team of Israeli and Palestinian teachers who developed a history textbook that includes both groups' narratives of the same events side by side. These teachers then tested the effects of its use in both Israeli and Palestinian classrooms; for the first time, students on each…

Mandated to fail? Humanitarian agencies and the protection of Palestinian children.

PubMed

Hart, Jason; Forte, Claudia Lo

2013-10-01

This paper considers the efforts of United Nations and international agencies to address the threats to Palestinian children arising from Israeli occupation. It contains an account of the reasons why agencies have failed, over many years, to prevent systematic violations by the Israeli authorities and settlers. The discussion is organised around two inter-related domains: institutional and political. The paper argues that, in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), limitations to the ways in which child protection has been conceptualised and pursued in practice are abundantly evident. Nevertheless, political pressure by Western donor governments serves to constrain an approach to child protection that is more preventative in nature, that addresses more explicitly Israeli violations of international law, and that reflects the experience and aspirations of Palestinian children themselves. Ultimately, therefore, the failure to protect Palestinian children must be seen not only as a result of humanitarian miscalculation but also as a consequence of political strategy. © 2013 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2013.

Low protective PON1 lactonase activity in an Arab population with high rates of coronary heart disease and diabetes.

PubMed

Gugliucci, A; Caccavello, R; Nassar, H; Abu Ahmad, W; Sinnreich, R; Kark, J D

2015-05-20

Recent studies showing that high density lipoproteins (HDL) can effect plaque regression indicate that recent trial failures do not exclude an atheroprotective role of HDL. Instead, they highlight differences between HDL function and measured HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C). PON1 is one key functional activity of HDL. Urban Palestinians have lower HDL-C and a higher incidence and mortality of coronary heart disease than those of Israelis. We hypothesized that the cardioprotective PON1 lactonase and arylesterase activities and PON1 functional genotype may differ between Palestinians and Israelis. We measured PON1 activities in a cross-sectional population-based study of Palestinian (n=960) and Israeli (n=694) residents in Jerusalem, 1654 participants in all. Palestinians had high prevalences of obesity and diabetes and low mean concentrations of HDL-cholesterol (0.97 mmol/l in men and 1.19 mmol/l in women). Lactonase and arylesterase activities were lower by 10.8% (p=1.2∗10(-14)) and 2.7% (p<0.0005), respectively, in Palestinians as compared to Israelis. The functional genotype distribution, demonstrated by plotting paraoxonase vs lactonase activities, showed a modest between-group difference (p=0.024), with 12.1% RR in Palestinian Arabs vs 8.4% in Israeli Jews, but no overall difference in allele frequencies. Lactonase correlated inversely with age (Spearman's rho=-.156), weakly with BMI (-.059), positively with HDL-C (.173) and non-HDL-C (.103), but was not associated with triglycerides or fasting glucose. Palestinians showed consistently lower lactonase activity in logistic regression models adjusted for multiple covariates and for functional genotype (odds ratios of 1.81 and 1.98, respectively, for the lower fifth vs the upper 4 fifths of lactonase activity p<0.0001). We showed a lower physiologically-significant lactonase PON1 activity in an Arab population, a finding consistent with the high cardiovascular and diabetes risk of Palestinians. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Molecular heterogeneity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in Gaza Strip Palestinians.

PubMed

Sirdah, Mahmoud; Reading, N Scott; Vankayalapati, Hariprasad; Perkins, Sherrie L; Shubair, Mohammad E; Aboud, Lina; Roper, David; Prchal, Josef T

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, affecting more than 500 million people worldwide, is one of the most common of inherited disorders. There are 186 G6PD mutations published, with mutational clustering within defined ethnic/racial groups. However comprehensive molecular characterization of ethnically associated G6PD mutants and their clinical implications are lacking. Eighty unrelated Palestinian children hospitalized for hemolysis were studied. G6PD activity was determined by quantitative spectrophotometry and G6PD mutations were analyzed by sequencing of gDNA. 65 of 80 children (81%) had G6PD deficiency, accounting for most of the hemolytic disease in this age group. G6PD Mediterranean(c.563T), African G6PD A-(c.202A/c.376G), and G6PD Cairo(c.404C) were common with relative allele frequencies of 0.33 [1], 0.26, and 0.18 respectively. Two other variants were discovered, G6PD Beverly Hills(c.1160A) mutation, and a novel G6PD missense mutation c.536G>A (Ser179Asn), designated G6PD "Gaza". Three samples exhibited enzyme deficiency without detectable exonic or exon/intron boundary mutations. G6PD deficiency accounts for the majority of diagnoses for hemolysis in Palestinian children (81%), providing support for newborn G6PD deficiency screening programs. We report unanticipated molecular heterogeneity of G6PD variants among Gaza Strip Palestinians greater than reported in neighboring Arab populations. We report a high proportion of affected children with G6PD Cairo, which was observed previously in only a single Egyptian, and a novel mutation G6PD "Gaza". Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The quality of reports of medical and public health research from Palestinian institutions: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Abu-Rmeileh, Niveen ME; Elessi, Khamis; Obeidallah, Mohammad; Bjertness, Espen; Chalmers, Iain

2017-01-01

Objective Over the past decade, there has been an increase in reports of health research from Palestine, but no assessment of their quality. We have assessed the quality of reports of Palestinian health research and factors associated with it. Design This is a systematic review. Inclusion criteria We searched Medline and Scopus for reports of original research relevant to human health or healthcare authored by researchers affiliated with Palestinian institutions and published between January 2000 and August 2015 inclusive. Outcomes We used international guidelines to assess report quality, classifying as adequate those with ≥50% of items completely addressed. Results Of 2383 reports identified, 497 met our inclusion criteria. Just over half (264; 55%) of these were published after 2010. 354 (71%) of first authors were affiliated with Palestinian institutions; 261 (53%) reports had coauthors from outside Palestine. The majority of the reports in our study were inadequately reported (342; 69%), and none had adequately reported all items. Of 439 observational studies, 11 (2.5%) reports provided adequate descriptions of eligibility criteria and selection procedures; 35 (8%) reported efforts to address potential sources of bias; 50 (11.4%) reported the basis for the study sample size; and funding sources were mentioned in 74 reports (17%). Higher reporting quality was associated with international affiliation of the first author (prevalence ratio (PR) 1.6 (95% CI 1.2 to 2.1)), international collaboration (PR 2.9 (95% CI 1.7 to 5.0)), international funding (PR 1.9 (95% CI1.5 to 2.5)), publication after 2005 (PR 3.9 (95% CI 1.8 to 8.5)) and four or more coauthors (PR 1.5 (95% CI 1.1 to 2.1)). Conclusion Although the quality of reports of Palestinian research has improved in recent years, it remains well below an acceptable standard. International reporting guidelines should be used to guide research design and improve the quality of reports of research. Trial registration number The systematic review protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) registery (registration number: CRD42015027553). PMID:28601839

Winning the Strategic Narrative in the Israeli-Palestinian Protracted Conflict

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704–0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE December 2012 3. REPORT...relevant to this thesis, religious communities played a crucial role in helping South Africa end Apartheid, helped the United States end segregation...7Monica Toft, Daniel Philpott, and Timothy Shah, God’s Century , Resurgent Religion and Global Politics (New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 2011), 174–206

Lessons learned: A comparative study of the integration experiences of Armenian and Palestinian refugees in Lebanon

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

design is based on two comparative case studies, examining Palestinian and Armenian refugees in Lebanon, respectively. These two cases are particularly...A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE INTEGRATION EXPERIENCES OF ARMENIAN AND PALESTINIAN REFUGEES IN LEBANON by Pascal Ghobeira June 2017 Thesis...REPORT DATE June 2017 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE LESSONS LEARNED: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE

Flying bullets and speeding cars: analysis of child injury deaths in the Palestinian Territory.

PubMed

Shaheen, A; Edwards, P

2008-01-01

Despite the fact that children account for over half the Palestinian population, little attention has been paid to the problem of child injuries. We examined the types of injury mortality in children aged 0-19 years in the West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestinian Territory) and compared these with similar data for children in Israel and England and Wales. We used data from death certificates covering 2001-2003. Death rates per 100 000 children per year were estimated. The leading cause of injury mortality in Palestinian children was accidents caused by firearms missiles (9.6). In comparison, transport accidents were the leading cause of death in children in both Israel (5.0) and England and Wales (3.5).

Explaining the frequency of alcohol consumption in a conflict zone: Jews and Palestinians in Israel.

PubMed

Massey, Zohar; Chartier, Karen G; Stebbins, Mary B; Canetti, Daphna; Hobfoll, Stevan E; Hall, Brian J; Shuval, Kerem

2015-07-01

Experiencing stress and exposure to terrorism may have an adverse effect on health risk behaviors. Few studies have examined alcohol use among adults living in Israel under chronic, stressful terrorism-related conditions. In this study, we examined the relationships of demographics, past stressful events, and terrorism exposure to the frequency of alcohol use and the mediating roles of depressive and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. We used three waves of data from a 2007-2008 nationally representative sample of Jewish and Palestinian adults in Israel. We assessed past stressful events, in addition to direct and indirect exposures to terrorism. Results indicated that past stressful events and exposure to terrorism were not directly associated with alcohol use, but were indirectly associated and mediated by depressive and PTSD symptomology. Mental health symptoms were differentially associated with alcohol use. More frequent drinking was mediated by higher levels of depression, including for women and Palestinians; however, PTSD symptom severity was related to less frequent drinking. Mental health may play a prominent role in the frequency of alcohol use among adults exposed to terrorism in Israel. Alcohol use, as a coping mechanism, may differ by demographic characteristics (gender and ethnicity) and psychological symptomology for adults living in a conflict zone in Israel. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Explaining the Frequency of Alcohol Consumption in a Conflict Zone: Jews and Palestinians in Israel

PubMed Central

Massey, Zohar; Chartier, Karen G.; Stebbins, Mary B.; Canetti, Daphna; Hobfoll, Stevan E.; Hall, Brian J.; Shuval, Kerem

2015-01-01

Experiencing stress and exposure to terrorism may have an adverse effect on health risk behaviors. Few studies have examined alcohol use among adults living in Israel under chronic, stressful terrorism-related conditions. In this study, we examined the relationships of demographics, past stressful events, and terrorism exposure to the frequency of alcohol use and the mediating roles of depressive and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. We used three waves of data from a 2007–2008 nationally representative sample of Jewish and Palestinian adults in Israel. We assessed the number of past stressful events, in addition to direct and indirect exposure to terrorism. Results indicated that past stressful events and exposure to terrorism were not directly associated with alcohol use, but were indirectly associated and mediated by depressive and PTSD symptomology. Mental health symptoms were differentially associated with alcohol use. More frequent drinking was mediated by higher levels of depression, including for women and Palestinians; however, PTSD symptom severity was related to less frequent drinking. Mental health may play a prominent role in the frequency of alcohol use among adults exposed to terrorism in Israel. Alcohol use, as a coping mechanism, may differ by demographic characteristics (gender and ethnicity) and psychological symptomology for adults living in a conflict zone in Israel. PMID:25777746

Quality assessment of roof-harvested rainwater in the West Bank, Palestinian Authority.

PubMed

Daoud, A K; Swaileh, K M; Hussein, R M; Matani, M

2011-09-01

Rain harvesting is becoming more common in the Palestinian Territories as a result of drinking water scarcity. Although it might pose serious human health risk, this water is being consumed without treatment in many areas of the West Bank. The present study evaluates the physicochemical and microbial quality of harvested rainwater that is used as potable water in the West Bank. Samples from roof-harvested rainwater storage tanks (n = 42) were collected in summer (SS) 2006/winter (WS) 2007. Physicochemical parameters measured were: temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, salinity, total dissolved solids, turbidity, nitrate, copper and lead. With few exceptions, all these parameters were within WHO guideline values. All samples (100%) were found to contain coliforms and to be heavily contaminated with heterotrophic bacteria. About 67% of all samples were contaminated with fecal coliforms. Specific PCR technique confirmed the presence of five pathogenic microorganisms that can be ordered according to their prevalence as: Citrobacter (83%) > Acinetobacter (78%) > Aeromonas (52%) > Pseudomonas and Campylobacter (7%). Prevalence of microorganisms in SS was higher than in WS. Although the physicochemical quality of most harvested rainwater samples was in accordance with WHO guidelines for drinking water, stored rainwater was significantly contaminated with bacteria resulting in significant human health risk from infectious diseases.

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Hopeless Case for U.S. Policy in the Middle East?

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-24

of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, “for Jews, whose attachment to the Land the Bible , the West Bank is Judea and Samaria, is sacred land. For Jews...ww d.edu/marshall/crsreports/crsdocuments/RL31119_09102001.pdf Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry, Hebrew University, 2001). 149 See Kenneth...Jewry, Hebrew University, 2001 Perry, Mark. A Fire in Zion: The Israeli-Palestinian Search for Peace. New York, William Morrow and Company, 1994

Palestinian Education--Teaching Peace or War? Hearing before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate, One Hundred Eighth Congress, First Session (October 30, 2003) S. Hrg. 108-290

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Senate, 2004

2004-01-01

The focus of this hearing was on the issues of education of Palestinian young people, funding by the U.S. Government for the Palestinian Authority, and the implications on the Mid-East peace process. Opening statements were presented by Subcommittee Chairman Senator Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania; and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York. Witness…

Health sector reform in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT): targeting the forest or the trees?

PubMed Central

GIACAMAN, RITA; ABDUL-RAHIM, HANAN F; WICK, LAURA

2006-01-01

Since the signing of the Oslo Peace Accords and the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1994, reform activities have targeted various spheres, including the health sector. Several international aid and UN organizations have been involved, as well as local and international non-governmental organizations, with considerable financial and technical investments. Although important achievements have been made, it is not evident that the quality of care has improved or that the most pressing health needs have been addressed, even before the second Palestinian Uprising that began in September 2000. The crisis of the Israeli re-invasion of Palestinian-controlled towns and villages since April 2002 and the attendant collapse of state structures and services have raised the problems to critical levels. This paper attempts to analyze some of the obstacles that have faced reform efforts. In our assessment, those include: ongoing conflict, frail Palestinian quasi-state structures and institutions, multiple and at times inappropriate donor policies and practices in the health sector, and a policy vacuum characterized by the absence of internal Palestinian debate on the type and direction of reform the country needs to take. In the face of all these considerations, it is important that reform efforts be flexible and consider realistically the political and economic contexts of the health system, rather than focus on mere narrow technical, managerial and financial solutions imported from the outside. PMID:12582108

Giving peace a chance: oxytocin increases empathy to pain in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

PubMed

Shamay-Tsoory, Simone G; Abu-Akel, Ahmad; Palgi, Sharon; Sulieman, Ramzi; Fischer-Shofty, Meytal; Levkovitz, Yechiel; Decety, Jean

2013-12-01

Studies have argued that empathy to the pain of out-group members is largely diminished by "in-group empathy bias". Investigating the mechanism underlying the emotional reactions of Jewish Israeli participants toward the pain experienced by Palestinians in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict affords a natural experiment that allows us to examine the role of neurohormones in emotion sensitivity across conflicting social groups. In a double-blind placebo-controlled within-subject crossover design, Israeli Jewish participants were asked to report their empathy to the pain of in-group (Jewish), neutral out-group (European), and adversary out-group (Palestinian) members. Oxytocin remarkably increased empathy to the pain of Palestinians, attenuating the effect of in-group empathy bias observed under the placebo condition. This effect, we argue, is driven by the general role of oxytocin in increasing the salience of social agents which, in turn, may interfere with processes pertaining to derogation of out-group members during intractable conflicts. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Social Understanding in Israeli-Jewish, Israeli-Palestinian, Palestinian, and Jordanian 5-year-old Children: Moral Judgments and Stereotypes.

PubMed

Brenick, Alaina; Killen, Melanie; Lee-Kim, Jennie; Fox, Nathan; Leavitt, Lewis; Raviv, Amiram; Masalha, Shafiq; Murra, Farid; Smadi, Yahia

2010-11-30

An empirical investigation was conducted of young Palestinian, Jordanian, Israeli-Palestinian, and Israeli-Jewish children's ( N = 433; M = 5.7 years of age) cultural stereotypes and their evaluations of peer intergroup exclusion based upon a number of different factors, including being from a different country and speaking a different language. Children in this study live in a geographical region that has a history of cultural and religious tension, violence, and extreme intergroup conflict. Our findings revealed that the negative consequences of living with intergroup tension are related to the use of stereotypes. At the same time, the results for moral judgments and evaluations about excluding peers provided positive results about the young children's inclusive views regarding peer interactions.

Social Understanding in Israeli-Jewish, Israeli-Palestinian, Palestinian, and Jordanian 5-year-old Children: Moral Judgments and Stereotypes

PubMed Central

Brenick, Alaina; Killen, Melanie; Lee-Kim, Jennie; Fox, Nathan; Leavitt, Lewis; Raviv, Amiram; Masalha, Shafiq; Murra, Farid; Smadi, Yahia

2015-01-01

An empirical investigation was conducted of young Palestinian, Jordanian, Israeli-Palestinian, and Israeli-Jewish children’s (N = 433; M = 5.7 years of age) cultural stereotypes and their evaluations of peer intergroup exclusion based upon a number of different factors, including being from a different country and speaking a different language. Children in this study live in a geographical region that has a history of cultural and religious tension, violence, and extreme intergroup conflict. Our findings revealed that the negative consequences of living with intergroup tension are related to the use of stereotypes. At the same time, the results for moral judgments and evaluations about excluding peers provided positive results about the young children’s inclusive views regarding peer interactions. PMID:25741172

Public Attitudes towards Socio-Cultural Aspects of Water Supply and Sanitation Services: Palestine as a Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haddad, Marwan

2005-01-01

Identifying and considering public attitudes towards various aspects of water supply and sanitation services by planners and decision makers represent an important developmental element relating to the quality, efficiency, and performance of those services. A sample of 1000 Palestinian adults completed a questionnaire assessing attitudes towards…

Molecular Characterization of Watermelon Chlorotic Stunt Virus (WmCSV) from Palestine

PubMed Central

Ali-Shtayeh, Mohammed S.; Jamous, Rana M.; Mallah, Omar B.; Abu-Zeitoun, Salam Y.

2014-01-01

The incidence of watermelon chlorotic stunt disease and molecular characterization of the Palestinian isolate of Watermelon chlorotic stunt virus (WmCSV-[PAL]) are described in this study. Symptomatic leaf samples obtained from watermelon Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.), and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants were tested for WmCSV-[PAL] infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Rolling Circle Amplification (RCA). Disease incidence ranged between 25%–98% in watermelon fields in the studied area, 77% of leaf samples collected from Jenin were found to be mixed infected with WmCSV-[PAL] and SLCV. The full-length DNA-A and DNA-B genomes of WmCSV-[PAL] were amplified and sequenced, and the sequences were deposited in the GenBank. Sequence analysis of virus genomes showed that DNA-A and DNA-B had 97.6%–99.42% and 93.16%–98.26% nucleotide identity with other virus isolates in the region, respectively. Sequence analysis also revealed that the Palestinian isolate of WmCSV shared the highest nucleotide identity with an isolate from Israel suggesting that the virus was introduced to Palestine from Israel. PMID:24956181

Did nukes nudge the PLO. [PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cohen, A.

1993-12-01

The author presents arguments to support the belief that a factor in the partial Palestinian-Israeli reconciliation was Israel's nuclear capability. He believes that the image of Israel as an invincible nuclear power helped the Palestinians realize the necessity of seeking peaceful coexistence with Israel. The nuclear lessons of Iraq--and the specter of a mutually nuclearized future Middle East--may also have had an important impact on the Rabin government. The author also discusses some of the political implications of the joint Palestinian-Israeli recognition.

A New Stress-Based Model of Political Extremism

PubMed Central

Canetti-Nisim, Daphna; Halperin, Eran; Sharvit, Keren; Hobfoll, Stevan E.

2011-01-01

Does exposure to terrorism lead to hostility toward minorities? Drawing on theories from clinical and social psychology, we propose a stress-based model of political extremism in which psychological distress—which is largely overlooked in political scholarship—and threat perceptions mediate the relationship between exposure to terrorism and attitudes toward minorities. To test the model, a representative sample of 469 Israeli Jewish respondents was interviewed on three occasions at six-month intervals. Structural Equation Modeling indicated that exposure to terrorism predicted psychological distress (t1), which predicted perceived threat from Palestinian citizens of Israel (t2), which, in turn, predicted exclusionist attitudes toward Palestinian citizens of Israel (t3). These findings provide solid evidence and a mechanism for the hypothesis that terrorism introduces nondemocratic attitudes threatening minority rights. It suggests that psychological distress plays an important role in political decision making and should be incorporated in models drawing upon political psychology. PMID:22140275

Exposure to Conflict and Violence across Contexts: Relations to Adjustment among Palestinian Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dubow, Eric F.; Boxer, Paul; Huesmann, L. Rowell; Shikaki, Khalil; Landau, Simha; Gvirsman, Shira Dvir; Ginges, Jeremy

2010-01-01

Despite extensive literatures on the impact on children of exposure to violence in families, neighborhoods, and peer groups, there has been relatively little effort evaluating their cumulative impact. There also has been less attention to the effects of exposure to political conflict and violence. We collected data from a representative sample of…

Assessment of the nutritional status of preschool-age children during the second Intifada in Palestine.

PubMed

Abdeen, Ziad; Greenough, P Gregg; Chandran, Aruna; Qasrawi, Radwan

2007-09-01

The Palestinian economy has dramatically deteriorated at all levels since the Al-Aqsa Intifada (uprising) began in 2000, resulting in an unprecedented catastrophe to the livelihoods of the Palestinians residing in the West Bank and Gaza. It was also marked by lack of household physical and financial access to food and health care, which placed children at increased risk of malnutrition and poor health. This prompted a significant increase in food aid from 2002 until the summer of 2003. To assess the nutritional status of children 6 to 59 months of age after 1 year of food assistance. In the West Bank and Gaza, a nationally representative sample of children 6 to 59 months of age was randomly selected with a validated multistage clustered design, with the Health Survey 1999 sample used as the sampling frame. The sample was stratified according to governorate, place of residence (urban, nonurban, or refugee camp), locality, and size of locality (number of households). A cross-sectional survey of nutritional status was carried out. Data were collected by interviews with the primary caregivers of the children. Measurements were made of children's weight and height or length. Food-intake data were collected by the 24-hour food-recall method with the use of a booklet of photographs of foods commonly eaten in Palestine. A total of 3,089 children were assessed, of whom 3.1% in the West Bank and 3.9% in the Gaza Strip were suffering from acute malnutrition; the prevalence of chronic malnutrition was 9.2% in the West Bank and 12.7% in the Gaza Strip (p = .02). Sex, refugee status, locality, and maternal education were not significantly associated with acute malnutrition by logistic regression analysis, whereas infants 6 to 23 months of age were significantly at risk. Calorie and protein intakes were generally lower than recommended dietary allowances. The prevalence rates of both acute and chronic malnutrition among children in the West Bank and Gaza are significantly higher than the national Palestinian averages. There is a need to establish nutritional surveillance systems to monitor the nutritional status of children in conflict areas.

The quality of reports of medical and public health research from Palestinian institutions: a systematic review.

PubMed

Albarqouni, Loai; Abu-Rmeileh, Niveen Me; Elessi, Khamis; Obeidallah, Mohammad; Bjertness, Espen; Chalmers, Iain

2017-06-09

Over the past decade, there has been an increase in reports of health research from Palestine, but no assessment of their quality. We have assessed the quality of reports of Palestinian health research and factors associated with it. This is a systematic review. We searched Medline and Scopus for reports of original research relevant to human health or healthcare authored by researchers affiliated with Palestinian institutions and published between January 2000 and August 2015 inclusive. We used international guidelines to assess report quality, classifying as adequate those with ≥50% of items completely addressed. Of 2383 reports identified, 497 met our inclusion criteria. Just over half (264; 55%) of these were published after 2010. 354 (71%) of first authors were affiliated with Palestinian institutions; 261 (53%) reports had coauthors from outside Palestine. The majority of the reports in our study were inadequately reported (342; 69%), and none had adequately reported all items. Of 439 observational studies, 11 (2.5%) reports provided adequate descriptions of eligibility criteria and selection procedures; 35 (8%) reported efforts to address potential sources of bias; 50 (11.4%) reported the basis for the study sample size; and funding sources were mentioned in 74 reports (17%). Higher reporting quality was associated with international affiliation of the first author (prevalence ratio (PR) 1.6 (95% CI 1.2 to 2.1)), international collaboration (PR 2.9 (95% CI 1.7 to 5.0)), international funding (PR 1.9 (95% CI1.5 to 2.5)), publication after 2005 (PR 3.9 (95% CI 1.8 to 8.5)) and four or more coauthors (PR 1.5 (95% CI 1.1 to 2.1)). Although the quality of reports of Palestinian research has improved in recent years, it remains well below an acceptable standard. International reporting guidelines should be used to guide research design and improve the quality of reports of research. The systematic review protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) registery (registration number: CRD42015027553). © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Knowledge and Adherence to Medications among Palestinian Geriatrics Living with Chronic Diseases in the West Bank and East Jerusalem

PubMed Central

Najjar, Anas; Amro, Yazan; Kitaneh, Islam; Abu-Sharar, Salam; Sawalha, Maryam; Jamous, Abrar; Qiq, Muhannad; Makharzeh, Enas; Subb Laban, Bayan; Amro, Wafa; Amro, Ahmad

2015-01-01

Background Adequate patient knowledge about medications is essential for appropriate drug taking behavior and patient adherence. This study aims to assess and quantify the level of knowledge and adherence to medications among Palestinian geriatrics living with chronic diseases and to investigate possible associated socio-demographic characteristics. Methods and Findings We conducted a cross-sectional study during June 2013 and January 2014 among Palestinian geriatrics ≥60 years old living with chronic disease in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. A stratified random sample was selected and a questionnaire-assisted interview was applied for data collection. T-test was applied for bivariate analyzing and one-way ANOVA test was applied for multivariate analyses. Results A total of 1192 Palestinian geriatrics were studied. The average age was 70.3 (SD=8.58) years and ranged from 60-110 years. The sample comprised 659 (55.3%) females and 533 (44.7%) males. The global knowledge and global adherence scores were (67.57%) and (89.29%), respectively. Adequate levels of knowledge were 71.4%, and of adherence 75%, which were recorded for 705 (59.1%) and 1088 (91.3%) participants, respectively. Significant higher levels of global knowledge and global adherence were recorded for males, and for participants who hold a Bachelor’s degree, those who live on their own, and did physical activity for more than 40 hours/week (p-value <0.05). Furthermore, workers, participants with a higher monthly income, and non-smokers have a higher knowledge level with (p-value <0.05). We found positive correlation between participants’ global adherence and global knowledge (r=0.487 and p-value <0.001). Negative correlation was found between participants’ global knowledge and adherence with age (r= -0.236, p-value <0.001 and r= -0.211 and p-value <0.001, respectively. Negative correlation between global knowledge and the number of drugs taken (r= -0.130, p-value <0.001) was predicted. Conclusion We concluded that patients with a higher level of knowledge are more adherent to their medications and that better understanding of socio-demographic factors has a clear influence on the level of knowledge and adherence to medications and thus contributes to the development of guidelines for treatment and may consequently lead to favourable clinical outcomes and savings of health care costs. PMID:26046771

Epidemiology of scabies in the West Bank, Palestinian Territories (Occupied).

PubMed

Amro, Ahmad; Hamarsheh, Omar

2012-02-01

Scabies is a disease that is considered a public health problem in the Palestinian Territories and in other countries around the world. Scabies causes skin lesions leading to substantial morbidity, and is also associated with social stigma. In this study we describe the epidemiology of scabies in the West Bank, Palestine during the years 2005-2010. We examined the records and profiles of a total of 1734 patients who were admitted to the dermatology clinics of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in 2005-2010. The disease was found to be prevalent in all governorates. The average annual incidence of scabies in the West Bank for 2005-2010 was 17/100,000 population. The average number of scabies patients per year in the West Bank was 26.3 per governorate, with a significant increase in the years 2009 and 2010 (p<0.001). Disease occurrence was significantly higher among children aged ≤ 10 years than in the other age groups, in adult females in the age groups of 31-40 and 41-50 years compared to males in these age groups, and in males in the age group of 11-20 years compared to females in that age group. Scabies was found in all governorates of the Palestinian West Bank. Individuals under 20 years of age are particularly at risk. Compulsory reporting of scabies to the Palestinian Ministry of Health would be expected to increase awareness of the disease, which is crucial for the prevention and control of scabies in the Palestinian Territories. Copyright © 2011 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Positive weighing of the other's collective narrative among Jewish and Bedouin-Palestinian teachers in Israel and its correlates.

PubMed

Lazar, Alon; Braun-Lewensohn, Orna; Litvak Hirsch, Tal

2016-06-01

Teachers play a pivotal role in the educational discourse around collective narratives, and especially the other's narrative. The study assumed that members of groups entangled in a conflict approach the different modules of the other's narrative distinctively. Jewish and Palestinian teachers, Israeli citizens, answered questionnaires dealing with the narrative of the other, readiness for interethnic contact, negative between-group emotions and preferences for resolutions of the Israeli-Palestinian (I-P) conflict. Positive weighing of the other's narrative among Jewish teachers correlated with high levels of readiness for interethnic contact and low levels of negative between-group emotions, across the various modules of the Palestinian narrative. Preferences for a peaceful resolution of the I-P conflict and rejection of a violent one were noted in two of the modules. Among Palestinian teachers, positive weighing of the other's collective narrative was exclusively noted for the Israeli narrative of the Holocaust, and this stance negatively related to negative between-group emotions and preference for a violent solution of the I-P conflict, and positively related to readiness for interethnic contact and preference of a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Practical implications of these findings for peace education are discussed. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

Comparative Study of Eating-Related Attitudes and Psychological Traits between Israeli-Arab and -Jewish Schoolgirls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Latzer, Yael; Tzischinsky, Orna; Geraisy, Nabil

2007-01-01

Objective: The aims of the study were to examine weight concerns, dieting and eating behaviours in a group of Israeli-Arab schoolgirls as compared with Israeli-Jewish schoolgirls, as well as to investigate the reliability of the Arabic (Palestinian) version of the eating disorder inventory-2 (EDI-2). Method: The sample consisted of 2548 Israeli…

Beliefs about Parental Authority Legitimacy among Refugee Youth in Jordan: Between- and Within-Person Variations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smetana, Judith G.; Ahmad, Ikhlas; Wray-Lake, Laura

2016-01-01

We examined within- and between-person variations in parental legitimacy beliefs in a sample of 883 Arab refugee youth (M[subscript age] = 15.01 years, SD = 1.60), 277 Iraqis, 275 Syrians, and 331 Palestinians, in Amman, Jordan. Latent profile analyses of 22 belief items yielded 4 profiles of youth. The "normative" profile (67% of the…

The Abstract Thinking Levels of the Science-Education Students in Gaza Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darwish, Ata H.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the abstract thinking levels of the science students attending the first and fourth year at two Palestinian Universities (Al-Aqsa and Al-Azhar). The sample consisted of 133 students from Science Education Departments (SE). The tool, used to measure abstract thinking, was one of the Science Reasoning Tasks…

31 CFR 594.411 - Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Palestinian Authority. 594.411 Section 594.411 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY GLOBAL TERRORISM SANCTIONS REGULATIONS Interpretations...

31 CFR 594.411 - Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Palestinian Authority. 594.411 Section 594.411 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY GLOBAL TERRORISM SANCTIONS REGULATIONS Interpretations...

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Palestinian people relating to organ donation in 2016: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Abukhaizaran, Nidal; Hashem, Mohammed; Hroub, Osama; Belkebir, Souad; Demyati, Khaled

2018-02-21

Organ transplantation is the treatment of choice for organ failure, but organs are scarce and their availability is affected by relational ties, religious beliefs, cultural influences, body integrity, medical mistrust, and other factors. This aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Palestinian population with respect to organ donation. In this cross-sectional study, we used a validated questionnaire delivered by land telephone to collect data on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices relating to organ donation in the general population of the West Bank. Stratified sampling and simple random sampling were applied using data obtained from the Palestinian Telecommunication Group in 2016. Stata version 20 was used for statistical analysis, and a p value less than 0·05 was considered significant. Ethics approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of An-Najah National University, and all participants gave verbal informed consent. The questionnaire was completed by 385 (68%) of 565 people approached (mean age 42 years [SD 14·13]). 266 (69%) respondents were married, 311 (80%) were employed, and 375 (97%) were Muslim. 136 (35%) respondents were university students or post-graduates. Half of participants lived in urban areas. Local religious clergy were reported as being the source of general information by 150 (40%) participants. 273 (71%) respondents had adequate knowledge about organ donation, TV being the main source of information for 207 (60%) participants. 70 (26%) respondents would consider donation only after death, and 342 (67%) respondents would only consider donating to a close family member, whereas 341 (100%) respondents believed that their organ could be misused and 219 (64%) believed organ donation carries a health risk. 135 (49%) respondents preferred to donate to a recipient of the same religion. 266 (78%) individuals believed that organ donation should be promoted in the occupied Palestinian territory, although 188 (55%) reported organ donation to be culturally unacceptable. Religious beliefs and fears of complications were the main obstacles to organ donation. An adequate level of knowledge was associated with the female sex (p=0·008), level of education (p=0·046), monthly income (p=0·041), and marital status (p=0·012), whereas a positive attitude to organ donation was associated with religious score (p=0·015), marital status (p=0·031), and knowledge score (p=0·003). A high level of knowledge was associated with employment and the perception of organ donation as permitted in religion, whereas a positive attitude was associated with single marital status, high level of knowledge, and residence in cities. Despite adequate knowledge and positive attitudes towards organ donation, a comprehensive study is necessary to fully understand the local characteristics that influence organ donation by Palestinians and to better inform decision makers and future policies. None. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cancer mortality in the West Bank, Occupied Palestinian Territory.

PubMed

Abu-Rmeileh, Niveen M E; Gianicolo, Emilio Antonio Luca; Bruni, Antonella; Mitwali, Suzan; Portaluri, Maurizio; Bitar, Jawad; Hamad, Mutaem; Giacaman, Rita; Vigotti, Maria Angela

2016-01-26

The burden of cancer is difficult to study in the context of the occupied Palestinian territory because of the limited data available. This study aims to evaluate the quality of mortality data and to investigate cancer mortality patterns in the occupied Palestinian territory's West Bank governorates from 1999 to 2009. Death certificates collected by the Palestinian Ministry of Health for Palestinians living in the West Bank were used. Direct and indirect age-standardised mortality rates were computed and used to compare different governorates according to total and specific cancer mortality. Furthermore, standardised proportional mortality ratios were calculated to compare mortality by urban, rural and camp locales. The most common cause of death out of all cancer types was lung cancer among males (22.8 %) and breast cancer among females (21.5 %) followed by prostate cancer for males (9.5 %) and by colon cancer for females (11.4 %). Regional variations in cancer-specific causes of death were observed. The central- West Bank governorates had the lowest mortality for most cancer types among men and women. Mortality for lung cancer was highest in the north among men (SMR 109.6; 95%CI 99.5-120.4). For prostate cancer, mortality was highest in the north (SMR 103.6; 95%CI 88.5-120.5) and in the south (SMR 118.6; 95%CI 98.9-141.0). Breast cancer mortality was highest in the south (SMR 119.3; 95%CI 103.9-136.2). Similar mortality rate patterns were found in urban, rural and camp locales. The quality of the Palestinian mortality registry has improved over time. Results in the West Bank governorates present different mortality patterns. The differences might be explained by personal, contextual and environmental factors that need future in-depth investigations.

A resolution reaffirming the commitment of the United States to a negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, reaffirming opposition to the inclusion of Hamas in a unity government unless it is willing to accept peace with Israel and renounce violence, and declaring that Palestinian efforts to gain recognition of a state outside direct negotiations demonstrates absence of a good faith commitment to peace negotiations, and will have implications for continued United States aid.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD

2011-05-16

Senate - 06/28/2011 Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

U.S. Foreign Aid to the Palestinians

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-07-16

Gaza conflict took place in Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt on March 2, 2009. At the conference, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton pledged $900...part. Fayyad produced a Palestinian Reform and Development Plan for 2008-2010 (PRDP) that—even before the March 2009 donors’ conference in Sharm al

Peace Education in the Context of Occupation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saul, Melissa Sampson

2009-01-01

The purpose of this research was to examine how internationals, Palestinians, and Israelis interested in developing and articulating a culture of peace understand their work within the broader context of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. This study employed critical qualitative methods including advocacy research and elements of critical…

Beneath the Surface

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bronner, Yigal; Gordon, Neve

2008-01-01

According to Israeli archaeologist Yonathan Mizrachi, archaeology has become a weapon of dispossession. He was referring to the way archaeology is being used in Silwan, a Palestinian neighborhood in the oldest part of Jerusalem, where, archaeological digs are being carried out as part of a concerted campaign to expel Palestinians from their…

The Middle East Revisited.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caradon, Hugh

1982-01-01

Some factors are common to the confrontation of Cypriot Greeks and Turks and the confrontation of Palestinians and Israelis. An independent international initiative is necessary to solve these disputes. If the Europeans revive their Venice initiative at the United Nations, the Palestinians and Israelis will obtain peace and security. (AM)

A New Stress-Based Model of Political Extremism: Personal Exposure to Terrorism, Psychological Distress, and Exclusionist Political Attitudes.

PubMed

Canetti-Nisim, Daphna; Halperin, Eran; Sharvit, Keren; Hobfoll, Stevan E

2009-06-01

Does exposure to terrorism lead to hostility toward minorities? Drawing on theories from clinical and social psychology, we propose a stress-based model of political extremism in which psychological distress-which is largely overlooked in political scholarship-and threat perceptions mediate the relationship between exposure to terrorism and attitudes toward minorities. To test the model, a representative sample of 469 Israeli Jewish respondents was interviewed on three occasions at six-month intervals. Structural Equation Modeling indicated that exposure to terrorism predicted psychological distress (t1), which predicted perceived threat from Palestinian citizens of Israel (t2), which, in turn, predicted exclusionist attitudes toward Palestinian citizens of Israel (t3). These findings provide solid evidence and a mechanism for the hypothesis that terrorism introduces nondemocratic attitudes threatening minority rights. It suggests that psychological distress plays an important role in political decision making and should be incorporated in models drawing upon political psychology.

Child Geopolitical Agency: A Mixed Methods Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Habashi, Janette; Worley, Jody

2009-01-01

This study examines the geopolitical agency of Palestinian children. Mixed methodology was used to identify the etiologies contributing to processes of political socialization. Both qualitative and qualitative methods are equally distributed throughout this research. Focus groups and interviews with 12 Palestinian children, aged 10 to 13 years,…

Constructivist Learning Environment among Palestinian Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeidan, Afif

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the constructivist learning environment among Palestinian science students. The study also aimed to investigate the effects of gender and learning level of these students on their perceptions of the constructivist learning environment. Data were collected from 125 male and 101 female students from the…

31 CFR 594.514 - Concluding activities with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Concluding activities with the Palestinian Authority. 594.514 Section 594.514 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY GLOBAL TERRORISM...

31 CFR 594.516 - Transactions with the Palestinian Authority authorized.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Transactions with the Palestinian Authority authorized. 594.516 Section 594.516 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY GLOBAL TERRORISM...

Living in the Crossfire: Effects of Exposure to Political Violence on Palestinian and Israeli Mothers and Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guttmann-Steinmetz, Sarit; Shoshani, Anat; Farhan, Khaled; Aliman, Moran; Hirschberger, Gilad

2012-01-01

This study examined children's psychological symptoms, particularly aggression, in the context of family characteristics, exposure to political violence, and nationality. We examined the association among Palestinian and Israeli children's and mothers' attachment (measured by self-report questionnaires), exposure to political violence, and…

Fear in the Palestinian Classroom: Pedagogy, Authoritarianism and Transformation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Affouneh, Saida; Hargreaves, Eleanore

2015-01-01

Drawing on pictures, written sentences and interview contributions, this article explores some Palestinian children's perspectives in order to gain insights into some children's classroom fear in the light of its potential influence on learning. After presenting some existing research indicating a negative relationship between fear and young…

31 CFR 597.510 - Concluding activities with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Concluding activities with the Palestinian Authority. 597.510 Section 597.510 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and... ORGANIZATIONS SANCTIONS REGULATIONS Licenses, Authorizations, and Statements of Licensing Policy § 597.510...

I Know There Is No Justice: Palestinian Perceptions of Higher Education in Jordan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marar, Marianne Maurice

2011-01-01

This qualitative study utilizes critical ethnography methods to illustrate Palestinian refugee perceptions of higher education in Jordan. Participants addressed their assimilation to the Jordanian national identity as a means of obtaining education. Content and access to education were more important than assimilation, maintenance of ethnic…

31 CFR 597.510 - Concluding activities with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Concluding activities with the Palestinian Authority. 597.510 Section 597.510 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and... ORGANIZATIONS SANCTIONS REGULATIONS Licenses, Authorizations, and Statements of Licensing Policy § 597.510...

31 CFR 597.510 - Concluding activities with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Concluding activities with the Palestinian Authority. 597.510 Section 597.510 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and... ORGANIZATIONS SANCTIONS REGULATIONS Licenses, Authorizations, and Statements of Licensing Policy § 597.510...

Anti-Israel Sentiment Predicts Anti-Semitism in Europe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaplan, Edward H.; Small, Charles A.

2006-01-01

In the discourse surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, extreme criticisms of Israel (e.g., Israel is an apartheid state, the Israel Defense Forces deliberately target Palestinian civilians), coupled with extreme policy proposals (e.g., boycott of Israeli academics and institutions, divest from companies doing business with Israel), have…

To Tame a Chechen Wolf: Shedding the Failing Frame of Salafism

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-04-01

Palestinians because they were perceived as the ‘ underdog .’ Using the tool of emotions, Palestinians were able to gain and mobilize significant...Maskhadov couldn’t control him. Basayev accused the president of pretending to be a Muslim. Maskhadov did not like the Salafi brand of religious fanaticism

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among School Age Palestinian Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khamis, Vivian

2005-01-01

Objectives: This study was designed to assess the prevalence of PTSD among Palestinian school-age children. Variables that distinguish PTSD and non-PTSD children were examined, including child characteristics, socioeconomic status, family environment, and parental style of influence. Method: Participants were 1,000 children aged 12 to 16 years.…

Libraries in the West Bank and Gaza: Obstacles and Possibilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergan, Erling

This paper provides an overview of Palestinian libraries. The following topics are addressed: historical and political background on Palestine; the Ansari Public Library in East Jerusalem; the Khalidi Family Library in the Old City of Jerusalem; mosque libraries; the Nablus Public Library; the Palestinian Library and Information Association; other…

From Marginalisation to Integration: Arab-Palestinians in Israeli Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hager, Tamar; Jabareen, Yousef

2016-01-01

The Arab-Palestinian minority in Israel, one-fifth of the country's population, has been underrepresented in Israeli institutions of higher education since the establishment of the state. This article focuses on the authors' shared aim of promoting diversity and multiculturalism in institutions of higher education in Israel. It first introduces…

Detection of Poliovirus Circulation by Environmental Surveillance in the Absence of Clinical Cases in Israel and the Palestinian Authority

PubMed Central

Manor, Y.; Handsher, R.; Halmut, T.; Neuman, M.; Bobrov, A.; Rudich, H.; Vonsover, A.; Shulman, L.; Kew, O.; Mendelson, E.

1999-01-01

The global eradication of poliomyelitis, believed to be achievable around the year 2000, relies on strategies which include high routine immunization coverage and mass vaccination campaigns, along with continuous monitoring of wild-type virus circulation by using the laboratory-based acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance. Israel and the Palestinian Authority are located in a geographical region in which poliovirus is still endemic but have been free of poliomyelitis since 1988 as a result of intensive immunization programs and mass vaccination campaigns. To monitor the wild-type virus circulation, environmental surveillance of sewage samples collected monthly from 25 to 30 sites across the country was implemented in 1989 and AFP surveillance began in 1994. The sewage samples were processed in the laboratory with a double-selective tissue culture system, which enabled economical processing of large number of samples. Between 1989 and 1997, 2,294 samples were processed, and wild-type poliovirus was isolated from 17 of them in four clusters, termed “silent outbreaks,” in September 1990 (type 3), between May and September 1991 (type 1), between October 1994 and June 1995 (type 1), and in December 1996 (type 1). Fifteen of the 17 positive samples were collected in the Gaza Strip, 1 was collected in the West Bank, and 1 was collected in the Israeli city of Ashdod, located close to the Gaza Strip. The AFP surveillance system failed to detect the circulating wild-type viruses. These findings further emphasize the important role that environmental surveillance can play in monitoring the eradication of polioviruses. PMID:10325305

Mental Suffering in Protracted Political Conflict: Feeling Broken or Destroyed.

PubMed

Barber, Brian K; McNeely, Clea A; El Sarraj, Eyad; Daher, Mahmoud; Giacaman, Rita; Arafat, Cairo; Barnes, William; Abu Mallouh, Mohammed

2016-01-01

This mixed-methods exploratory study identified and then developed and validated a quantitative measure of a new construct of mental suffering in the occupied Palestinian territory: feeling broken or destroyed. Group interviews were conducted in 2011 with 68 Palestinians, most aged 30-40, in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip to discern local definitions of functioning. Interview participants articulated of a type of suffering not captured in existing mental health instruments used in regions of political conflict. In contrast to the specific difficulties measured by depression and PTSD (sleep, appetite, energy, flashbacks, avoidance, etc.), participants elaborated a more existential form of mental suffering: feeling that one's spirit, morale and/or future was broken or destroyed, and emotional and psychological exhaustion. Participants articulated these feelings when describing the rigors of the political and economic contexts in which they live. We wrote survey items to capture these sentiments and administered these items-along with standard survey measures of mental health-to a representative sample of 1,778 32-43 year olds in the occupied Palestinian territory. The same survey questions also were administered to a representative subsample (n = 508) six months earlier, providing repeated measures of the construct. Across samples and time, the feeling broken or destroyed scale: 1) comprised a separate factor in exploratory factor analyses, 2) had high inter-item consistency, 3) was reported by both genders and in all regions, 4) showed discriminate validity via moderate correlations with measures of feelings of depression and trauma-related stress, and 5) was more commonly experienced than either feelings of depression or trauma-related stress. Feeling broken or destroyed can be reliably measured and distinguished from conventional measures of mental health. Such locally grounded and contextualized measures should be identified and included in assessments of the full impact of protracted political conflict on functioning.

Attitudes of Palestinian physicians toward wife abuse: their definitions, perceptions of causes, and perceptions of appropriate interventions.

PubMed

Haj-Yahia, Muhammad M

2013-03-01

The article presents results from a larger survey, which examined the attitudes and perceptions of Palestinian physicians (N = 396) toward wife abuse. The instrument was a self-administered questionnaire, with open-ended questions in which participants expressed their definitions of wife abuse, their perceptions of the causes of wife abuse, and their perceptions of appropriate interventions with wife abuse. The relevance of the sociocultural contexts of Palestinian society in particular and Arab societies in general to the participants' responses is highlighted in the article. The limitations of the study as well as implications for theory development, future research, and professional training are discussed.

Towards a Class-Centred Approach to EFL Teaching in the Palestinian Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ayyash, Adnan I. Abu

2011-01-01

The teaching article attempts to highlight the significance of introducing a class-centred approach (henceforth CCA) to L2 teaching in the Palestinian context. Additionally, it aims to pinpoint that experienced teachers can make their teaching strategies more motivating and more communicative, through intertwining their learners' pedagogical and…

"Shooting Back" in the Occupied Territories: An Anti-Colonial Participatory Politics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Desai, Chandni

2015-01-01

In this article I argue that Palestinians, in particular Palestinian youth engage in forms of cultural resistance such as filming, video production and dissemination in their everyday lives as a way to re-configure place, space, law, knowledge and violence, through a critical race, feminist, anti-colonial theoretical analysis. Recently, interest…

Validity of Palestinian University Students' Responses in Evaluating Their Instructors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Ahmad M.

1986-01-01

A study of Palestinian university students' evaluations of their teachers' instruction examined the possible biasing effect of their sex, academic class, or expected grade in the course. The results are examined in the context of Arab and Third World higher education and the need to establish standards of evaluation. (MSE)

An Education Track for the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process. USIPeace Briefing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zasloff, Barbara; Shapiro, Adina; Coyne, A. Heather

2009-01-01

Educational issues have largely been excluded from previous efforts to resolve the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. This report examines how the parties and international mediators can create an education track for the peace process that would create opportunities for more effective mediation, and increase the chances for success of the process…

Vowel Harmony in Palestinian Arabic: A Metrical Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abu-Salim, I. M.

1987-01-01

The autosegmental rule of vowel harmony (VH) in Palestinian Arabic is shown to be constrained simultaneously by metrical and segmental boundaries. The indicative prefix bi- is no longer an exception to VH if a structure is assumed that disallows the prefix from sharing a foot with the stem, consequently blocking VH. (Author/LMO)

Israeli and Palestinian Teachers' Self-Reported Motivations for Teaching Religion: An Exploratory Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilheany, Terence

2013-01-01

The teaching of religion raises opportunities to reduce prejudicial beliefs and attitudes among students. In this study, 30 religion, history, and civics teachers in Israel, East Jerusalem, and the Palestinian Territories were interviewed about their motivations for teaching religion. This study found that teachers expressed a variety of…

Adapting the Critical Thinking Assessment Test for Palestinian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basha, Sami; Drane, Denise; Light, Gregory

2016-01-01

Critical thinking is a key learning outcome for Palestinian students. However, there are no validated critical thinking tests in Arabic. Suitability of the US developed Critical Thinking Assessment Test (CAT) for use in Palestine was assessed. The test was piloted with university students in English (n = 30) and 4 questions were piloted in Arabic…

Childhood: Impressions of the Intifada.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanoun, Rasmyah Abdelgader

While most studies on the effects violence has on children concentrate on exposure to warfare or single cases of trauma, this document focuses on the effects of chronic violent events on the well-being of Palestinian youth. Information in this paper was attained from discussions with Palestinian youth ages 5-16 in Israel. The purpose of these…

31 CFR 595.510 - Payment of taxes and incidental fees to the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Payment of taxes and incidental fees to the Palestinian Authority. 595.510 Section 595.510 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations... TERRORISM SANCTIONS REGULATIONS Licenses, Authorizations, and Statements of Licensing Policy § 595.510...

31 CFR 595.510 - Payment of taxes and incidental fees to the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Payment of taxes and incidental fees to the Palestinian Authority. 595.510 Section 595.510 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations... TERRORISM SANCTIONS REGULATIONS Licenses, Authorizations, and Statements of Licensing Policy § 595.510...

31 CFR 595.510 - Payment of taxes and incidental fees to the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Payment of taxes and incidental fees to the Palestinian Authority. 595.510 Section 595.510 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations... TERRORISM SANCTIONS REGULATIONS Licenses, Authorizations, and Statements of Licensing Policy § 595.510...

Life Behind the Wall: Palestinian Students Online

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hart, Doug

2007-01-01

In this article, the author discusses an online youth magazine that his Palestinian students developed. In April of 2006, they launched the inaugural edition of their teen e-zine, "Behind the Wall." With the help of his brother-in-law, students, along with a computer programmer, the "Behind the Wall" website was constructed.…

Constructing Israeli and Palestinian Identity: A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis of World History Textbooks and Teacher Discourse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osborn, Daniel

2017-01-01

This research critically evaluates the depiction of Israelis and Palestinians in World History textbooks and World History teachers' instructional discourse. Employing a Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis methodology, this study offers a comparison between written narratives and spoken discourse in order to analyze the portrayals found in…

Palestinian Continuing Education under Occupation:Images of Distress and Possibilities for Hope

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidson, Howard

2010-01-01

This study examines how aspects of a militarily enforced occupation have influenced continuing education at Palestinian universities. It focuses on three influences: the impact of the politics of occupation on the history of continuing education; the effect of travel restriction, violence, and a damaged economy on participation; and the influence…

31 CFR 595.509 - Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority. 595.509 Section 595.509 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE...

31 CFR 595.509 - Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority. 595.509 Section 595.509 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE...

31 CFR 597.507 - Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority. 597.507 Section 597.507 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE...

31 CFR 594.511 - Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority. 594.511 Section 594.511 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE...

31 CFR 597.507 - Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority. 597.507 Section 597.507 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE...

31 CFR 594.511 - Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority. 594.511 Section 594.511 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE...

31 CFR 595.509 - Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority. 595.509 Section 595.509 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE...

31 CFR 595.509 - Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority. 595.509 Section 595.509 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE...

31 CFR 597.507 - Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority. 597.507 Section 597.507 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE...

31 CFR 595.509 - Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority. 595.509 Section 595.509 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE...

31 CFR 597.507 - Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority. 597.507 Section 597.507 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE...

31 CFR 594.511 - Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority. 594.511 Section 594.511 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE...

31 CFR 594.511 - Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority. 594.511 Section 594.511 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE...

31 CFR 597.507 - Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority. 597.507 Section 597.507 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE...

31 CFR 594.511 - Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Travel, employment, residence and maintenance transactions with the Palestinian Authority. 594.511 Section 594.511 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE...

Perceptions of Forgiveness among Palestinian Teachers in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nasser, Ilham; Abu-Nimer, Mohammed

2012-01-01

This article presents the results of a study conducted among Palestinian teachers in Israel to address their contextual understanding and perceptions of forgiveness. It sheds light on K-12 teachers' responses to daily cultural and social conflict situations in a Middle Eastern context. This research aims to contribute to our understanding of…

Hebrew and Palestinian Arabic in Israel: Linguistic Frameworks and Speech-Language Pathology Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uziel-Karl, Sigal; Kanaan, Fadi; Yifat, Rachel; Meir, Irit; Abugov, Netta; Ravid, Dorit

2014-01-01

This article is the result of cooperation between Israeli Jewish and Arab psycholinguists and speech-language disorders specialists. It presents two facets of the Israeli communications disorders scene: (1) a review of some linguistic, psycholinguistic, and sociolinguistic facets of Hebrew and Palestinian Arabic, two Semitic languages whose…

An Investigation of Palestinian EFL Majors' Writing Apprehension: Causes and Remedies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abu Shawish, Jaber I.; Abdelraheem, Mohammad Atea

2010-01-01

A considerable number of research and reports attempted to tackle the different aspects of writing apprehension. The current research dealt with the topic quantitatively and qualitatively in an attempt to know why Palestinian university students majoring in English feel anxious and stressed when they are asked to write. The possible remedies for…

Preparing Palestinian Reflective English Language Teachers through Classroom Based Action Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dajani, Majida "Mohammed Yousef "

2015-01-01

This study aimed to describe the implementation of individual action research projects among some forty English language teachers distributed in thirty Palestinian schools in Ramallah and Qabatya districts-Palestine. It aimed to analyze the outcomes of the teachers' action research as part of a broader participatory action research project that is…

Factors affecting the prevalence of chronic diseases in Palestinian people: an analysis of data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

PubMed

Abukhdeir, H F; Caplan, L S; Reese, L; Alema-Mensah, E

2013-04-01

This study determined whether there are significant differences in the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer among Palestinians with respect to different demographic variables using secondary data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Living in the Gaza Strip was a protective factor, with this group being 21% less likely to have diabetes, 35% less likely to have hypertension, and 48% less likely to have CVD than those living in the West Bank. No significant difference was found for cancer. Being a refugee was a significant risk factor for diabetes and CVD while being married/engaged or divorced/ separated/widowed was a risk factor for diabetes and hypertension. Gender was a risk factor for hypertension with females being 60% more likely to have hypertension than males. Living in a rural setting was protective against hypertension. As expected, age was a risk factor for diabetes, hypertension and CVD; the magnitude of this increased risk was alarming, 36 to 434 times greater in those aged 40-65 years compared with those aged 0-19 years.

Cultural factors affecting the differential performance of Israeli and Palestinian children on the Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment.

PubMed

Josman, Naomi; Abdallah, Taisir M; Engel-Yeger, Batya

2010-01-01

Cognitive performance is essential for children's functioning and may also predict school readiness. The suitability of Western standardized assessments for cognitive performance among children from different cultures needs to be elaborated. This study referred to the existence of differences in cognitive performance between and within children from the middle-east-Israeli and Palestinian on the Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA), by elucidating cultural effects on the construct validity of the LOTCA using factor analysis. Participants included 101 Israeli and 125 Palestinian children from kindergarten, first and second grade who underwent the LOTCA. Factor analysis revealed four factors underlying items on the LOTCA, explaining the differences found between Israeli and Palestinian children in most of LOTCA subtests. Culture may affect the construct validity of the LOTCA and may explain the difference in performance between both cultural groups. LOTCA's validity as well as the validity of other instruments on which norms and decisions regarding the child's development and performance are made should be further evaluated among children from different cultural backgrounds. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Favism, the commonest form of severe hemolytic anemia in Palestinian children, varies in severity with three different variants of G6PD deficiency within the same community.

PubMed

Reading, N Scott; Sirdah, Mahmoud M; Shubair, Mohammad E; Nelson, Benjamin E; Al-Kahlout, Mustafa S; Al-Tayeb, Jamal M; Aboud, Lina N; Shaban, Maysaa Abu; Luzzatto, Lucio; Prchal, Josef T

2016-09-01

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a common genetic abnormality known to predispose to acute hemolytic anemia (AHA), which can be triggered by certain drugs or infection. However, the commonest trigger is fava beans (Vicia faba) ingestion, causing AHA (favism), which may be life-threatening especially in children. G6PD deficiency is genetically highly heterogeneous, as nearly 200 different mutations have been observed. We have investigated the hematological features of acute favism in the Palestinian Gaza community that is characterized by the polymorphic coexistence of three different G6PD deficiency genes (G6PD A-, G6PD Cairo, G6PD Med). We have found by comparison to the general population (485 adults and 466 newborns) that children with favism, in terms of relative frequency, G6PD A- was under-represented, whereas G6PD Med was over-represented. We also found that the severity of anemia was significantly greater with G6PD Med and G6PD Cairo than with G6PD A-; and with G6PD Cairo, compared to the other two variants, there was greater hyperbilirubinemia, as well as persistence of mild anemia and reticulocytosis for as long as 4months after recovery from favism. This is the first report determining a differential impact of different G6PD mutations on the clinical features of favism in the same population and the same environment. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Double Burden of Undernutrition and Obesity in Palestinian Schoolchildren: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Massad, Salwa; Deckelbaum, Richard J; Gebre-Medhin, Mehari; Holleran, Steve; Dary, Omar; Obeidi, Maysoun; Bordelois, Paula; Khammash, Umaiyeh

2016-06-01

The coexistence of underweight and overweight (double burden) remains a major problem in many developing countries. Little is known about the factors associated with the double burden of malnutrition in Palestinian children. To assess factors associated with undernutrition and overnutrition in 1500 schoolchildren aged 5 to 16 years, in the West Bank. We surveyed a sample of 22 schools run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the Palestinian government. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the factors associated with malnutrition. The hunger index, a composite score from 8 questions, was used to measure food insecurity. In the 1484 children enrolled in UNRWA and government schools in the West Bank, the prevalence of stunting was 7% and underweight 3%. Around 12% of students were overweight and 6% obese. The hunger index was negatively associated with height for age. Factors associated with being underweight were male sex, mother being unemployed, and households not having enough food to eat for at least 2 days in the previous month. Factors associated with obesity were older age and time spent watching television. When overweight and obesity were combined in the analysis, they were inversely associated with increasing number of days spent playing sports. Our results show that the important nutritional risks for school-age children in the West Bank would seem to be the simultaneous occurrence of undernutrition and obesity. The study highlights the need to balance obesity management and prevention with interventions to tackle undernutrition. © The Author(s) 2016.

Teachers' "Inside" Reports on Language Instruction in the Palestinian-Jewish Schools in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rajuan, Maureen; Bekerman, Zvi

2011-01-01

This study is based on data from teachers' research reports in the context of an in-service workshop for professional development for teachers of the bilingual-integrated Palestinian-Jewish Schools in Israel. We used conventional qualitative methods, looking for patterns and thematic issues of relevance, which were then coded to allow for further…

How the Future Orientation of Traditional Israeli Palestinian Girls Links Beliefs about Women's Roles and Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seginer, Rachel; Mahajna, Sami

2004-01-01

A model in which future orientation links perceived fathers' and girls' beliefs about traditional women's roles and academic achievement was tested on data collected from traditional Israeli Palestinian girls (N=295) attending a Moslem all-girl senior high school. LISREL analyses estimated two empirical models pertaining to educational and family…

The Personal as Political: The Function of the Private Space in Contextualizing the "Other" in Jewish-Palestinian Encounters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markovich, Dalya Yafa

2015-01-01

The private/personal sphere is perceived to be a channel of empowerment that fosters processes of acknowledgment and recognition during encounters between participants from different cultural groups. Drawing on ethnographic research at an inter-cultural program that offered a space for engagement for Palestinian and Jewish educational trainees',…

Effects of Israeli Press Restrictions on Coverage of the Palestinian Uprising and on U.S. Public Opinion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffin, Jeffrey L.

Comparing United States television news coverage of the Palestinian uprising in the Israeli-occupied territories before and after press restrictions were introduced in March 1988, a study examined whether Israel's press clampdown (restricting particularly the activities of camera crews, and apparently begun in response to negative foreign opinion…

Emigration for Higher Education: The Case of Palestinians Living in Israel Studying in Jordan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arar, Khalid; Haj-Yehia, Kussai

2010-01-01

This study explored reasons for the rapid increase in the number of Palestinian Arabs from Israel (PAI) studying higher education (HE) in Jordan. Four hundred and sixty PAI studying in Jordan answered a questionnaire assessing factors related to HE in both countries. Lenient admission requirements and cultural-language similarity explain Jordan's…

The Rates and Correlates of the Exposure of Palestinian Adolescents to Family Violence: Toward an Integrative-Holistic Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haj-Yahia, Muhammad M.; Abdo-Kaloti, Rula

2003-01-01

This examination of exposure of Palestinian adolescents to family violence found alarming rates of witnessing interparental and experiencing parent-to-child aggression and violence. Rates correlated with parents' levels of education, place of residence, family size, religious affiliation, family income, and housing conditions, as well as with…

Making Sense of Collective Identity and Trauma through Drawing: The Case Study of a Palestinian Refugee Student

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beauregard, Caroline; Papazian-Zohrabian, Garine; Rousseau, Cécile

2017-01-01

Identity construction can be very complex for refugee children, especially for Palestinian refugee children. For refugee children, organised violence and immigration are important parts of their life experience that can lead to trauma, which in turn influences how they construct their collective identity. Schools have to consider this specific…

Chechen Female Suicide Terrorism

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

acts perpetrated in Chechnya since 1995 consisted of hostage taking and suicide bombings carried out by the Martyrs Brigade (Riyadus Salikhin)2 while...Mia M. Bloom, “Palestinian Suicide Bombing : Public Support, Market Share, and Outbidding,” Political Science Quarterly 119, no. 1 (2004): 61. 30...38 Mohammed M. Hafez, Manufacturing Human Bombs : The Making of Palestinian Suicide Bombers (Washington, DC

Child Development and Family Mental Health in War and Military Violence: The Palestinian Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qouta, Samir; Punamaki, Raija-Leena; El Sarraj, Eyad

2008-01-01

The article reviews developmental research among Palestinians living in Gaza. The aims are, first, to analyze how exposure to traumatic events associates with children's mental health and their cognitive, emotional and social development. Second, we aimed to model familial and symbolic processes that can either harm or protect the mental health of…

Predictors of Psychological Distress and Positive Resources among Palestinian Adolescents: Trauma, Child, and Mothering Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qouta, Samir; Punamaki, Raija-Leena; Montgomery, Edith; El Sarraj, Eyad

2007-01-01

Objective: The aim was to examine how traumatic and stressful events, responses to violence, child characteristics, and mothering quality, as measured in middle childhood predict psychological distress and positive resources in adolescence. Method: The participants were 65 Palestinian adolescents (17 [plus or minus] 0.85 years; 52% girls), who had…

Perspectives of Palestinian and Jewish Parents in Israel on Bilingual Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nasser, Ilham

2011-01-01

This article is based on a study conducted at the first Arabic and Hebrew bilingual school in Israel (Neve-Shalom/Wahat-Alsalam--NSWAS). The article focuses on Jewish as well as Palestinian parents' perspectives and responses to survey questions and interviews conducted at the school. Parents named reasons for choosing the school, satisfaction…

Juliano Khamis: Martyr of Freedom and Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Yamani, Hala; Abusrour, Abdelfattah

2012-01-01

Juliano Khamis was born in Nazareth to a Palestinian father and a Jewish mother who had lived in Jenin for many years and supported the Palestinian opposition to the Israeli occupation. Juliano's mother Arna Mer Khamis established Elhajar Theatre in Jenin Refugee Camp in the Occupied West Bank with money awarded to her as winner of the Right…

Facebook, Political Narrative, and Political Change: A Case Study of Palestinian Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kenderes, Amanda M.

2012-01-01

In this dissertation I aim to advance political narrative theory by exploring the use of political narrative on Facebook and the possibility for Facebook to be used among Palestinian youth for political change. To examine the concepts of political narrative and political change, I developed a model for political change based on the changing…

Progressive Education and the Case of a Bilingual Palestinian-Arab and Jewish Co-Existence School in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arar, Khalid; Massry-Herzalah, Asmahan

2017-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to exemplify a "grass-roots" change based on Dewey's experimental progressive education model employed in the "Bridge over the Valley" bilingual school, a Palestinian-Arab and Jewish school in Israel. In order to identify the progressive "approach" underlying this change, the…

Science Process Skills and Attitudes toward Science among Palestinian Secondary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeidan, Afif Hafez; Jayosi, Majdi Rashed

2015-01-01

The aims of this study were to investigate the relationship between the Palestinian secondary school students knowledge level of science process skills and their attitudes toward science, and the effect of gender and residence of these students on their knowledge level of science process skills and on their attitudes toward science. The study used…

The Context Is the Message?! Learning about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict through Computerized Simulations in Different National Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kampf, Ronit

2016-01-01

Two cross-national experimental studies examined the effects of PeaceMaker and Global Conflicts on knowledge acquisition and attitude change regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. PeaceMaker and Global Conflicts are role-playing computerized simulations of this conflict. 248 undergraduate students from Turkey, Israel, Palestine and the US…

Entertainment-Education: Dilemmas of Israeli Creators of Theatre about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict in Promoting Peace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gesser-Edelsburg, Anat

2011-01-01

Israeli-Palestinian peace is promoted through political and diplomatic channels, as well as indirect channels such as conferences, lectures, meetings, workshops and political journalism. However, there is less awareness of the extensive artistic activity in Israel surrounding peace and its implications for society, or of the uniqueness of the…

Linguistic Landscape as Symbolic Construction of the Public Space: The Case of Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ben-Rafael, Eliezer; Shohamy, Elana; Amara, Muhammad Hasan; Trumper-Hecht, Nira

2006-01-01

Linguistic landscape (LL) refers to linguistic objects that mark the public space. This paper compares patterns of LL in a variety of homogeneous and mixed Israeli cities, and in East Jerusalem. The groups studied were Israeli Jews, Palestinian Israelis and non-Israeli Palestinians from East Jerusalem, of whom most are not Israeli citizens. The…

The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process and Its Vicissitudes: Insights from Attitude Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelman, Herbert C.

2007-01-01

The vicissitudes of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process since 1967 are analyzed using attitudes and related concepts where relevant. The 1967 war returned the two peoples' zero-sum conflict around national identity to its origin as a conflict within the land both peoples claim. Gradually, new attitudes evolved regarding the necessity and…

75 FR 19535 - Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-15

... is important to the national security interests of the United States to waive the provisions of section 7040(a) of the Act, in order to provide funds appropriated to carry out Chapter 4 of Part II of... April 7, 2010 Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority Memorandum for the...

75 FR 75849 - Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-07

... important to the national security interests of the United States to waive the provisions of section 7040(a) of the Act, in order to provide funds appropriated to carry out Chapter 4 of Part II of the Foreign... October 6, 2010 Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority Memorandum for the...

76 FR 59491 - Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-26

..., the ``Act''), I hereby certify that it is important to the national security interests of the United States to waive the provisions of section 7040(a) of the Act, in order to provide funds appropriated to..., 2011 Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority Memorandum for the Secretary...

Tracking Drop-out Students in Palestinian Refugee Camps in Lebanon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Hroub, Anies

2015-01-01

This research paper examines the perceptions of students on the school drop-out problem in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon regarding (a) the social and economic causes associated with the phenomenon of school drop-out; (b) the educational policies and practices used in UNRWA schools and their relationship to student drop-out; and (c) the role…

Learning the Nation in Exile: Constructing Youth Identities, Belonging and "Citizenship" in Palestinian Refugee Camps in South Lebanon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fincham, Kathleen

2012-01-01

This paper examines the ways in which "Palestine" and "Palestinianess" are culturally, socially and symbolically produced and regulated through formal and non-formal institutional sites in Palestinian camps in south Lebanon. It argues that although institutional power, processes and outcomes help to construct shared notions of…

Career Decision-Making Difficulties among Israeli and Palestinian Arab High-School Seniors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hijazi, Yahya; Tatar, Moshe; Gati, Itamar

2004-01-01

Making a career decision becomes a major priority for adolescents during the last year of high school. The present study examined the taxonomy of career decision-making difficulties among 1,613 Arab 12th-grade students attending schools in East Jerusalem, areas in the West Bank under the Palestinian National Authority, and Israel. No significant…

Political Activism of Palestinian Youth: Exploring Individual, Parental, and Ecological Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spellings, Carolyn R.; Barber, Brian K.; Olsen, Joseph A.

2012-01-01

The growing literature on youth and political conflict has not included an adequate focus on youth activism. To address this deficit, this study used youth- and parent-reported data (N = 6,718) from the 1994-1995 Palestinian Family Study to test an ecological model of family influence (parents' activism, expectations for their adolescents'…

Palestinian EFL Teachers' Attitudes towards English Textbooks Used at the First Three Grades of Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammad, Enas Abdullah Rajab

2014-01-01

Evaluating language materials is very useful for language teachers, and one essential consideration in evaluating language materials is obtaining the teachers' views on its value (Tomlinson, 2003). Thus, this study aimed to explore Palestinian English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' attitudes towards the different aspects of the English…

Israeli and Palestinian families in the peace process: sources of stress and response patterns.

PubMed

Lavee, Y; Ben-David, A; Azaiza, F

1997-09-01

The Israeli-Palestinian peace process is characterized by its unknown outcomes and consequences for the families involved. The purpose of this study was to identify family processes under conditions of prolonged uncertainty. Data were collected from both Israeli and Palestinian families in the West Bank by means of semi-structured interviews. Qualitative and quantitative analyses showed cross-cultural differences in the perception of the situation; different kinds of concerns and sources of stress; different coping responses; and differences in dyadic interaction patterns and intrafamily processes. The findings are discussed in social-contextual terms, particularly the ways in which political and cultural contexts shape the perception of the situation and family processes under prolonged stressful conditions.

[Medical waste management in healthcare centres in the occupied Palestinian territory].

PubMed

Al-Khatib, Issam A

2007-01-01

Medical waste management in primary and secondary healthcare centres in the occupied Palestinian territory was assessed. The overall monthly quantity of solid healthcare waste was estimated to be 512.6 tons. Only 10.8% of the centres completely segregated the different kinds of healthcare waste and only 15.7% treated their medical waste. In the centres that treated waste, open burning was the main method of treatment. The results indicate that Palestinians are exposed to health and environmental risks because of improper disposal of medical waste and steps are needed to improve the situation through the establishment and enforcement of laws, provision of the necessary infrastructure for proper waste management and training of healthcare workers and cleaners.

The impact of smoking on expected lifetime with and without chronic disease among Palestinian men in the West Bank.

PubMed

Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik; Jonassen, Marie; Shaheen, Amira; Duraidi, Mohammed; Qalalwa, Khaled; Jeune, Bernard

2018-06-01

The purpose of the study was to estimate life expectancy and the average lifetime with and without chronic disease among male never smokers, ex-smokers and smokers living in the West Bank of the occupied Palestinian territory. The study used a life table for the West Bank male population and Danish relative risk estimates for death for smokers and ex-smokers vs. never smokers and utilized data from the Palestinian Family Survey 2010. Expected lifetime with and without chronic disease was estimated and the contributions from the mortality and the morbidity effect to smoking related difference in average lifetime with and without chronic disease were assessed by decomposition. In the West bank 40% of the male population are smokers. Life expectancy of 15-year-old Palestinian men who would never start smoking was 59.5 years, 41.1 of which were expected to be without chronic disease. Ex-smokers could expect 57.9 years of remaining lifetime, 37.7 years of which without disease. For lifelong heavy smokers (> 20 cigarettes per day), the expected lifetime was reduced to 52.6 years, of which 38.5 years were without chronic disease. Of the total loss of 6.9 years of life expectancy among heavy smokers, the mortality effect accounted for 2.5 years without and 4.4 years with disease, whereas the morbidity effect was negligible. The high prevalence of smoking causes a considerable loss of life years and lifetime without chronic disease. We recommend the Palestinian health authorities to enforce the anti-smoking law.

A cross-sectional study of the availability and pharmacist's knowledge of nano-pharmaceutical drugs in Palestinian hospitals.

PubMed

Assali, Mohyeddin; Shakaa, Ali; Abu-Hejleh, Sabaa; Abu-Omar, Reham; Karajeh, Nareman; Ajory, Nawal; Zyoud, Saed; Sweileh, Waleed

2018-04-05

Nanomedicine is the medical application of nanomaterials that may have an infinite size with the range less than 100 nm. This science has provided solutions to many of the current limitations in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Therefore, the pharmacist's knowledge and awareness of nano-pharmaceutical drugs will increase their availability in the market, and will improve the patient's compliance to their drug therapy. This study aimed to determine the availability of nano-pharmaceutical drugs in Palestinian hospitals and evaluate the extent of pharmacist's knowledge about them. A cross-sectional study design questionnaire was used to determine the availability of nano-pharmaceutical drugs based on the database of the ministry of health in the Palestinian hospitals (governmental, private and non- governmental organizations). Moreover, the knowledge of these nano-pharmaceutical drugs among pharmacists working in Palestinian hospitals was assessed based on developed questionnaire from the literature of the pharmaceutical formulations and nano-formulations. The variables were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 22). Fifty six pharmacists from 27 hospitals in the West bank completed the survey. The results regarding the availability of nano-pharmaceutical drugs indicated only eight available in hospitals with a frequency range 0-39.3%. Moreover, pharmacist's knowledge in the pharmaceutical formulations was better than that in nano-formulations. The availability of nano-pharmaceutical drugs in Palestinian hospitals was not adequate due to the lack of various nano-pharmaceutical drugs. The knowledge among pharmacists regarding nano-pharmaceutical drugs should be improved by providing courses in nanomedicine during the undergraduate pharmacy programs.

Rethinking the social history in the era of biolegitimacy: global health and medical education in the care of Palestinian and Syrian refugees in Beirut, Lebanon.

PubMed

Premkumar, Ashish; Raad, Kareem; Haidar, Mona H

2016-01-01

The critiques leveled towards medical humanitarianism by the social sciences have yet to be felt in medical education. The elevation of biological suffering, at the detriment of sociopolitical contextualization, has been shown to clearly impact both acute and long-term care of individuals and communities. With many medical students spending a portion of their educational time in global learning experiences, exposure to humanitarianism and its consequences becomes a unique component of biomedical education. How does the medical field reconcile global health education with the critiques of humanitarianism? This paper argues that the medical response to humanitarian reason should begin at the level of a social history. Using experiential data culled from fieldwork with Palestinian and Syrian refugees in Lebanon, the authors argue that an expanded social history, combined with knowledge derived from the social sciences, can have significant clinical implications. The ability to contextualize an individual's disease and life within a complex sociopolitical framework means that students must draw on disciplines as varied as anthropology, sociology, and political history to further their knowledge base. Moreover, situating these educational goals within the framework of physician advocacy can build a strong base in medical education from both a biomedical and activist perspective.

Parental Choice of Schools and Parents' Perceptions of Multicultural and Co-Existence Education: The Case of the Israeli Palestinian-Jewish Bilingual Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bekerman, Zvi; Tatar, Moshe

2009-01-01

The present research effort aims to better understand parental choice of the Israeli Palestinian-Jewish bilingual primary schools and its implications in contributing (or not) to fostering multicultural and co-existence educational efforts in conflict-ridden societies. The manuscript offers a short description of the educational initiative under…

Support Services for Victims of Political Violence and Their Families: A Comparison between Israelis and Palestinians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbott, Douglas A.

2010-01-01

This report summarizes interviews with five social workers who helped families that experienced political violence, and with 16 families that lost a family member due to terrorist activity in Israel and Palestine from 2000 to 2005. Results revealed a great disparity between the Israelis and the Palestinians on the types of and extent of benefits…

Potential and Limitations of Multicultural Education in Conflict-Ridden Areas: Bilingual Palestinian-Jewish Schools in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bekerman, Zvi

2004-01-01

In recent years, a new integrative bilingual multicultural educational initiative has been developed in Israel. Its main purpose is to offer dignity and equality to the two Israeli groups who have for the last 100 years denied each other's humanity: Palestinians and Jews. The research examines this attempt at encouraging each group to take pride…

Internet Diffusion and Adoption within Arab-Palestinian Society in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ganayem, Asmaa N.

2012-01-01

This study aims to explore the nature of Internet access and use within Arab-Palestinian society in Israel. The research focuses on two points: (i) examining the pace of Internet growth during the last decade and studying the nature of the digital gaps within the studied society in a specific time, (ii) studying the extend of the effect of…

Education, Revolution and Evolution: The Palestinian Universities as Initiators of National Struggle 1972-1995

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zelkovitz, Ido

2014-01-01

Since the concept of nationalism first emerged on the world stage, universities have played a key role in its collective formation and dissemination to the masses. Established under challenging circumstances and subjected to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the wake of the 1967 war, Palestinian institutions of higher…

The Well Being of Children Living in Chronic War Zones: The Palestinian-Israeli Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sagi-Schwartz, Abraham

2008-01-01

The paper presents a comprehensive review and integration of available studies on the effects of severe traumatic experiences on children, especially in the context of short and enduring exposure to harsh events and adversities, as they relate to children who live in violent war zones, in particular in Israel and the Palestinian territories. The…

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict through Theatre: A Qualitative Study of Israeli High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gesser-Edelsburg, Anat

2012-01-01

Both theatre artists and educators believe the theatre has many advantages as a vehicle for the promotion of social and political issues. This study examines how the Israeli theatre represents the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and promotes peace and tolerance among young people. The study, conducted between the years 2005 and 2007, included 26…

The Role of Education in Upholding the Development of Human Rights Regimes: The Case of the Palestinian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shuibat, Mohammad; Abu Samra, Mahmoud; Shuibat, Nida

2015-01-01

This paper presents a historical background of the Palestinian education. It outlines a theoretical basis for the development of Human Rights Regimes. The paper tackles the views of some philosophers like Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Kant who laid down the foundations for the development of Human Rights Regimes. The paper illustrates that Human…

Palestinian Youth and Political Activism: The Emerging Internet Culture and New Modes of Resistance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khoury-Machool, Makram

2007-01-01

The information technology revolution and the introduction of the Internet in the last decade have transformed the life of individuals and groups across the globe. One unique example of the remarkable impact of this new medium on the life of a marginalised society is the impact of the Internet on the life of Palestinians. The author demonstrates…

An Identity Remaking Endeavor: A Story of a Displaced Palestinian Child

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kharma, Maher

2012-01-01

Following her displacement from her native land as a result of the Arab Israeli war in 1967, a Palestinian child relocated to a new home as a refugee. As people find meaning in their environments they chose to live in, and build their identity through engaging in meaningful occupations, such forced displacement left her with many challenges, and…

Investigating the Geometry Curriculum in Palestinian Textbooks: Towards Multimodal Analysis of Arabic Mathematics Discourse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alshwaikh, Jehad

2016-01-01

The analytical scheme used in the project The Evolution of the Discourse of School Mathematics (EDSM) was developed to analyse the change over time in examination texts. An adapted version of the EDSM scheme has been deployed to analyse the nature of mathematics construed in Palestinian schools' textbooks and the mathematical activity expected of…

Attitudes of Palestinian Undergraduate Students towards Native and Non-Native English Language Teachers and Their Relation to Students' Listening Ability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nafi, Jamal Subhi Ismail; Qabaja, Ziad Mohammed Mahmoud; Al-Kar, Hibah Jabir Ibrahim

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the attitudes of Palestinian undergraduate students towards native and non-native English language teachers and their relation to students' listening ability. To achieve this purpose and to answer the research questions and test the hypotheses, the researchers adopted both the descriptive and inferential…

Opportunities and Challenges of Integrated Education in Conflict-Ridden Societies: The Case of Palestinian-Jewish Schools in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bekerman, Zvi; Nir, Adam

2006-01-01

This article reports on a rather new and revolutionary education initiative in Israel. The information and descriptions offered are based on the results of a long-term ethnographic research effort that has been conducted since 1999 in the integrated bilingual Palestinian-Jewish schools in Israel. The bilingual schools are a product of the…

The Management of Pupil Difference in Catholic-Protestant and Palestinian-Jewish Integrated Education in Northern Ireland and Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGlynn, Claire; Bekerman, Zvi

2007-01-01

This paper considers issues related to integration in education, specifically those related to the integration of ethnic/religious populations in conflict. The case study we will use is the educating together of Catholic and Protestant children and Palestinian and Jewish children in two troubled societies, Northern Ireland and Israel, where…

Modern Standard Arabic and Rural Palestinian Dialect: Patterns of the Active Participle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohaidat, Mohammed Mahmoud Talal

2017-01-01

This paper was mainly concerned with analyzing the processes of active participle formation in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). It also aimed to examine the Rural Palestinian Dialect (RPD) in order to reveal the derivation of the active participle in this dialect and to describe any patterns that might vary from MSA. The study was based on the…

Diaspora as Catastrophe, Diaspora as a Mission and the Post-Colonial Philosophy of Edward Said

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pappe, Ilan

2010-01-01

Edward Said the refugee could not easily allow himself to join in the celebration of demythologizing nationalism. His Palestinianism had to coexist, uncomfortably, with his universalism. Time made this necessary coexistence an asset, not a liability, and this in fact was his political legacy for the future: Jews and Palestinians would have to…

Oil Characteristics of Four Palestinian Olive Varieties.

PubMed

Lodolini, Enrico Maria; Polverigiani, Serena; Ali, Saed; Mutawea, Mohammed; Qutub, Mayyada; Arabasi, Taysir; Pierini, Fabio; Abed, Mohammed; Neri, Davide

2017-05-01

Olive oil represents an important source of income for Palestinian farmers in local, national and international markets. Sometimes, olive oil produced in local climatic conditions, does not achieve the International Olive Council (IOC) trade standards so that international markets are precluded. The oil chemical composition and sensory profile of four Palestinian olive varieties (Nabali Baladi, Nabali Mohassan, Souri and K18) were characterized in 2010 throughout an in situ evaluation. Most of the physicchemical characteristics and the fatty acid composition of the varieties met the International Olive Council trade standards (IOC-TS) for extra virgin olive oils. Values of K 270 for Nabali Baladi and linolenic acid for Souri slightly exceeded the limit. Eicosanoic acid exceeded the IOC-TS limits in the oils of all considered varieties. Among the sterols, the Δ-7-stigmastenol resulted too high for Nabali Baladi and Souri. Sensory profile for the tested varieties showed a reminiscence of tomato or artichoke and light to medium bitter and pungent sensations. Results represent an important baseline reference for further studies about oil composition and quality of the main Palestinian olive germplasm and provide indication of potential critical points to be controlled in order to ensure the full achievement of IOC-TS and access international markets.

Enucleation and Evisceration in the Palestinian Territories

PubMed Central

Keenan, Tiarnan D. L.; Sargent, Nicholas J.

2011-01-01

Purpose: To examine the demographics and indications in patients undergoing eye removal at St. John Eye Hospital (SJEH) in Jerusalem, the largest single provider of ophthalmic care in the Palestinian Territories. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, medical records were reviewed for patients undergoing enucleation or evisceration at SJEH from November 2004 to March 2007. Calculation of percentage, mean and median was performed for the demographics, and indications for enucleation and evisceration. Results: Thirty-three eyes of 32 patients were removed during the period under study. Twelve enucleations and 21 eviscerations were performed. Mean age was 39 years, and 19 patients were male. Indications included severe trauma (8 eyes), painful blind eye with (5 eyes) or without (9 eyes) infection, and ophthalmic neoplasm (3 eyes). Conclusion: The incidence of surgical eye removal at SJEH from 2004 to 2007 was around one patient per month for a population over three million. This rate appears far lower than those reported in previous studies of similar Palestinian populations. Prompt access to medical care for Palestinians is required to mitigate ophthalmic morbidity. Approximately half of the cases were caused by severe trauma or infection, with rubber bullet injuries responsible for 20% of the traumatic cases. PMID:21731330

Multi-group acculturation orientations in a changing context: Palestinian Christian Arab adolescents in Israel after the lost decade.

PubMed

Munayer, Salim J; Horenczyk, Gabriel

2014-10-01

Grounded in a contextual approach to acculturation of minorities, this study examines changes in acculturation orientations among Palestinian Christian Arab adolescents in Israel following the "lost decade of Arab-Jewish coexistence." Multi-group acculturation orientations among 237 respondents were assessed vis-à-vis two majorities--Muslim Arabs and Israeli Jews--and compared to 1998 data. Separation was the strongest endorsed orientation towards both majority groups. Comparisons with the 1998 data also show a weakening of the Integration attitude towards Israeli Jews, and also distancing from Muslim Arabs. For the examination of the "Westernisation" hypothesis, multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) analyses of perceptions of Self and group values clearly showed that, after 10 years, Palestinian Christian Arabs perceive Israeli Jewish culture as less close to Western culture, and that Self and the Christian Arab group have become much closer, suggesting an increasing identification of Palestinian Christian Arab adolescents with their ethnoreligious culture. We discuss the value of a multi-group, multi-method, and multi-wave approach to the examination of the role of the political context in acculturation processes. © 2014 International Union of Psychological Science.

Barriers to breast cancer screening participation among Jordanian and Palestinian American women.

PubMed

Kawar, Lina Najib

2013-02-01

Increasing breast cancer screening (BCS) among diverse women from minority groups is a goal of health care providers and national organizations as a way to help in the early detection and treatment of breast cancer. The purpose of this article is to investigate barriers to BCS encountered by Jordanian and Palestinian women living in the United States (US). Descriptive content analysis of interviews of 107 Jordanian and Palestinian immigrant women provided data on BCS barriers that were thematically analyzed. Data revealed 4 barriers that affect Jordanian and Palestinian immigrant women's participation in BCS: (1) culture-specific barriers such as embarrassment, family relationships, fatalism, and traditional healers consultation; (2) immigration-related barriers (citizenship issues and language); (3) general barriers (including nonparticipation in health screening, stigmatization of cancer, fear, and ignorance about BCS); and (4) irrelevant barriers. Clinicians should be cognizant of the culture, beliefs and practices of Arab Middle Eastern immigrant women and the influence of these factors on their decision to participate in routine BCS. To increase participation in BCS and knowledge of breast cancer, appropriate language and culturally sensitive educational materials should be created and made available to Arab Middle Eastern immigrant women. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Drinking water system treatment and contamination in Shatila Refugee Camp in Beirut, Lebanon.

PubMed

Khoury, S; Graczyk, T; Burnham, G; Jurdi, M; Goldman, L

2016-11-02

Drinking water at Shatila Palestinian Refugee Camp in Beirut, Lebanon is of poor quality and unpredictably intermittent quantity. We aimed to characterize drinking water sources and contamination at Shatila and determine how drinking water can be managed to reduce community health burdens. We interviewed the Popular Committee, well owners, water vendors, water shopkeepers and preschool administrators about drinking water sources, treatment methods and the population served. Water samples from the sources and intermediaries were analysed for thermotolerant faecal coliforms (FCs), Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium parvum and microsporidia, using immunofluorescent antibody detection for G. lamblia and C. parvum, and chromotrope-2 stain for microsporidia. All drinking water sources were contaminated with FCs and parasites. FC counts (cfu/mL) were as follows: wells (35-300), water vendors (2-178), shops (30-300) and preschools (230-300). Responsible factors identified included: unskilled operators; improper maintenance of wells and equipment; lack of proper water storage and handling; and misperception of water quality. These factors must be addressed to improve water quality at Shatila and other refugee camps.

Simulation of Demographic Change in Palestinian Territories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sumour, M. A.; El-Astal, A. H.; Shabat, M. M.; Radwan, M. A.

Mortality, birth rates and retirement play a major role in demographic changes. In most cases, mortality rates decreased in the past century without noticeable decrease in fertility rates, leading to a significant increase in population growth. In many poor countries like Palestinian Territories the number of births has fallen and the life expectancy increased. In this paper we concentrate on measuring, analyzing and extrapolating the age structure in Palestine a few decades ago into the future. A Fortran program has been designed and used for the simulation and analysis of our statistical data. This study of demographic change in Palestine has shown that Palestinians will have in future problems as the strongest age cohorts are the above-60-year olds. We therefore recommend the increase of both the retirement age and female employment.

Foreign Wars and Domestic Prejudice: How Media Exposure to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Predicts Ethnic Stereotyping by Jewish and Arab American Adolescents.

PubMed

Huesmann, L Rowell; Dubow, Eric F; Boxer, Paul; Souweidane, Violet; Ginges, Jeremy

2012-09-01

This study was based on the theory that adolescents view scenes of violent ethnic conflicts in the mass media through the lens of their own ethnicity, and that the resulting social-cognitive reactions influence their negative stereotypes about similar ethnic groups in their own country. We interviewed 89 Jewish and 180 Arab American high school students about their exposure to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, their social cognitive reactions to it, and their stereotypes toward ethnic groups. Beyond the effects of ethnic identity, the degree to which adolescents identified with Israelis and Palestinians in the media was a key variable linking exposure to media depictions of the conflict and the implicit ethnic stereotypes they displayed about Jewish Americans and Arab Americans.

Access to healthcare for children in Palestine.

PubMed

Waterston, Tony; Nasser, Dina

2017-01-01

Currently, 5 million Palestinian refugees live in Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon and around 40% of these are children. Mortality rates for Palestinian children are comparable to neighbouring Arab countries but the speed of reduction has faltered in recent years. Morbidity is greatly affected by the occupation which has increased violence towards children, mental health problems and poor nutrition, particularly in Gaza which is experiencing a health crisis. Access to healthcare for children in Palestine is constrained as a result of the requirement for visas to travel into Jerusalem where specialist hospitals are sited, by difficulties with ambulance transfers, by shortages of equipment in hospitals and by lack of trained staff. Palestinian health workers are developing new initiatives in healthcare and show a high level of resilience, despite the very considerable stress affecting most citizens.

Inside and outside the Integrated Bilingual Palestinian-Jewish Schools in Israel: Teachers' Perceptions of Personal, Professional and Political Positioning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rajuan, Maureen; Bekerman, Zvi

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers of the integrated bilingual Palestinian-Jewish schools in Israel construct their school culture in relation to various outside pressures in their attempt to achieve educational change. Field notes from an in-service training workshop were analyzed according to three levels of the teaching…

Jordan: Background and U.S. Relations

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-03

unemployment , high underemployment, and a large fiscal deficit. Small scale protests in Jordan have become a regular occurrence, not only in the...attempted to appear responsive to calls for change by replacing ministers,1 amending the constitution and electoral law, and raising public sector ...estate sectors are dominated by families of Palestinian origin who have an economic stake in the current order. Other former Palestinian refugees have

U.S. Foreign Aid to the Palestinians

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-15

government and does not change its stance toward Israel. Even if the immediate objectives of U.S. assistance programs for the Palestinians are met, lack of...In February 2008, then USAID Administrator and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance Henrietta Fore said, in testimony before the House...more rigorous vetting measures. Testimony of Henrietta Fore, USAID Administrator and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance, House Appropriations

U.S. Foreign Aid to the Palestinians

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-08

change its stance toward Israel. Even if the immediate objectives of U.S. assistance programs for the Palestinians are met, lack of progress toward a...Chicago Tribune, November 16, 2007. In February 2008, then-USAID Administrator and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance Henrietta Fore said, in...was encouraging the adoption of more rigorous vetting measures. Testimony of Henrietta Fore, USAID Administrator and Director of U.S. Foreign

U.S. Foreign Aid to the Palestinians

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-12

of U.S. assistance programs for the Palestinians are met, lack of progress toward a politically legitimate and peaceful two-state solution could...Chicago Tribune, November 16, 2007; Testimony of Henrietta Fore, USAID Administrator and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance, House Appropriations...fulfilling their mandated roles as well as can be expected under challenging circumstances (i.e., UNRWA’s lack of a robust policing capability and other

The Delphi Technique in Identifying Learning Objectives for the Development of Science, Technology and Society Modules for Palestinian Ninth Grade Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abualrob, Marwan M. A.; Daniel, Esther Gnanamalar Sarojini

2013-01-01

This article outlines how learning objectives based upon science, technology and society (STS) elements for Palestinian ninth grade science textbooks were identified, which was part of a bigger study to establish an STS foundation in the ninth grade science curriculum in Palestine. First, an initial list of STS elements was determined. Second,…

What Makes Me Happy, and What Makes Me Scared? An Analysis of Drawings Made by Norwegian and Palestinian Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maagerø, Eva; Sunde, Tone

2016-01-01

In this article, we present and discuss a project in which children in two different environments, in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and in the south-eastern part of Norway, were given the opportunity to express themselves through drawings. We investigate how differently--and how similarly--the children express themselves when they were…

Minority Identity Discourse: The Impact of Viewing the Play "An Arab Dream" on the Identity Crisis of Palestinians in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gesser-Edelsburg, Anat

2013-01-01

This article was written as part of a comprehensive research study whose main goal was to explore and assess the effectiveness of Israeli drama as an instrument to change young Israelis' perceptions and positions toward the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The article will present the findings of the qualitative study of two distinct audiences:…

The effect of smoking on the healthy life expectancy of Palestinian men in the West Bank: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik; Jonassen, Marie; Shaheen, Amira; Duraidi, Mohammed; Qalalwa, Khaled; Jeune, Bernard

2018-02-21

The high prevalence of smoking (40%) in men living in the West Bank of the occupied Palestinian territory is a major challenge for the Palestinian health authorities. The aim of this study was to estimate life expectancy and the average lifetime with and without chronic disease in men living in the West Bank who had never smoked, were ex-smokers, or were smokers. We used a life table for the male population in the West Bank and Danish relative risk estimates for death for smokers and ex-smokers versus never smokers and data from the 2010 Palestinian Family Survey. We estimated expected life time with and without chronic disease, and the contributions from the mortality and morbidity effects to smoking-related differences in average lifetime with and without chronic disease were assessed by decomposition. The life expectancy of a Palestinian man aged 15 years who would never start smoking was 59·5 years, of which 41·1 years (95% CI 40·3-41·9) were expected to be without chronic disease. Ex-smokers could expect 57·9 years of remaining life time, 37·7 years (35·9-39·4) of which would be without chronic disease. For life-long heavy smokers, the expected lifetime was 52·6 years, of which 38·5 years (37·3-39·7) would be without chronic disease. Of the total loss of 6·9 years of life expectancy in heavy smokers, the mortality effect accounted for 2·5 years without disease and 4·4 years with disease, whereas the morbidity effect was negligible. The morbidity component of the decomposition accounted for 1·7 years with disease for moderate smokers and 2·9 years without disease for ex-smokers. The high prevalence of smoking causes a considerable loss of life-years and life time without chronic disease. We recommend that the Palestinian health authorities enforce an anti-smoking law. None. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Associations between life conditions and multi-morbidity in marginalized populations: the case of Palestinian refugees.

PubMed

Habib, Rima R; Hojeij, Safa; Elzein, Kareem; Chaaban, Jad; Seyfert, Karin

2014-10-01

Evidence suggests that higher multi-morbidity rates among people with low socioeconomic status produces and maintains poverty. Our research explores the relationship between socioeconomic deprivation and multi-morbidity among Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, a marginalized and impoverished population. A representative sample of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon was surveyed, interviewing 2501 respondents (97% response rate). Multi-morbidity was measured by mental health, chronic and acute illnesses and disability. Multinomial logistic regression models assessed the association between indicators of poverty and multi-morbidities. Findings showed that 14% of respondents never went to school, 41% of households reported water leakage and 10% suffered from severe food insecurity. Participants with an elementary education or less and those completing intermediate school were more than twice as likely to report two health problems than those with secondary education or more (OR: 2.60, CI: 1.73-3.91; OR: 2.47, CI: 1.62-3.77, respectively). Those living in households with water leakage were nearly twice as likely to have three or more health reports (OR = 1.88, CI = 1.45-2.44); this pattern was more pronounced for severely food insecure households (OR = 3.41, CI = 1.83-6.35). We identified a positive gradient between socioeconomic status and multi-morbidity within a refugee population. These findings reflect inequalities produced by the health and social systems in Lebanon, a problem expected to worsen following the massive influx of refugees from Syria. Ending legal discrimination and funding infrastructural, housing and health service improvements may counteract the effects of deprivation. Addressing this problem requires providing a decent livelihood for refugees in Lebanon. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association.

Compared perspectives of Arab patients in Palestine and Israel on the role of complementary medicine in cancer care.

PubMed

Ben-Arye, Eran; Hamadeh, Amneh M A; Schiff, Elad; Jamous, Rana M; Dagash, Jamal; Jamous, Rania M; Agbarya, Abed; Bar-Sela, Gil; Massalha, Eyas; Silbermann, Michael; Ali-Shtayeh, Mohammed Saleem

2015-05-01

Complementary medicine (CM) is extensively used by patients with cancer across the Middle East. We aimed to compare the perspectives of two Arab populations residing in diverse socioeconomic-cultural settings in Palestine and Israel regarding the role of CM in supportive cancer care. A 27-item questionnaire was constructed and administered to a convenience sample of Arab patients receiving cancer care in four oncology centers in northern Israel and Palestine. Each of the two groups had 324 respondents and was equally distributed by age and marital status. Compared with the Israeli-Arab group, Palestinian participants reported significantly higher CM use for cancer-related outcomes (63.5% vs. 39.6%, P < 0.001), which included more herbal use (97.6% vs. 87.9%, P = 0.001) and significantly lower use of dietary supplements, acupuncture, mind-body and manual therapies, and homeopathy. Most respondents in both groups stated that they would consult CM providers if CM was integrated in oncology departments. Related to this theoretical integrative scenario, Palestinian respondents expressed fewer expectations from their oncologists to actively participate in building their CM treatment plan. Treatment expectations in both groups focused on improving quality of life (QOL), whereas Palestinian respondents had fewer expectations for CM to improve fatigue, emotional concerns, sleep, and daily functioning. Arab patients with cancer from Palestine and Israel highly support CM integration within their oncology institutions aiming to improve QOL. Nevertheless, respondents differed in their perceived model of CM integration, its treatment objectives, and their oncologists' role in CM integration. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Associations between life conditions and multi-morbidity in marginalized populations: the case of Palestinian refugees

PubMed Central

Hojeij, Safa; Elzein, Kareem; Chaaban, Jad; Seyfert, Karin

2014-01-01

Background: Evidence suggests that higher multi-morbidity rates among people with low socioeconomic status produces and maintains poverty. Our research explores the relationship between socioeconomic deprivation and multi-morbidity among Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, a marginalized and impoverished population. Methods: A representative sample of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon was surveyed, interviewing 2501 respondents (97% response rate). Multi-morbidity was measured by mental health, chronic and acute illnesses and disability. Multinomial logistic regression models assessed the association between indicators of poverty and multi-morbidities. Results: Findings showed that 14% of respondents never went to school, 41% of households reported water leakage and 10% suffered from severe food insecurity. Participants with an elementary education or less and those completing intermediate school were more than twice as likely to report two health problems than those with secondary education or more (OR: 2.60, CI: 1.73–3.91; OR: 2.47, CI: 1.62–3.77, respectively). Those living in households with water leakage were nearly twice as likely to have three or more health reports (OR = 1.88, CI = 1.45–2.44); this pattern was more pronounced for severely food insecure households (OR = 3.41, CI = 1.83–6.35). Conclusion: We identified a positive gradient between socioeconomic status and multi-morbidity within a refugee population. These findings reflect inequalities produced by the health and social systems in Lebanon, a problem expected to worsen following the massive influx of refugees from Syria. Ending legal discrimination and funding infrastructural, housing and health service improvements may counteract the effects of deprivation. Addressing this problem requires providing a decent livelihood for refugees in Lebanon. PMID:24994504

Individual and collective exposure to political violence: Palestinian adolescents coping with conflict.

PubMed

Giacaman, Rita; Shannon, Harry S; Saab, Hana; Arya, Neil; Boyce, Will

2007-08-01

We conducted a survey of Palestinian adolescents in school. We hypothesized that collective and individual exposures to violence would both negatively affect adolescents' mental health. We also anticipated that the negative effect of collective exposures on mental health would be less than that of individual exposures. Our analysis was designed to test these hypotheses. A representative sample of 3415 students of 10th and 11th grades from the Ramallah District of the West Bank participated in the survey. The primary independent variables were scales of individual and collective exposures to trauma/violence (ETV) by the Israeli military and settlers. Factor analysis revealed several sub-scales. Outcome measures were constructed and included: a binary measure of depressive-like states, and emotional, depressive-like state, and somatic scales. Several variables were identified as possible covariates: gender, age, school-type, residence, employment status of father, and identity documents held. Logistic and multiple regression analyses revealed a strong relationship between ETV and adolescents' mental health, with both individual and collective exposures having independent effects. There was a higher prevalence of depressive-like symptoms among girls compared with boys, and in adolescents living in Palestinian refugee camps compared with those living in cities, towns and villages. The findings confirmed our hypothesis that both individual and collective ETV independently affect the mental health of adolescents. Contrary to expectations, individual exposures did not consistently have a greater negative effect on health outcomes than collective exposures, although the sub-scale of direct personal exposures to violence consistently showed the strongest effect among sub-scales. The results emphasize the importance of going beyond individual experiences and including the health outcomes of collective violation when analyzing violent and traumatic contexts.

Context effects and the temporal stability of stated preferences.

PubMed

Liebe, Ulf; Hundeshagen, Cordula; Beyer, Heiko; Cramon-Taubadel, Stephan von

2016-11-01

In stated preference studies it is assumed that individuals' answers reflect true preferences and are stable over time. We test these two assumptions of validity and reliability using as an example a choice experiment study on ethical consumption that measures preferences for a Peace Product jointly produced by Israeli and Palestinian producers as well as for organic products. In a web survey conducted in Germany, we investigate the validity assumption by manipulating the question context and presenting one group of respondents with questions on anti-Semitic and anti-Arabic attitudes before the choice tasks, and presenting another group with these questions after the choice tasks. In order to test the assumption of temporal stability, the same experimental set-up was repeated in a second survey based on a new sample ten months after the first. However, prior to the second survey an external event, a major violent dispute between Israelis and the Palestinians occurred. Overall, we find evidence for a context effect but not for temporal instability. In both surveys, the placement of the attitudinal questions before the choice tasks has a positive effect on the valuation of products from Israel, Palestinian products and the Peace Product (i.e. a directional context effect). The respondents seem to act according to an anti-discrimination norm. In line with this reasoning, we find an attention shift caused by the attitudinal questions. Organic products are valued much less positively if discriminatory attitudes are surveyed before the choice tasks. Furthermore, despite the violent dispute, stated preferences are very stable over time. This indicates high reliability of stated preference studies and encourages the use of study results by private and public decision makers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Food habits and physical activity patterns among Palestinian adolescents: findings from the national study of Palestinian schoolchildren (HBSC-WBG2004).

PubMed

Al Sabbah, H; Vereecken, C; Kolsteren, P; Abdeen, Z; Maes, L

2007-07-01

To describe the food habits and physical (in)activity patterns and to investigate the relationship with sociodemographic factors among Palestinian adolescents. The Palestinian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) is a cross-sectional survey of grades 6, 8, 10 and 12. Students completed a modified version of the international HBSC questionnaire. A total of 8885 students were included in this analysis; 53% were from the West Bank and 47% from the Gaza Strip. Adolescents in the West Bank consume more fruit, meat, chicken, sweets and soft drinks, but less vegetables than adolescents in Gaza (P<0.01). Girls reported more daily consumption of fruit, vegetables and sweets than boys (P<0.001), and less consumption of soft drinks, milk, meat and chicken (P<0.01). Boys were physically more active than girls (P<0.01), whereas girls reported doing more homework (P<0.001). Both boys and girls reported less physical activity with increasing age (P<0.001). Consumption of fruit and milk was positively associated with both parents' education, while consumption of meat, chicken and soft drinks was positively associated with mother's education only. Having breakfast on schooldays was positively associated with the father's education. Physical activity and television viewing were associated with the mother's education (P<0.01). The parents' level of education had no effect on vegetable consumption and dieting status. This study indicated that there are problems with Palestinian adolescents' eating, dieting and physical activity. Regional, gender and parental socio-economic status differences should be taken into account in developing interventions. More detailed studies are needed with more elaborate instruments about food habits and physical activity of adolescents.

Differences in rates and odds for emergency caesarean section in six Palestinian hospitals: a population-based birth cohort study

PubMed Central

Laine, Katariina; Hassan, Sahar; Fosse, Erik; Lieng, Marit; Zimmo, Kaled; Anti, Marit; Sørum Falk, Ragnhild; Vikanes, Åse

2018-01-01

Objective To assess the differences in rates and odds for emergency caesarean section among singleton pregnancies in six governmental Palestinian hospitals. Design A prospective population-based birth cohort study. Setting Obstetric departments in six governmental Palestinian hospitals. Participants 32 321 women scheduled to deliver vaginally from 1 March 2015 until 29 February 2016. Methods To assess differences in sociodemographic and antenatal obstetric characteristics by hospital, χ2 test, analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis test were applied. Logistic regression was used to estimate differences in odds for emergency caesarean section, and ORs with 95% CIs were assessed. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was the adjusted ORs of emergency caesarean section among singleton pregnancies for five Palestinian hospitals as compared with the reference (Hospital 1). Results The prevalence of emergency caesarean section varied across hospitals, ranging from 5.8% to 22.6% among primiparous women and between 4.8% and 13.1% among parous women. Compared with the reference hospital, the ORs for emergency caesarean section were increased in all other hospitals, crude ORs ranging from 1.95 (95% CI 1.42 to 2.67) to 4.75 (95% CI 3.49 to 6.46) among primiparous women. For parous women, these differences were less pronounced, crude ORs ranging from 1.37 (95% CI 1.13 to 1.67) to 2.99 (95% CI 2.44 to 3.65). After adjustment for potential confounders, the ORs were reduced but still statistically significant, except for one hospital among parous women. Conclusion Substantial differences in odds for emergency caesarean section between the six Palestinian governmental hospitals were observed. These could not be explained by the studied sociodemographic or antenatal obstetric characteristics. PMID:29500211

Factor V Leiden mutation in Arabs in Kuwait by real-time PCR: different values for different Arabs.

PubMed

Dashti, Ali A; Jadaon, Mehrez M; Lewis, Hend L

2010-04-01

Factor V Leiden (FVL) mutation (G1691A) is a risk factor for development of venous thromboembolic disorders. FVL was found mostly in Caucasians (1-15%) but was almost absent in non-Caucasians. Studies on Arab patients and populations revealed very inconsistent results. This study reports FVL in Arabs living in Kuwait with a focus on the nationality of the Arab subjects studied. Whole-blood samples were collected from 400 healthy Arabs who were 268 Kuwaitis (67%), 50 Syrians (12.5%), 34 Jordanians (8.5%), 8 Palestinians (2%) and 40 Egyptians (10%). DNA extraction was carried out for these blood samples and real-time PCR was performed to detect the presence of FVL. Generally, 36 cases (9%) had the mutation (33 were heterozygous and 3 were homozygous), with an allelic frequency of 0.049. The prevalence of FVL differed in different Arabic cases: Kuwaitis 4.5%, Egyptians 15%, Syrians 16%, Jordanians 23.5% and Palestinians 25%. The allelic frequency was 0.022 in the Kuwaitis and 0.088-0.132 in non-Kuwaitis. The three homozygous cases were from Syria, Jordan and Egypt. In conclusion, the prevalence of FVL in Arabs living in Kuwait is as high as in Caucasians. There is a difference in prevalence among Arabs themselves, being relatively lower in Kuwaitis than in non-Kuwaitis.

Foreign Wars and Domestic Prejudice: How Media Exposure to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Predicts Ethnic Stereotyping by Jewish and Arab American Adolescents

PubMed Central

Huesmann, L. Rowell; Dubow, Eric F.; Boxer, Paul; Souweidane, Violet; Ginges, Jeremy

2012-01-01

This study was based on the theory that adolescents view scenes of violent ethnic conflicts in the mass media through the lens of their own ethnicity, and that the resulting social-cognitive reactions influence their negative stereotypes about similar ethnic groups in their own country. We interviewed 89 Jewish and 180 Arab American high school students about their exposure to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, their social cognitive reactions to it, and their stereotypes toward ethnic groups. Beyond the effects of ethnic identity, the degree to which adolescents identified with Israelis and Palestinians in the media was a key variable linking exposure to media depictions of the conflict and the implicit ethnic stereotypes they displayed about Jewish Americans and Arab Americans. PMID:23243381

Access to healthcare for children in Palestine

PubMed Central

Waterston, Tony; Nasser, Dina

2017-01-01

Currently, 5 million Palestinian refugees live in Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon and around 40% of these are children. Mortality rates for Palestinian children are comparable to neighbouring Arab countries but the speed of reduction has faltered in recent years. Morbidity is greatly affected by the occupation which has increased violence towards children, mental health problems and poor nutrition, particularly in Gaza which is experiencing a health crisis. Access to healthcare for children in Palestine is constrained as a result of the requirement for visas to travel into Jerusalem where specialist hospitals are sited, by difficulties with ambulance transfers, by shortages of equipment in hospitals and by lack of trained staff. Palestinian health workers are developing new initiatives in healthcare and show a high level of resilience, despite the very considerable stress affecting most citizens. PMID:29637139

Homozygosity mapping reveals new nonsense mutation in the FAM161A gene causing autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa in a Palestinian family.

PubMed

Zobor, Ditta; Balousha, Ghassan; Baumann, Britta; Wissinger, Bernd

2014-01-01

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a heterogenous group of inherited retinal degenerations caused by mutations in at least 45 genes. Recently, the FAM161A gene was identified as the causative gene for RP28, an autosomal recessive form of RP. We performed a clinical and molecular genetic study of a consanguineous Palestinian family with two three siblings affected with retinitis pigmentosa. DNA samples were collected from the index patient, his father, his affected sister, and two non-affected brothers. DNA sample from the index was subjected to high resolution genome-wide SNP array. Assuming identity-by-descent in this consanguineous family we applied homozygosity mapping to identify disease causing genes. The index patient reported night blindness since the age of 20 years, followed by moderate disease progression with decrease of peripheral vision, the development of photophobia and later on reduced central vision. At the age of 40 his visual acuity was counting fingers (CF) for both eyes, color discrimination was not possible and his visual fields were severely constricted. Funduscopic examination revealed a typical appearance of advanced RP with optic disc pallor, narrowed retinal vessels, bone-spicule like pigmentary changes in the mid-periphery and atrophic changes in the macula. His younger affected brother (37 years) was reported with overall milder symptoms, while the youngest sister (21 years) reported problems only with night vision. Applying high-density SNP arrays we identified several homozygous genomic regions one of which included the recently identified FAM161A gene mutated in RP28-linked autosomal recessive RP. Sequencing analysis revealed the presence of a novel homozygous nonsense mutation, c.1003C>T/p.R335X in the index patient and the affected sister. We identified an RP28-linked RP family in the Palestinian population caused by a novel nonsense mutation in FAM161A. RP in this family shows a typical disease onset with moderate to rapid progression into severe visual impairment including central vision in the index and overall milder symptoms in the younger brother and sister.

Homozygosity mapping reveals new nonsense mutation in the FAM161A gene causing autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa in a Palestinian family

PubMed Central

Zobor, Ditta; Balousha, Ghassan; Baumann, Britta

2014-01-01

Purpose: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a heterogenous group of inherited retinal degenerations caused by mutations in at least 45 genes. Recently, the FAM161A gene was identified as the causative gene for RP28, an autosomal recessive form of RP. Methods: We performed a clinical and molecular genetic study of a consanguineous Palestinian family with two three siblings affected with retinitis pigmentosa. DNA samples were collected from the index patient, his father, his affected sister, and two non-affected brothers. DNA sample from the index was subjected to high resolution genome-wide SNP array. Assuming identity-by-descent in this consanguineous family we applied homozygosity mapping to identify disease causing genes. Results: The index patient reported night blindness since the age of 20 years, followed by moderate disease progression with decrease of peripheral vision, the development of photophobia and later on reduced central vision. At the age of 40 his visual acuity was counting fingers (CF) for both eyes, color discrimination was not possible and his visual fields were severely constricted. Funduscopic examination revealed a typical appearance of advanced RP with optic disc pallor, narrowed retinal vessels, bone-spicule like pigmentary changes in the mid-periphery and atrophic changes in the macula. His younger affected brother (37 years) was reported with overall milder symptoms, while the youngest sister (21 years) reported problems only with night vision. Applying high-density SNP arrays we identified several homozygous genomic regions one of which included the recently identified FAM161A gene mutated in RP28-linked autosomal recessive RP. Sequencing analysis revealed the presence of a novel homozygous nonsense mutation, c.1003C>T/p.R335X in the index patient and the affected sister. Conclusion: We identified an RP28-linked RP family in the Palestinian population caused by a novel nonsense mutation in FAM161A. RP in this family shows a typical disease onset with moderate to rapid progression into severe visual impairment including central vision in the index and overall milder symptoms in the younger brother and sister. PMID:24520187

Palestinian Refugees in the Levant: Alternate Theories for Disparity in Treatment

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

Fewer Syrian migrant workers work in Lebanon . The reduction of outside Syrian labor facilitated more job openings for the Palestinians. More jobs ...sector work from the Syrian government, but from working with UNRWA. UNRWA jobs remain somewhat limited and do require high levels of education.140...policy agendas and, in Lebanon especially, placed the judiciary and legislative under executive patronage.”18 Unlike Jordan, Lebanon did not

Work-Based Learning Programmes for Young People in the Mediterranean Region: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. Comparative Analyses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweet, Richard

2009-01-01

This report examines programmes for youth that combine learning in classrooms with participation in work in 10 Mediterranean countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. It is one element, together with the development of a network of policymakers and experts from the…

Conflict resolution in the parent-child, marital, and peer contexts and children's aggression in the peer group: a process-oriented cultural perspective.

PubMed

Feldman, Ruth; Masalha, Shafiq; Derdikman-Eiron, Ruth

2010-03-01

Theories of socialization propose that children's ability to handle conflicts is learned at home through mechanisms of participation and observation-participating in parent-child conflict and observing the conflicts between parents. We assessed modes of conflict resolution in the parent-child, marriage, and peer-group contexts among 141 Israeli and Palestinian families and their 1st-born toddler. We observed the ecology of parent-child conflict during home visits, the couple's discussion of marital conflicts, and children's conflicts with peers as well as aggressive behavior at child care. Israeli families used more open-ended tactics, including negotiation and disregard, and conflict was often resolved by compromise, whereas Palestinian families tended to consent or object. During marital discussions, Israeli couples showed more emotional empathy, whereas Palestinians displayed more instrumental solutions. Modes of conflict resolution across contexts were interrelated in culture-specific ways. Child aggression was predicted by higher marital hostility, more coparental undermining behavior, and ineffective discipline in both cultures. Greater family compromise and marital empathy predicted lower aggression among Israeli toddlers, whereas more resolution by consent predicted lower aggression among Palestinians. Considering the cultural basis of conflict resolution within close relationships may expand understanding on the roots of aggression.

Workplace violence against physicians and nurses in Palestinian public hospitals: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Violence against healthcare workers in Palestinian hospitals is common. However, this issue is under researched and little evidence exists. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence, magnitude, consequences and possible risk factors for workplace violence against nurses and physicians working in public Palestinian hospitals. Methods A cross-sectional approach was employed. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on different aspects of workplace violence against physicians and nurses in five public hospitals between June and July 2011. The questionnaires were distributed to a stratified proportional random sample of 271 physicians and nurses, of which 240 (88.7%) were adequately completed. Pearson’s chi-square analysis was used to test the differences in exposure to physical and non-physical violence according to respondents’ characteristics. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were used to assess potential associations between exposure to violence (yes/no) and the respondents’ characteristics using logistic regression model. Results The majority of respondents (80.4%) reported exposure to violence in the previous 12 months; 20.8% physical and 59.6% non-physical. No statistical difference in exposure to violence between physicians and nurses was observed. Males’ significantly experienced higher exposure to physical violence in comparison with females. Logistic regression analysis indicated that less experienced (OR: 8.03; 95% CI 3.91-16.47), and a lower level of education (OR: 3; 95% CI 1.29-6.67) among respondents meant they were more likely to be victims of workplace violence than their counterparts. The assailants were mostly the patients' relatives or visitors, followed by the patients themselves, and co-workers. Consequences of both physical and non-physical violence were considerable. Only half of victims received any type of treatment. Non-reporting of violence was a concern, main reasons were lack of incident reporting policy/procedure and management support, previous experience of no action taken, and fear of the consequences. Conclusions Healthcare workers are at comparably high risk of violent incidents in Palestinian public hospitals. Decision makers need to be aware of the causes and potential consequences of such events. There is a need for intervention to protect health workers and provide safer hospital workplaces environment. The results can inform developing proper policy and safety measures. PMID:23256893

Developing a logic model for youth mental health: participatory research with a refugee community in Beirut

PubMed Central

Afifi, Rema A; Makhoul, Jihad; El Hajj, Taghreed; Nakkash, Rima T

2011-01-01

Although logic models are now touted as an important component of health promotion planning, implementation and evaluation, there are few published manuscripts that describe the process of logic model development, and fewer which do so with community involvement, despite the increasing emphasis on participatory research. This paper describes a process leading to the development of a logic model for a youth mental health promotion intervention using a participatory approach in a Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon. First, a needs assessment, including quantitative and qualitative data collection was carried out with children, parents and teachers. The second phase was identification of a priority health issue and analysis of determinants. The final phase in the construction of the logic model involved development of an intervention. The process was iterative and resulted in a more grounded depiction of the pathways of influence informed by evidence. Constructing a logic model with community input ensured that the intervention was more relevant to community needs, feasible for implementation and more likely to be sustainable. PMID:21278370

When Policy and Strategy Collide: U.S. Intervention in Lebanon 1982-1984

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-01

Jordan’s forcible expulsion of the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s (PLO) fighters in 1970. The arrival of additional Palestinian forces in...that resulted in the U.S. suspending its memorandum of agreement from September. Begin responded with a venomous diatribe: “Are we a banana republic...plan: A small force seemed prudent and sufficient for the immediate task of stabilizing the situation in Lebanon’s capital city. Additionally , a small

Palestinian Territories Analysis Brief

EIA Publications

2014-01-01

The Palestinian Territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip do not have any proved hydrocarbon reserves, but fields on the Israeli side of the boundaries may extend across the West Bank and Gaza borders. The discovery of the Gaza Marine field in the Mediterranean Sea in 2000 indicates the presence of hydrocarbons, although the resources are not yet commercially viable. The Gaza Marine field holds an estimated 1.6 trillion cubic feet in recoverable natural gas resources.

Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-29

23, 2013. 6 Background information on Saudi cabinet members is available at http://www.saudiembassy.net/about/ Biographies - of-Ministers.aspx. Saudi...territories it occupied in 1967, (2) agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state with a capital in East Jerusalem , and provide for the (3) “[a...compromise on Palestinian sovereignty in Jerusalem .” Elhanan Miller, “Arab ministers back Abbas in rejecting ‘Jewish’ Israel,” Times of Israel, January

President Carter and the Role of Intelligence in the Camp David Accords

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-13

Leadership profiles from the Directorate of Intelligence on the key personalities of the Camp David summit. • Intelligence on informal and form al...PROFILES IN SUPPORT OF THE CAMP DAVID SUMMIT Jerrold Post, M.D. TIMELINE SADAT & BEGIN LEADERSHIP PROFILES BIBLIOGRAPHY SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES 4 7 15 20...Palestinian state in favor of a moderate Palestinian leadership with which he could negotiate. Nor was Begin’s position on the Palestine issue a

Near East and South Asia.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-27

Al -Qassam, ’Abd al -Qadir al -Husayni, Ibra- him Abu Diyah, Dalai al - Mughrabi , Abu Jihad [Khalil al -Wazir], and Abu ’Ali Iyad. They are also rejected...Aims [Paris GAMK 10 Oct] 1 NEAR EAST REGIONAL Grand Mufti Calls For Restoration of Holy Places by Force [Cairo AL -AHRAR 21 Nov] 4 PALESTINIAN...Response [Jerusalem KOTERET RASHIT16 Nov] 4 PNSF Calls for Conference To Condemn PNC Resolutions [ Al -Quds Palestinian Radio] 6 Islamic Jihad

Returning to ourselves: Palestinian complementary healers in Israel.

PubMed

Popper-Giveon, Ariela; Weiner-Levy, Naomi

2014-01-01

Studies of traditional healers in various cultures describe their initiation into the healing profession as a climax that constructs their professional and personal identity. Literature emphasizes the healers' intense association with the culture in which they work, as reflected in the initiation narratives that healers in various cultures recount. In this article we reveal unique initiation stories and identity formation from Palestinian nonconventional healers in Israel who described a cross-cultural journey: After studying healing traditions of foreign cultures and on returning to their own cultural environment, they developed a unique and complex combination of healing values and traditions. We examine the stories of these healers, whose personal and professional identities are affected by cultural, political, and social contexts. We note the blending of healing traditions and practices, and the changes in identity, assessing them against cultural processes that many Palestinians in Israel have been undergoing over the past few decades.

An application of an ecological framework to understand risk factors of PTSD due to prolonged conflict exposure: Israeli and Palestinian adolescents in the Line of Fire

PubMed Central

Rosshandler, Yasmin; Hall, Brian J.; Canetti, Daphna

2016-01-01

Objective Adolescents living in Israel and the Palestinian authority are exposed to political violence. This review examines psychosocial risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) organized within an ecological framework. Method Relevant articles were identified through PubMed and PsycINFO. Studies measuring risk and/or protective factors for PTSD in the Palestinian and/or Israeli adolescent populations due to conflict exposure from 1990 to present were included. Results A total of 20 studies met inclusion criteria. Greater violence exposure, poor economic resources, living in rural compared to urban areas, poor family and peer relations and poor coping skills were associated with PTSD symptoms. Conclusions The ecological framework is a useful approach to understanding factors affecting adolescent PTSD. Future research should focus on socio-ecological levels that have received limited attention. PMID:26950012

An application of an ecological framework to understand risk factors of PTSD due to prolonged conflict exposure: Israeli and Palestinian adolescents in the line of fire.

PubMed

Rosshandler, Yasmin; Hall, Brian J; Canetti, Daphna

2016-09-01

Adolescents living in Israel and the Palestinian authority are exposed to political violence. This review examines psychosocial risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) organized within an ecological framework. Relevant articles were identified through PubMed and PsycINFO. Studies measuring risk and/or protective factors for PTSD in the Palestinian and/or Israeli adolescent populations because of conflict exposure from 1990 to present were included. A total of 20 studies met inclusion criteria. Greater violence exposure, poor economic resources, living in rural compared with urban areas, poor family and peer relations, and poor coping skills were associated with PTSD symptoms. The ecological framework is a useful approach to understanding factors affecting adolescent PTSD. Future research should focus on socioecological levels that have received limited attention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Psycho-social reactions of Palestinian families in Israel and the West Bank following war-related losses.

PubMed

Abu-Baker, Khwala

2012-01-01

to identify psycho-social reactions of Palestinian families to personal losses during the Second Intifada in the West Bank and the Second Lebanese war in Israel. Narratives were collected from support group participants in the west Bank and in individual and family therapy in Israel. the narratives were qualitatively analyzed to identify themes relating to psycho-social reactions to war losses. themes emerging from the west Bank support groups' narratives mostly mirrored those gathered in the therapy sessions in Israel. In both sites, bereaved families exhibited similar psycho-social reactions to war-related losses. Both groups coped with loss collectively and in congruence with their common ethno-cultural background. Also, religious beliefs provided explanations. the loss experiences were ongoing and accumulative for participants in the west Bank, while in Israel it was mostly a single event. Both studies referred solely to war-related losses. the relationships of each population group with the State of Israel shaped their political, national and personal reactions to the loss. Families of "shahids/martyrs" in the west Bank gained socio-political respect, while in Israel, Arab citizens suffering war-related losses did not receive the same political respect from Israeli society, but were awarded sympathy by their communities. In Israel the situation is further complicated since the State is both the enemy and provider of material support, comfort and rescue.

Israel Policy is Key to Defeating Islamic Extremists: A Coercive Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

Israel Policy is Key to Defeating Islamic Extremists: A Coercive Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Distribution A : Approved for...Unfortunately, continuation of the historical US position on the issue makes continuation of the conflict a dangerous national security risk to the US. This...paper will examine the conflict in light of US national security and propose that the current administration take a new approach to resolution in

German-Israeli Relations: Security of Israel--Reason of State?

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

the sale of submarines which the preceding government had agreed upon.23 When Chancellor Angela Merkel took office in 2005 she made the relationship...authentic conviction of the Chancellor. No Chancellor ever had as much freedom of action in dealing with Israel as Angela Merkel . Since her Knesset speech...Palestinian issue from the Iranians, and the Palestinians not to become hostages of an Iran conflict. Angela Merkel would have more leeway here, if she wanted

Near East/South Asia Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-03-25

series of name-brand goods, chicken, milk, yogurt , and other things. These items not only must be produced, but distributed and sold as well. Right...villages, was in ferment . This reminds us of the death of Raja Abu ’Ammashah on the roof of the British embassy in Jerusalem. The Palestinian...who took the easy way out caused the crisis. 84 We decided to take a stand on the side of the ferment within Fatah, on the side of the Palestinian

U.S. Foreign Aid to the Palestinians

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-30

Office (GAO) audits . These requirements appear to be aimed at, among other things, preventing U.S. aid from benefitting terrorists or abetting corruption...8 See, e.g., P.L. 112-74, §§7039-7040. GAO audits are available on the following U.S. aid programs to the Palestinians: (1) Economic Support Fund...including direct assistance to the PA and project assistance ( audit for FY2010-FY2011 accessible at http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/592431.pdf), (2

Posttraumatic stress and worry as mediators and moderators between political stressors and emotional and behavioral disorders in Palestinian children.

PubMed

Khamis, Vivian

2012-01-01

This study was designed to assess whether the symptoms of posttraumatic stress mediate or moderate the relationship between political stressors and emotional and behavioral disorders in Palestinian children. It was hypothesized that (a) posttraumatic stress and worry mediate the effect of political stressors on behavioral and emotional disorders and (b) the relationship between political stressors and behavioral and emotional disorders should be attenuated for children with low levels of worry and posttraumatic stress and strengthened for children with high levels of worry and posttraumatic stress. The total sample was 1267 school age children of both sexes with a mean age of 11.97 years. Interviews were conducted with children at school. As hypothesized, the results indicated that posttraumatic stress and worry mediated and moderated the relationship between political stressors and emotional and behavioral disorders in children. Cognitive-behavioral therapy may be used to reduce the incidence of posttraumatic stress and decrease self-reported worry, somatic symptoms, general anxiety, and depression among children exposed to political trauma. Cognitive-behavioral treatment that exclusively targets excessive worry can lead to clinical change in the other interacting subsystems at the cognitive, physiological, affective and behavioral levels.

"We must cooperate with one another against the Enemy": Agency and activism in school-aged children as protective factors against ongoing war trauma and political violence in the Gaza Strip.

PubMed

Veronese, Guido; Pepe, Alessandro; Jaradah, Alaa; Murannak, Feda; Hamdouna, Housam

2017-08-01

This exploratory qualitative study investigated self-perceived risk and protection factors that may reinforce the ability of children living in refugee camps on the Gaza Strip to adjust to a traumatic and risky life context characterized by loss and dispossession. The sample comprised 200 Palestinian children recruited at primary schools in four refugee camps in the Gaza Strip following the Israeli military operation "Pillar of Defence" in 2012. Thematic content analysis was applied to written materials and narratives produced by the children. Environment, friends, emotions, family, play, self, sociality, health, school, and spirituality were the dimensions that emerged from the narrative texts. Palestinian children's psychological adaptability and ability to reposition themselves along the continuum between ease and disease is underpinned by constant political agency and activism - a dimension that guides sense-making activities in a traumatizing environment marked by continuous uncertainty, loss and bereavement. We therefore recommend a politically-informed focus, both when assessing children and when designing intervention for them in contexts of chronic political violence and war. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Longitudinal Effects of Chronic Mediated Exposure to Political Violence on Ideological Beliefs About Political Conflicts Among Youths.

PubMed

Gvirsman, Shira Dvir; Huesmann, L Rowell; Dubow, Eric F; Landau, Simha F; Boxer, Paul; Shikaki, Khalil

This study examines the effects of chronic (i.e., repeated and cumulative) mediated exposure to political violence on ideological beliefs regarding political conflict. It centers on these effects on young viewers, from preadolescents to adolescents. Ideological beliefs refers here to support of war, perception of threat to one's nation, and normative beliefs concerning aggression toward the out-group. A longitudinal study was conducted on a sample of Israeli and Palestinian youths who experience the Israeli-Palestinian conflict firsthand ( N = 1,207). Two alternative hypotheses were tested: that chronic exposure via the media increases support for war and aggression and elevates feeling of threat, or that chronic exposure via the media strengthens preexisting beliefs. Results demonstrated that higher levels of exposure were longitudinally related to stronger support for war. Regarding normative beliefs about aggression and threat to one's nation, mediated exposure reinforced initial beliefs, rendering the youths more extreme in their attitudes. These results mostly support the conceptualization of the relation between media violence and behaviors as "reciprocally determined" or "reinforcing spirals." The results are also discussed in light of the differences found between the effect of exposure to political violence firsthand and exposure via the media.

Differences in rates and odds for emergency caesarean section in six Palestinian hospitals: a population-based birth cohort study.

PubMed

Zimmo, Mohammed; Laine, Katariina; Hassan, Sahar; Fosse, Erik; Lieng, Marit; Ali-Masri, Hadil; Zimmo, Kaled; Anti, Marit; Bottcher, Bettina; Sørum Falk, Ragnhild; Vikanes, Åse

2018-03-02

To assess the differences in rates and odds for emergency caesarean section among singleton pregnancies in six governmental Palestinian hospitals. A prospective population-based birth cohort study. Obstetric departments in six governmental Palestinian hospitals. 32 321 women scheduled to deliver vaginally from 1 March 2015 until 29 February 2016. To assess differences in sociodemographic and antenatal obstetric characteristics by hospital, χ 2 test, analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis test were applied. Logistic regression was used to estimate differences in odds for emergency caesarean section, and ORs with 95% CIs were assessed. The primary outcome was the adjusted ORs of emergency caesarean section among singleton pregnancies for five Palestinian hospitals as compared with the reference (Hospital 1). The prevalence of emergency caesarean section varied across hospitals, ranging from 5.8% to 22.6% among primiparous women and between 4.8% and 13.1% among parous women. Compared with the reference hospital, the ORs for emergency caesarean section were increased in all other hospitals, crude ORs ranging from 1.95 (95% CI 1.42 to 2.67) to 4.75 (95% CI 3.49 to 6.46) among primiparous women. For parous women, these differences were less pronounced, crude ORs ranging from 1.37 (95% CI 1.13 to 1.67) to 2.99 (95% CI 2.44 to 3.65). After adjustment for potential confounders, the ORs were reduced but still statistically significant, except for one hospital among parous women. Substantial differences in odds for emergency caesarean section between the six Palestinian governmental hospitals were observed. These could not be explained by the studied sociodemographic or antenatal obstetric characteristics. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Community-based participatory research in complex settings: clean mind–dirty hands

PubMed Central

Makhoul, Jihad; Nakkash, Rima; Harpham, Trudy; Qutteina, Yara

2014-01-01

Despite the abundance of the literature which discusses factors supporting or inhibiting effective participation of community members in community-based research, there is a paucity of publications analysing challenges to participation in complex settings. This manuscript describes an intervention built on researcher–community partnership amid complex social conditions which challenged participation of community members at different stages of the research process. The research took place in a Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon and 1 of 12 in Lebanon which suffer from deteriorating social, economic and physical conditions perpetuated by state-imposed restrictions. The research team developed a community coalition which was involved in all stages of planning, designing, implementation and dissemination. In all those stages the aim was to maintain rigorous research, to follow a ‘clean mind’ approach to research, but maintain principles of community participation which necessitate ‘a dirty hand’. Despite commitment to the principles of community-based participatory research, participation of community members (including youth, parents and teachers) was affected to a great extent by the social, physical and structural conditions of the community context. Characteristics of the context where research is conducted and how it affects community members should not be overlooked since multiple factors beyond the researchers' control could interfere with the rigour of scientific research. Researchers need to develop a plan for participation with the community from the beginning with an understanding of the community forces that affect meaningful participation and address possible deterrence. PMID:23872385

The relation between health research output and burden of disease in Palestine: a systematic review.

PubMed

Albarqouni, Loai; Elessi, Khamis; Abu-Rmeileh, Niveen

2018-02-21

Highest priority should be given to research on conditions responsible for the greatest disease burden. This is particularly important in settings where resources are scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the association between research output and disease burden in the occupied Palestinian territory and to identify the conditions that are under-investigated or over-investigated, if any. We searched PubMed and Scopus for reports of original research relevant to human health or health care that was authored by researchers affiliated with Palestinian institutions and published between Jan 1, 2000, and Dec 31, 2015. We categorised the health condition studied in included articles using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) taxonomy. Data about the burden of disease (percentage of deaths and disability-adjusted life-years [DALYs]) were obtained from the Palestine profile in the GBD study. We examined the degree of discordance between the observed number of published articles for each disease or health condition with the expected number based on the proportion of disease burden for that disease or health condition. We identified 2469 records and excluded 1650 records after screening titles and abstracts. We included 511 of the remaining 819 full-text articles in our review. Research output was poorly associated with disease burden, irrespective of whether measured in DALYs (ρ: -0·116; p=0·7) or death (0·217; p=0·5). Cardiovascular disease, maternal and neonatal health, and cancer accounted for 212 (67%) deaths per 100 000 population in the occupied Palestinian territory, but this was addressed in only 117 (23%) articles. We found evidence of research waste, as measured by a mismatch between the health burden of disease or health condition and the number of published research reports about that disease or condition in Palestine. National research priority setting should be developed to meet the local community's need of quality evidence in order to develop independent and informed health policies. None. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

U.S. Policy in the Israeli-Palestinian Dispute

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

historical path dependency and the power of spoilers in the peace process. Also important has been the nature of U.S. support for Israel, the lack of a...results of the thesis suggest a historical path dependency and the power of spoilers in the peace process. Also important has been the nature of U.S...and others have argued that Israel has lost any real interest in peace with the Palestinians, and is instead attempting to play the long game with

Israel and the Palestinians: Prospects for a Two-State Solution

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-08

20080820%20Two%20State%20Solution%20FEW%20final%20_3_.pdf. 11 Barak Ravid and Natasha Mozgovaya, “Source: Obama Strongly Expressed His Impatience to...98 See Steven J. Rosen , “Stuck in the Middle East,” foreignpolicy.com, September 17, 2009. Israel and the Palestinians: Prospects for a Two-State...advisor to Ehud Barak (during Barak’s tenure as Israeli prime minister) and a former director of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies in Tel Aviv

'I felt that I was benefiting someone': youth as agents of change in a refugee community project.

PubMed

Makhoul, Jihad; Alameddine, Maysam; Afifi, Rema A

2012-10-01

Youth can be 'powerful catalysts' in their own and their community's development. The paper describes the experience of youth based on their participation as decision makers in and implementers of a community-based research project in a Palestinian refugee camp of Beirut, Lebanon. In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 youth and 10 of their family members or friends. The participants were asked to describe the reasons they joined the project, why they stayed on, what they liked most/least about the project, how the project influenced their lives and what they would change about the project. Thematic analysis identified recurrent themes. Youth joined the program because of its benefit to children and their community. They stayed with the program because of the solidarity they found with the team and because of their relationship with the children. They perceived that they had an important role to play in the project's success. Youth acknowledged all the skills they gained from the project. Focus groups with others corroborated their statements. This project confirmed that youth can be powerful change agents in their own development and that of their communities. An Enabling Attributes Model is proposed for projects that aim to actively engage youth as community catalysts.

The Complexities of Teaching Historical Conflictual Narratives in Integrated Palestinian-Jewish Schools in Israel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bekerman, Zvi

2009-05-01

This paper addresses the complexities encountered by teachers and students when dealing with conflictual historical narratives in the context of integrated bilingual schools in Israel. The narratives presented are based on rich ethnographic data gathered from a long-standing research effort in the schools. They offer insights into how those involved in the educational initiative draw selectively from formal and informal sources in order to support their identification and sense of belonging within their particular political, national and religious communities. The vignettes rendered present a complex picture that is not necessarily encouraging in terms of the potential of education to help overcome situations of intractable conflict.

Source apportionments of ambient fine particulate matter in Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian cities.

PubMed

Heo, Jongbae; Wu, Bo; Abdeen, Ziad; Qasrawi, Radwan; Sarnat, Jeremy A; Sharf, Geula; Shpund, Kobby; Schauer, James J

2017-06-01

This manuscript evaluates spatial and temporal variations of source contributions to ambient fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) in Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian cities. Twenty-four hour integrated PM 2.5 samples were collected every six days over a 1-year period (January to December 2007) in four cities in Israel (West Jerusalem, Eilat, Tel Aviv, and Haifa), four cities in Jordan (Amman, Aqaba, Rahma, and Zarka), and three cities in Palestine (Nablus, East Jerusalem, and Hebron). The PM 2.5 samples were analyzed for major chemical components, including organic carbon and elemental carbon, ions, and metals, and the results were used in a positive matrix factorization (PMF) model to estimate source contributions to PM 2.5 mass. Nine sources, including secondary sulfate, secondary nitrate, mobile, industrial lead sources, dust, construction dust, biomass burning, fuel oil combustion and sea salt, were identified across the sampling sites. Secondary sulfate was the dominant source, contributing 35% of the total PM 2.5 mass, and it showed relatively homogeneous temporal trends of daily source contribution in the study area. Mobile sources were found to be the second greatest contributor to PM 2.5 mass in the large metropolitan cities, such as Tel Aviv, Hebron, and West and East Jerusalem. Other sources (i.e. industrial lead sources, construction dust, and fuel oil combustion) were closely related to local emissions within individual cities. This study demonstrates how international cooperation can facilitate air pollution studies that address regional air pollution issues and the incremental differences across cities in a common airshed. It also provides a model to study air pollution in regions with limited air quality monitoring capacity that have persistent and emerging air quality problems, such as Africa, South Asia and Central America. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Psychosocial outcomes related to subjective threat from armed conflict events (STACE): Findings from the Israeli-Palestinian cross-cultural HBSC study.

PubMed

Harel-Fisch, Yossi; Radwan, Qasrowi; Walsh, Sophie D; Laufer, Avital; Amitai, Gabriel; Fogel-Grinvald, Haya; Abdeen, Ziad

2010-09-01

This study investigates the relationship between exposure to armed conflict and terror events, and an array of mental and behavioral outcomes within a large cross-cultural scientifically representative sample of 24,935 Palestinian (7,430 West Bank and 7,217 Gaza) and Israeli (5,255 Jewish and 6,033 Arab) 11-, 13-, and 15-year-old school children. The children of the Middle East have been subjected to exposure from armed conflict and terrorism repeatedly with no adequate research or interventions aimed at shielding them from the hazards of such exposure to their mental and social well-being. This paper studies the relationship between a newly developed scale (STACE) measuring levels of subjective perceptions of threat/fear due to exposure to armed conflict events and its predicting association with six psychosocial and behavioral outcomes covering (1) poor mental health, (2) positive well-being, and (3) risk behaviors. It also examines the role of parental support in "buffering" the effects of exposure to armed conflict events within the four target populations. Results showed that STACE has significant and strong effects on all six dependent variables representing (1) mental post trauma, (2) diminished well-being, and (3) elevated risk behaviors. STACE strongly affects all four populations with the greatest impact among the Jewish Israeli population and the least impact shown for the Arab Israeli youth. Parental support ("significant adult") has both a direct main effect on the outcomes of all six variables as well as a significant "buffering" effect on the impact of STACE on certain outcome variables (posttraumatic symptoms, life satisfaction, positive life perceptions, and tobacco use). Regardless of the type of armed conflict events, the perception of threat and fear that a child experiences has a universal significant negative impact on mental, social, and behavioral well-being. The importance of the existence of a supporting significant adult in exposed children's lives is also emphasized. The findings show major implications for the development of community-based interventions focusing on enhancing parental, and other adult support in the lives of children living in armed conflict regions of the world. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Taste of Commercially Available Clarithromycin Oral Pharmaceutical Suspensions in the Palestinian Market: Electronic Tongue and In Vivo Evaluation

PubMed Central

Abu-Khalaf, Nawaf; Zaid, Abdel Naser; AlKilany, Alaaldin; Abu Rumaila, Basima; Al Ramahi, Rowa; Shweiki, Shrouq; Nidal, Safaa; Surakhi, Nibal

2018-01-01

Background: The taste of oral liquid dosage forms is a crucial factor that impacts paediatric patient compliance. The electronic tongue (ET) is an emerging tool that could be useful in taste assessment in order to minimize the involvement of humans in such evaluations. Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the taste of commercially available clarithromycin (CM) oral pharmaceutical suspensions in the Palestinian market. Method: Commercially available CM suspensions (the brand Klacid® and two generic K1 and K2) were assayed using the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Then, the taste of these products was assessed using alpha-astree ET. In addition, an in vivo taste assessment was conducted on paediatric patients by a hedonic panel test. Moreover, volunteering community pharmacists were asked to rank the taste of these three products according to their experience from the best to the worst. Results: All suspension products had a CM concentration not less than 98% of the label amount. The ET results coupled with the principal component analysis (PCA) showed a very clear discrimination of the samples with different distances between groups (p-values < 0.001). Suspensions were in the following order in terms of taste: Klacid® > K1 > K2. Moreover, The pattern discrimination index between (K1 and Klacid®), (K1 and K2) and (Klacid® and K2) were 8.81%, 65.75%, and 71.94%, respectively which suggests that K1 and Klacid® are the most similar preparations in terms of taste. Interestingly, these results were in excellent agreement with the pharmacist ranking and patient acceptance test. Conclusions: The evaluated preparations showed significantly different taste within the order of Klacid® > K1 > K2, as suggested by both the ET and in vivo results. Moreover, our results confirm the capability of alpha-astree ET in the taste assessment of oral suspensions and in predicting volunteer responses, which highlights its beneficial use as an in vitro taste assessment tool and as an alternative to human-based taste evaluations. PMID:29401675

Can emotion regulation change political attitudes in intractable conflicts? From the laboratory to the field.

PubMed

Halperin, Eran; Porat, Roni; Tamir, Maya; Gross, James J

2013-01-01

We hypothesized that an adaptive form of emotion regulation-cognitive reappraisal-would decrease negative emotion and increase support for conflict-resolution policies. In Study 1, Israeli participants were invited to a laboratory session in which they were randomly assigned to either a cognitive-reappraisal condition or a control condition; they were then presented with anger-inducing information related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Participants in the reappraisal condition were more supportive of conciliatory policies and less supportive of aggressive policies compared with participants in the control condition. In Study 2, we replicated these findings in responses to a real political event (the recent Palestinian bid for United Nations recognition). When assessed 1 week after training, participants trained in cognitive reappraisal showed greater support for conciliatory policies and less support for aggressive policies toward Palestinians compared with participants in a control condition. These effects persisted when participants were reassessed 5 months after training, and at both time points, negative emotion mediated the effects of reappraisal.

Personal value preferences, group identifications, and cultural practices of Palestinian Israelis working in close contact with Jewish Israelis.

PubMed

Tartakovsky, Eugene; Abu Kheit, Ayat

2017-01-01

The present study investigates the connection between personal value preferences, group identifications, and cultural practices among Palestinian Israelis working in close contact with the Jewish population in Israel. One hundred twenty-two Palestinian Israelis participated in the study. The participants were employed in different professional positions in the Tel Aviv Metropolitan area and were recruited to the study using the snowball technique. A stronger national identification was associated with a higher preference for the security and conformity values, and a lower preference for the humility values. A stronger ethnic identification was associated with a lower preference for the security, power, and stimulation values. Group identifications mediated the connection between personal value preferences and cultural practices. A longer time working in close contact with the majority group and less frequent visits home were associated with a greater adherence to the majority group's cultural practices but not with adherence to the ethnic group's practices and not with the group identifications.

Asymmetric abstraction and allocation: the Israeli-Palestinian water pumping record.

PubMed

Zeitoun, Mark; Messerschmid, Clemens; Attili, Shaddad

2009-01-01

The increased attention given to international transboundary aquifers may be nowhere more pressing than on the western bank of the Jordan River. Hydropolitical analysis of six decades of Israeli and Palestinian pumping records reveals how ground water abstraction rates are as asymmetrical as are water allocations. The particular hydrogeology of the region, notably the variability in depth to ground water, variations in ground water quality, and the vulnerability of the aquifer, also affect the outcome. The records confirm previously drawn conclusions of the influence of the agricultural lobby in maintaining a supply-side water management paradigm. Comparison of water consumption rates divulges that water consumed by all sectors of the farming-based Palestinian economy is less than half of Israeli domestic consumption. The overwhelming majority of "reserve" flows from wet years are sold at subsidized rates to the Israeli agricultural sector, while very minor amounts are sold at normal rates to the Palestinian side for drinking water. An apparent coevolution of water resource variability and politics serves to explain increased Israeli pumping prior to negotiations in the early 1990s. The abstraction record from the Western Aquifer Basin discloses that the effective limit set by the terms of the 1995 Oslo II Agreement is regularly violated by the Israeli side, thereby putting the aquifer at risk. The picture that emerges is one of a transboundary water regime that is much more exploitative than cooperative and that risks spoiling the resource as it poisons international relations.

Child discipline in Qatar and Palestine: A comparative study of ICAST-R.

PubMed

Eldeeb, Nehal; Halileh, Samia; Alyafei, Khalid A; Ghandour, Rula; Dargham, Soha; Giacaman, Rita; Kamal, Madeeha; Imseeh, Sawsan; Korayem, Mona; Nasr, Shiraz; Mahfoud, Ziyad; Abu-Rmeileh, Niveen; Mahmoud, Mohamed H; Tawfik, Hassan; Lynch, Margaret A; Mian, Marcellina

2016-11-01

To compare the nature and determinants of child discipline in Qatar and Palestine among young adults through retrospective survey to develop legislation, policies and interventions for effective prevention of child maltreatment, and educational materials to promote positive discipline among parents and caregivers. Cross-sectional random household surveys were conducted in each country (Qataris N=697, Palestinians N=2064) using ISPCAN Child Abuse Screening Tool-Retrospective (ICAST-R) for young adults (18-24 years), to investigate child discipline methods into the maltreatment range. Qatari young adults were more educated (p<0.001) and had more full-time employment (p=0.004) than Palestinian young adults. Qatar reported lower physical and emotional abuse compared to their counterparts in Palestine, e.g. Hit/Punch, Kick (p<0.001) and Insult/Criticize, Threaten to be hurt/killed (p<0.001). Qatari participants found any harsh discipline they received in childhood was not reasonable and not justified compared to Palestinian participants. The more advantaged Qatari population was less likely to experience disciplinary methods that experts developing the ICAST-R defined as abuse compared to Palestinians where the higher incidence of child abuse could be attributed to lower economic advantage, lower level of education and greater exposure to violence. Suggestions are made for future studies in Qatar and Palestine to develop survey methodology with a more culturally appropriate level of intrusion, such as indirect yet meaningful child maltreatment questions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of organizational culture on provider adherence to the diabetic clinical practice guideline: using the competing values framework in Palestinian Primary Healthcare Centers.

PubMed

Radwan, Mahmoud; Akbari Sari, Ali; Rashidian, Arash; Takian, Amirhossein; Abou-Dagga, Sanaa; Elsous, Aymen

2017-01-01

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious chronic disease and an important public health issue. This study aimed to identify the predominant culture within the Palestinian Primary Healthcare Centers of the Ministry of Health (PHC-MoH) and the Primary Healthcare Centers of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (PHC-UNRWA) by using the competing values framework (CVF) and examining its influence on the adherence to the Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for DM. A cross-sectional design was employed with a census sample of all the Palestinian family doctors and nurses (n=323) who work within 71 PHC clinic. A cross-cultural adaptation framework was followed to develop the Arabic version of the CVF questionnaire. The overall adherence level to the diabetic guideline was disappointingly suboptimal (51.5%, p <0.001; 47.3% in the PHC-MoH and 55.5% in the PHC-UNRWA). In the PHC-MoH, the clan/group culture was the most predominant (mean =41.13; standard deviation [SD] =8.92), followed by hierarchical (mean =33.14; SD=5.96), while in the PHC-UNRWA, hierarchical was the prevailing culture (mean =48.43; SD =12.51), followed by clan/group (mean =29.73; SD =8.37). Although a positively significant association between the adherence to CPG and the rational culture and a negatively significant association with the developmental archetype were detected in the PHC-MoH, no significant associations were found in the PHC-UNRWA. Our study demonstrates that the organizational culture has a marginal influence on the adherence to the diabetic guideline. Future research should preferably mix quantitative and qualitative approaches and explore the use of more sensitive instruments to measure such a complex construct and its effects on guideline adherence in small-sized clinics.

Associations of overweight and of weight dissatisfaction among Palestinian adolescents: findings from the national study of Palestinian schoolchildren (HBSC-WBG2004).

PubMed

Al Sabbah, H; Vereecken, C; Abdeen, Z; Coats, E; Maes, L

2009-02-01

Overweight and obesity as well as weight dissatisfaction have been increasing in prevalence worldwide. Body weight dissatisfaction and fear of fatness are potential contributors to disordered eating. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of self-reported overweight and weight dissatisfaction along with associations with socio-demographic characteristics, body image, health complaints, risk behaviours, physical activity and television viewing in adolescents in Palestine. The 2003/04 Palestinian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) is a cross-sectional survey of 17,817 adolescents from 405 randomly selected schools. Students from a representative sample of grades 6, 8, 10 and 12 (aged 12-18 years) self-completed a modified version of the international World Health Organization collaborative Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC-2002) questionnaire. Although 16.5% of the adolescents were overweight, almost twice that number (32.1%) were dissatisfied with their weight (i.e. dieting or perceiving a need to diet). Of those adolescents, two-thirds were not actually overweight (56.4% boys; 73.5% girls). One-fifth of the total number of adolescents (16.0% boys; 24.0% girls) were not overweight but were dissatisfied with their weight. Boys reporting overweight or weight dissatisfaction were more likely to have mothers with higher education or to be from more affluent families. Among both genders, but especially among girls, weight dissatisfaction was positively associated with most of the outcome variables (body image, health complaints, risk behaviours, and television viewing) regardless of weight status, whereas weight status was associated with only a few of the outcome variables. Weight dissatisfaction, independent of weight status, is associated with body image, health complaints, risk behaviours and television viewing, and represents a potential health risk factor for adolescents. Preventive interventions should focus not only on weight status, but also on body weight dissatisfaction.

Evaluation of Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) for Diagnosing Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes among Palestinian Arab Population

PubMed Central

Kharroubi, Akram T.; Darwish, Hisham M.; Abu Al-Halaweh, Ahmad I.; Khammash, Umaiyeh M.

2014-01-01

The purpose of the study is to compare the potential of HbA1c to diagnose diabetes among Palestinian Arabs compared to fasting plasma glucose (FPG). A cross-sectional sample of 1370 Palestinian men (468) and women (902) without known diabetes and above the age of 30 years were recruited. Whole blood was used to estimate HbA1c and plasma for FPG and total lipid profile. Fasting plasma glucose was used as a reference to diagnose diabetes (≥ 126 mg/dL) and prediabetes (100–125 mg/dL). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for HbA1c was 81.9% to diagnose diabetes and 63.9% for prediabetes. The agreement between HbA1c and diabetes as diagnosed by FPG was moderate (ĸ  =  0.498) and low with prediabetes (ĸ = 0.142). The optimal cut-off value for HbA1c to diagnose diabetes was ≥ 6.3% (45 mmol/mol). The sensitivity, specificity and the discriminant ability were 65.6% (53.1–76.3%), 94.5% (93.1–95.6%), 80.0% (72.8–87.3%), respectively. However, using cut-off value of ≥ 6.5% (48 mmol/mol) improved specificity. At this cut-off value, the sensitivity, specificity and the discriminant ability were 57.4% (44.9–69.0%), 97.1% (96.0–97.9%) and 77.3% (71.0–83.5%). For diagnosing prediabetes with HbA1c between 5.7–6.4% (39–46 mmol/mol), the sensitivity, specificity and the discriminant ability were 62.7% (57.1–67.9%), 56.3% (53.1–59.4%) and 59.5% (56.3–62.5%), respectively. HbA1c at cut-off value of ≥ 6.5% (48 mmol/mol) by itself diagnosed 5.3% and 48.3% as having diabetes and prediabetes compared to 4.5% and 24.2% using FPG, respectively. Mean HbA1c and FPG increase significantly with increasing body mass index. In conclusion, the ROC curves showed HbA1c could be used for diagnosing diabetes when compared to FPG but not for prediabetes in Palestinians Arabs even though only about 50% of the diabetic subjects were identified by the both HbA1c and FPG. PMID:24505401

Serious physical violence among Arab-Palestinian adolescents: The role of exposure to neighborhood violence, perceived ethnic discrimination, normative beliefs, and, parental communication.

PubMed

Massarwi, Adeem Ahmad; Khoury-Kassabri, Mona

2017-01-01

This study adopted a social-ecological perspective to exploring perpetration of serious physical violence against others among Arab-Palestinian adolescents. A total of 3178 adolescents (aged 13-18) completed anonymous, structured, self-report questionnaire, which included selected items from several instruments that measured variables relating to the constructs examined in the study. We explored the association of individual characteristics (age, gender, normative beliefs about violence, and perceived ethnic discrimination), familial characteristics (parent-adolescent communication and socioeconomic status), and contextual characteristics (exposure to community violence in the neighborhood) with perpetration of serious physical violence against others. A moderation-mediation model was tested, and 28.4% of the adolescents reported that they had perpetrated serious physical violence against others at least once during the month preceding the study. The findings also show that exposure of youth to violence in their neighborhood correlated significantly and positively with their perpetration of serious physical violence against others. A similar trend was revealed with respect to personal perceptions of ethnic discrimination. These correlations were mediated by the adolescents' normative beliefs about violence. Furthermore, the correlation of direct exposure to violence in the neighborhood and normative beliefs about violence with perpetration of serious physical violence against others was stronger among adolescents who have poor communication with their parents than among those who have strong parental communication. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attitude of Palestinian Nursing Students Toward Caring for Dying Patients: A Call for Change in Health Education Policy.

PubMed

Abu-El-Noor, Nasser Ibrahim; Abu-El-Noor, Mysoon Khalikl

2016-06-01

Death is a natural process that occurs each day. Some nursing students may encounter the experience of taking care of a dying patient while others do not. Therefore, their attitude toward death and caring for dying patients may vary. The purpose of this study was to assess Palestinian student nurses' attitudes toward death and caring for dying patients and their families. In a cross-sectional, descriptive study, all fourth-year students at the College of Nursing, Islamic University of Gaza, Palestine, were invited to participate in this study. A total of 141 students completed the Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying Scale Form B (FATCOD-B). Results revealed that the mean score on the FATCOD-B was (96.96 ± 8.30). Overall, nursing students in the sample demonstrated a relatively low attitude toward caring for dying patients and their families. No statistically significant differences of students' attitudes toward caring for dying patients were found between male and female students nor between students who attended death cases and those who did not. The results suggest that theoretical nursing education should place more emphasis on palliative care to improve the quality of care at the end of life. © The Author(s) 2015.

Nutritional status of Palestinian preschoolers in the Gaza Strip: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The authors examined factors associated with nutritional resilience/vulnerability among preschoolers in the Gaza Strip in 2007, where political violence and deprivation are widespread. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out in 2007 using random sampling of kindergartens in order to select 350 preschoolers. Binary logistic regression was used to compare resilient (adequate nutrition) and vulnerable (stunted) groups with those with moderate nutrition. Results Approximately 37% of the subjects demonstrated nutritional resilience and 15% were vulnerable. Factors associated with nutritional resilience were child younger age, normal birth weight, actively hand- or spoon-feeding when the child was below two years, and residential stability in the past two years. The only factor associated with nutritional vulnerability was lower total score on the mother's General Health Questionnaire, which we interpret as a marker of maternal mental health. Conclusions Children with low-birth weight and older children had worse nutritional resiliency outcomes. Further, poorer outcomes for children were associated with lower maternal mental health status, as well as increased family residential instability. Our results add to the large literature on the pervasive effects of violence and instability on children and underscore the need for resources for early intervention and for the urgent resolution of the Palestinian and other armed conflicts. PMID:22236142

Nutritional status of Palestinian preschoolers in the Gaza Strip: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Massad, Salwa G; Nieto, F J; Palta, Mari; Smith, Maureen; Clark, Roseanne; Thabet, Abdel-Aziz

2012-01-11

The authors examined factors associated with nutritional resilience/vulnerability among preschoolers in the Gaza Strip in 2007, where political violence and deprivation are widespread. This cross-sectional study was carried out in 2007 using random sampling of kindergartens in order to select 350 preschoolers. Binary logistic regression was used to compare resilient (adequate nutrition) and vulnerable (stunted) groups with those with moderate nutrition. Approximately 37% of the subjects demonstrated nutritional resilience and 15% were vulnerable. Factors associated with nutritional resilience were child younger age, normal birth weight, actively hand- or spoon-feeding when the child was below two years, and residential stability in the past two years. The only factor associated with nutritional vulnerability was lower total score on the mother's General Health Questionnaire, which we interpret as a marker of maternal mental health. Children with low-birth weight and older children had worse nutritional resiliency outcomes. Further, poorer outcomes for children were associated with lower maternal mental health status, as well as increased family residential instability. Our results add to the large literature on the pervasive effects of violence and instability on children and underscore the need for resources for early intervention and for the urgent resolution of the Palestinian and other armed conflicts. © 2012 Massad et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

The Limits of Resilience: Distress Following Chronic Political Violence among Palestinians

PubMed Central

Hobfoll, Stevan E.; Mancini, Anthony D.; Hall, Brian J.; Canetti, Daphna; Bonanno, George A.

2011-01-01

We examined posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptom trajectories during ongoing exposure to political violence, seeking to identify psychologically resilient individuals and the factors that predict resilience. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with a random sample of 1196 Palestinian adult residents of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem across three occasions, six months apart (September, 2007–November,2008). Latent growth mixture modeling identified PTSD, and depression symptom trajectories. Results identified three PTSD trajectories: moderate-improving (73% moderate symptoms at baseline, improving over time), severe-chronic (23.2% severe and elevated symptoms over the entire year); and severe-improving (3.5% severe symptoms at baseline and marked improvement over time). Depression trajectories were moderate-improving (61.5%); severe-chronic (24.4%); severe-improving (14.4%). Predictors of relatively less severe initial symptom severity, and improvement over time for PTSD were less political violence exposure and less resource loss; and for depression were younger age, less political violence exposure, lower resource loss, and greater social support. Loss of psychosocial and material resources was associated with the level of distress experienced by participants at each time period, suggesting that resource-based interventions that target personal, social and financial resources could benefit people exposed to chronic trauma. PMID:21440348

The Longitudinal Effects of Chronic Mediated Exposure to Political Violence on Ideological Beliefs About Political Conflicts Among Youths

PubMed Central

Gvirsman, Shira Dvir; Huesmann, L. Rowell; Dubow, Eric F.; Landau, Simha F.; Boxer, Paul; Shikaki, Khalil

2015-01-01

This study examines the effects of chronic (i.e., repeated and cumulative) mediated exposure to political violence on ideological beliefs regarding political conflict. It centers on these effects on young viewers, from preadolescents to adolescents. Ideological beliefs refers here to support of war, perception of threat to one's nation, and normative beliefs concerning aggression toward the out-group. A longitudinal study was conducted on a sample of Israeli and Palestinian youths who experience the Israeli-Palestinian conflict firsthand (N = 1,207). Two alternative hypotheses were tested: that chronic exposure via the media increases support for war and aggression and elevates feeling of threat, or that chronic exposure via the media strengthens preexisting beliefs. Results demonstrated that higher levels of exposure were longitudinally related to stronger support for war. Regarding normative beliefs about aggression and threat to one's nation, mediated exposure reinforced initial beliefs, rendering the youths more extreme in their attitudes. These results mostly support the conceptualization of the relation between media violence and behaviors as “reciprocally determined” or “reinforcing spirals.” The results are also discussed in light of the differences found between the effect of exposure to political violence firsthand and exposure via the media. PMID:26997852

Teaching in conflict contexts: dimensions of subjective wellbeing in Palestinian teachers living in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.

PubMed

Pepe, Alessandro; Addimando, Loredana; Dagdouke, Jamal; Yagi, Shaher; Veronese, Guido

2018-02-21

Subjective wellbeing can be defined in terms of good mental state, including positive and negative evaluations that people make of their affect and lives. The aim of this study was to identify specific domains of wellbeing that are salient to Palestinian teachers living in three different contexts (West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Israel) and to map how components of subjective wellbeing vary between the three cohorts. Data were gathered from interviews of teachers participating in 16 focus groups and from 36 key informants (including psychologists, counsellors, school principals, lawyers). Participants were divided into three groups according to their working locations. Data were analysed by using a mixed-method approach. We used thematic textual analysis, and data were cross-validated with results of statistical significance of lexical specificities (ie, domain-specific terms extracted from specific participants' lexicon) and semantic network analysis. We interviewed 104 teachers. First-order hierarchical categorisation of thematic analysis revealed four dimensions of subjective wellbeing: psychosocial, professional-related, economic issues, and contextual factors. Some second-order subcategories were quality of teaching work, personality aspects, emotional dimensions, political dimensions, and psychological dimensions. Analysis of lexical specificities and results of semantic network analysis revealed that the importance of different components of subjective wellbeing varied across geographical cohorts. Overall, the results of qualitative and quantitative data analysis showed a clear relationship between the teachers' subjective wellbeing and the places they lived. General themes were common in all populations, but the three cohorts differed in terms of the relative salience of each theme. The prominent themes for the Gazan group were quality of teaching, social dimensions, and religion. The key themes for the West Bank group were economic, social dimensions, and recognition. Salient themes for the Arab-Israeli group were professional, emotional, and social dimensions. Despite some differences between the diasporic Palestinian populations in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel, the categories of wellbeing are supported in all cohorts. None. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Links Between Education and Age at Marriage among Palestinian Women in Israel: Changes Over Time.

PubMed

Sabbah-Karkaby, Maha; Stier, Haya

2017-03-01

This study focuses on the link between education and marriage timing among Israeli-Palestinian women. Theoretical discussions on marriage timing center on the effect of the time women spend in educational institutions on their age at marriage, and on the change in the desirable traits of women in the marriage market. But most of these arguments overlook situations where significant changes in education take place alongside retention of traditional patriarchal values. Based on data from three population censuses - in 1983, 1995 and 2008-our results suggest that staying longer in schooling delays marriage, so women with less education are more likely to marry earlier than others. While young age is still considered an important characteristic in the Israeli-Palestinian marriage market, and women who delay marriage face a greater risk of remaining single, education becomes more important over the years so that postponing marriage becomes especially problematic for low-educated women. Our findings suggest that traditional norms and structural conditions together shape marriage timing. © 2017 The Population Council, Inc.

Terror, Resource Gains and Exclusionist Political Attitudes among New Immigrants and Veteran Israelis

PubMed Central

Halperin, Eran; Canetti, Daphna; Hobfoll, Stevan E.; Johnson, Robert J.

2011-01-01

This study analyses the antecedents of exclusionist political attitudes towards Palestinian citizens of Israel among Israeli immigrants from the former Soviet Union in comparison to Old Jewish Israelis (OJI). A large-scale study of exclusionist political attitudes was conducted in the face of ongoing terrorism in Israel through telephone surveys carried out in September 2003 with 641 OJI and 131 immigrants. The main goal of the survey was to estimate the influence of perceived loss and gain of resources—as a consequence of terror—on attitudes towards Palestinian Israelis, while controlling for other relevant predictors of exclusionism—i.e. authoritarianism or threat perception. Findings obtained via interaction analyses and structural equation modelling show that a) immigrants display higher levels of exclusionist political attitudes towards Palestinian citizens of Israel than OJI; b) loss of resources, authoritarianism, and hawkish (rightist) worldviews predict exclusionist political attitudes among both immigrants and non-immigrants; c) failure to undergo post-traumatic growth (resource gain) in response to terrorism (e.g. finding meaning in life, becoming closer to others) is a significant predictor of exclusionist political attitudes only among immigrants. PMID:22140351

History of Neurosurgery in Palestine.

PubMed

Darwazeh, Rami; Darwazeh, Mazhar; Sun, Xiaochuan

2017-08-01

Palestinian neurosurgery started with Dr. Antone Tarazi as the first Palestinian neurosurgeon. Before that, there was no organized neurosurgery specialty, and general surgeons performed neurosurgical procedures. Here we review the history of neurosurgery and neurosurgical applications in Palestine, evaluate some limitations of the current system, and discuss major challenges to improving this system. We collected information from various sources in either English or Arabic. The development of neurosurgery and neurosurgical training in Palestine began in 1960 with the first center established in Jerusalem, which provided much-needed neurosurgical services and training in the fields of neurosurgery and neurology. Palestine has produced a number of its own neurosurgeons and has promoted further progress by establishing the Palestinian Neurosurgical Society in 2014. Today, there are 34 neurosurgeons (including 1 female neurosurgeon) and 17 residents providing expert care in 17 centers across Palestine, along with 1 neurosurgical residency program. Neurosurgery in Palestine has faced many challenges, some of which have been overcome. However, there remain many challenges, which will require much time and effort to surmount. Political stabilization is a significant factor in the progress of neurosurgery in Palestine. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microregulatory patterns of family interactions: cultural pathways to toddlers' self-regulation.

PubMed

Feldman, Ruth; Masalha, Shafiq; Alony, Dalia

2006-12-01

Pathways to children's self-regulation were examined in 2 cultures representing individualistic and collectivistic orientations. Family interactions were observed in 100 Israeli and 62 Palestinian couples and their firstborn child at 5 months and in a problem-solving task at 33 months. Patterns of gaze, affect, proximity, touch, and parental teaching strategies were coded. Child self-regulation was observed at child care locations. Among Israeli families, interactions involved face-to-face exchange, social gaze, object focus, and active touch in infancy and indirect parental assistance to toddlers. Among Palestinian families, interactions consisted of continuous contact, neutral affect, reduced negative emotionality, and concrete assistance. Levels of self-regulation were comparable and were predicted by culture-specific patterns. Social gaze, touch, and indirect teaching were found to predict self-regulation among Israeli toddlers; contact and concrete assistance were predictors among Palestinians. Discussion considers the ways early relational patterns mirror cultural philosophies on the self and differentially support self-regulation at the transition from family to the larger social context. (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

Mapping groundwater development costs for the transboundary Western Aquifer Basin, Palestine/Israel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacDonald, A. M.; Ó Dochartaigh, B. É.; Calow, R. C.; Shalabi, Y.; Selah, K.; Merrett, S.

2009-11-01

The costs of developing groundwater in the Western Aquifer Basin vary considerably across the West Bank and Israel. One of the main reasons for this variability is the diverse hydrogeological conditions within the aquifer. Using data from recent hydrogeological investigations, an estimate of the variation of both the drilling and pumping costs was calculated and then mapped across the Upper and Lower Aquifers within the Western Aquifer Basin. These groundwater cost maps proved helpful in analyzing the impacts of hydrogeology on water supply, and also in communicating complex hydrogeological information to a broader audience. The maps clearly demonstrate that the most cost-effective area to develop groundwater is along the Green Line—the 1949 armistice boundary between Israel and the Palestinian West Bank. Any migration of this boundary eastwards will affect the cost and feasibility of developing groundwater within Palestine, making abstraction from the Upper Aquifer impracticable, and increasing the cost of developing the Lower Aquifer. Therefore, the separation wall, which is being constructed to the east of the Armistice Line in Palestinian territory, will significantly reduce the ability of the Palestinians to develop groundwater resources.

Dr Walter Henry Anderson (1870-1937) and the mission hospital at Safed, Palestine.

PubMed

Stokes, Gordon S

2013-02-01

Walter Henry Anderson, a brewer's clerk in Burton-upon-Trent, became a missionary doctor, supported by a society promoting welfare and evangelism in Jewish communities abroad. His family background was rich in pastoral ministry at home and adventure abroad. Arguably, this background played a part in his decision to serve the Jews of Safed. His life in Palestine entailed much enterprise and hardship as he raised a family, fought disease and set up a mission hospital serving not only the Jewish community but persons of all faiths. His years in Palestine, from 1894 to 1915, were times of peace in the Middle East before the turmoil unleashed by the Great War. Jews from the Diaspora were gaining an increasing foothold in Palestine, their 'Promised Land'. Themes of that era - the rise of Zionism, confrontation between Judaism and evangelical Christianity, conflict between immigrant Jew and Palestinian Arab and the remarkable travels of Lawrence of Arabia were interwoven with the lives of Dr Anderson and his family.

Traditional knowledge of wild edible plants used in Palestine (Northern West Bank): a comparative study.

PubMed

Ali-Shtayeh, Mohammed S; Jamous, Rana M; Al-Shafie', Jehan H; Elgharabah, Wafa' A; Kherfan, Fatemah A; Qarariah, Kifayeh H; Khdair, Isra' S; Soos, Israa M; Musleh, Aseel A; Isa, Buthainah A; Herzallah, Hanan M; Khlaif, Rasha B; Aiash, Samiah M; Swaiti, Ghadah M; Abuzahra, Muna A; Haj-Ali, Maha M; Saifi, Nehaya A; Azem, Hebah K; Nasrallah, Hanadi A

2008-05-12

A comparative food ethnobotanical study was carried out in fifteen local communities distributed in five districts in the Palestinian Authority, PA (northern West Bank), six of which were located in Nablus, two in Jenin, two in Salfit, three in Qalqilia, and two in Tulkarm. These are among the areas in the PA whose rural inhabitants primarily subsisted on agriculture and therefore still preserve the traditional knowledge on wild edible plants. Data on the use of wild edible plants were collected for one-year period, through informed consent semi-structured interviews with 190 local informants. A semi-quantitative approach was used to document use diversity, and relative importance of each species. The study recorded 100 wild edible plant species, seventy six of which were mentioned by three informants and above and were distributed across 70 genera and 26 families. The most significant species include Majorana syriaca, Foeniculum vulgare, Malvasylvestris, Salvia fruticosa, Cyclamen persicum, Micromeria fruticosa, Arum palaestinum, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Gundelia tournefortii, and Matricaria aurea. All the ten species with the highest mean cultural importance values (mCI), were cited in all five areas. Moreover, most were important in every region. A common cultural background may explain these similarities. One taxon (Majoranasyriaca) in particular was found to be among the most quoted species in almost all areas surveyed. CI values, as a measure of traditional botanical knowledge, for edible species in relatively remote and isolated areas (Qalqilia, and Salfit) were generally higher than for the same species in other areas. This can be attributed to the fact that local knowledge of wild edible plants and plant gathering are more spread in remote or isolated areas. Gathering, processing and consuming wild edible plants are still practiced in all the studied Palestinian areas. About 26 % (26/100) of the recorded wild botanicals including the most quoted and with highest mCI values, are currently gathered and utilized in all the areas, demonstrating that there are ethnobotanical contact points among the various Palestinian regions. The habit of using wild edible plants is still alive in the PA, but is disappearing. Therefore, the recording, preserving, and infusing of this knowledge to future generations is pressing and fundamental.

Traditional knowledge of wild edible plants used in Palestine (Northern West Bank): A comparative study

PubMed Central

Ali-Shtayeh, Mohammed S; Jamous, Rana M; Al-Shafie', Jehan H; Elgharabah, Wafa' A; Kherfan, Fatemah A; Qarariah, Kifayeh H; Khdair, Isra' S; Soos, Israa M; Musleh, Aseel A; Isa, Buthainah A; Herzallah, Hanan M; Khlaif, Rasha B; Aiash, Samiah M; Swaiti, Ghadah M; Abuzahra, Muna A; Haj-Ali, Maha M; Saifi, Nehaya A; Azem, Hebah K; Nasrallah, Hanadi A

2008-01-01

Background A comparative food ethnobotanical study was carried out in fifteen local communities distributed in five districts in the Palestinian Authority, PA (northern West Bank), six of which were located in Nablus, two in Jenin, two in Salfit, three in Qalqilia, and two in Tulkarm. These are among the areas in the PA whose rural inhabitants primarily subsisted on agriculture and therefore still preserve the traditional knowledge on wild edible plants. Methods Data on the use of wild edible plants were collected for one-year period, through informed consent semi-structured interviews with 190 local informants. A semi-quantitative approach was used to document use diversity, and relative importance of each species. Results and discussion The study recorded 100 wild edible plant species, seventy six of which were mentioned by three informants and above and were distributed across 70 genera and 26 families. The most significant species include Majorana syriaca, Foeniculum vulgare, Malvasylvestris, Salvia fruticosa, Cyclamen persicum, Micromeria fruticosa, Arum palaestinum, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Gundelia tournefortii, and Matricaria aurea. All the ten species with the highest mean cultural importance values (mCI), were cited in all five areas. Moreover, most were important in every region. A common cultural background may explain these similarities. One taxon (Majoranasyriaca) in particular was found to be among the most quoted species in almost all areas surveyed. CI values, as a measure of traditional botanical knowledge, for edible species in relatively remote and isolated areas (Qalqilia, and Salfit) were generally higher than for the same species in other areas. This can be attributed to the fact that local knowledge of wild edible plants and plant gathering are more spread in remote or isolated areas. Conclusion Gathering, processing and consuming wild edible plants are still practiced in all the studied Palestinian areas. About 26 % (26/100) of the recorded wild botanicals including the most quoted and with highest mCI values, are currently gathered and utilized in all the areas, demonstrating that there are ethnobotanical contact points among the various Palestinian regions. The habit of using wild edible plants is still alive in the PA, but is disappearing. Therefore, the recording, preserving, and infusing of this knowledge to future generations is pressing and fundamental. PMID:18474107

Substance use by university students in the West Bank: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Damiri, Basma R; Sandouka, Hisham N; Janini, Eiad H; Yaish, Omar N

2018-02-21

Substance use has been an increasing problem in the occupied Palestinian territory for decades. The aim of this study was to describe the practice, knowledge, and attitudes associated with substance use by university students in the occupied Palestinian territory. This cross-sectional study was done in 2015. Male and female students from four main public universities in the West Bank were recruited to fill out a self-administered questionnaire. The Institutional Review Board approved the study, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. 1383 (82%) of 1700 students completed the questionnaire (766 [55%] women and 617 [45%] men). The most frequent substance practices were smoking tobacco (576 [42%] students), drinking alcohol (75 [5%]), and illicit drugs (42 [3%]). 745 (54%) respondents had tried smoking, 122 (9%) had tried drinking alcohol, and 58 (4%) had tried taking illicit drugs. 24 (4%) respondents who had not yet tried a substance intended to smoke tobacco, 19 (2%) intended to drink alcohol, and nine (1%) intended to try illicit drugs use. Escaping from problems was the most frequent motivation for illicit drugs (870 [63%] respondents) and alcohol (501 [37%] respondents). Most of the illicit drugs users (71%) had tried more than one illicit drug, and hashish was the most common type of illicit drug to be used (4%). 36 (57%) respondents had used illicit drugs in the company of a friend. Most participants agreed that smoking tobacco (1209 [87%] respondents), alcohol (1253 [91%]), and illicit drugs use (1286 [93%]) is harmful, and most participants agreed that tobacco (752 [54%]), alcohol (1131 [82%]), and illicit drugs (1252 [91%]) should be banned. 1142 (83%) respondents agreed that tobacco is easily accessible in their communities, whereas 835 (60%) and 628 (45%) respondents agreed that alcohol and illicit drugs were easily accessible, respectively. Only 502 (36%) respondents were aware of the existence of drug weaning centres in their country. Substance use is common in students in Palestinian universities despite them knowing about the dangers of substance use. Escaping from problems was the most common motivation for illicit drug and alcohol use. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate an urgent need for the development of intervention and the immediate attention of local authorities and families. None. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Knowledge of and attitudes toward climate change and its effects on health among nursing students: A multi-Arab country study.

PubMed

Felicilda-Reynaldo, Rhea Faye D; Cruz, Jonas Preposi; Alshammari, Farhan; Obaid, Khamees B; Rady, Hanan Ebrahim Abd El Aziz; Qtait, Mohammad; Alquwez, Nahed; Colet, Paolo C

2018-04-01

Climate change and its impact on health continues to receive inadequate attention in the nursing literature, especially in the Arab region. This study explored the knowledge of and attitudes toward climate change and its effect on health among nursing students from four Arab countries. A cross-sectional study was conducted among a convenience sample of 1,059 baccalaureate nursing students from four Arab countries using the New Ecological Paradigm scale and an adapted questionnaire. The findings indicate an average range of attitude toward the environment, with country of residence, type of community, academic-year level, and climate change related variables as significant factors influencing students' attitudes. A moderate level of knowledge about the potential health related impacts of climate change was revealed. Students from Saudi Arabia and Palestinian Territory reported a significantly higher level of knowledge than Egyptian and Iraqi students. Most of the respondents reported that all identified health related effects of climate change have already increased, while more than two-thirds reported that each of the health-related impacts would increase within the next 20 years. The findings underscore the need for more coverage of topics related to climate change and its health-related impacts in nursing education curricula in Arab countries. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Bringing abundance into environmental politics: Constructing a Zionist network of water abundance, immigration, and colonization.

PubMed

Alatout, Samer

2009-06-01

For more than five decades, resource scarcity has been the lead story in debates over environmental politics. More importantly, and whenever environmental politics implies conflict, resource scarcity is constructed as the culprit. Abundance of resources, if at all visited in the literature, holds less importance. Resource abundance is seen, at best, as the other side of scarcity--maybe the successful conclusion of multiple interventions that may turn scarcity into abundance. This paper reinstates abundance as a politico-environmental category in its own right. Rather than relegating abundance to a second-order environmental actor that matters only on occasion, this paper foregrounds it as a crucial element in modern environmental politics. On the substantive level, and using insights from science and technology studies, especially a slightly modified actor-network framework, I describe the emergence and consolidation of a Zionist network of abundance, immigration, and colonization in Palestine between 1918 and 1948. The essential argument here is that water abundance was constructed as fact, and became a political rallying point around which a techno-political network emerged that included a great number of elements. To name just a few, the following were enrolled in the service of such a network: geologists, geophysicists, Zionist settlement experts, Zionist organizations, political and technical categories of all sorts, Palestinians as the negated others, Palestinian revolts in search of political rights, the British Mandate authorities, the hydrological system of Palestine, and the absorptive capacity of Palestine, among others. The point was to successfully articulate these disparate elements into a network that seeks opening Palestine for Jewish immigration, redefining Palestinian geography and history through Judeo-Christian Biblical narratives, and, in the process, de-legitimizing political Palestinian presence in historic Palestine.

Quality of life in the Palestinian context: an inquiry in war-like conditions.

PubMed

Giacaman, Rita; Mataria, Awad; Nguyen-Gillham, Viet; Safieh, Rula Abu; Stefanini, Angelo; Chatterji, Somnath

2007-04-01

This study aims to elucidate the concept of quality of life (QOL) in a unique environment characterized by protracted and ongoing conflict, beginning with the utilization of the WHOQOL-Bref as a starting point for discussion. It works to determine important health-related quality of life domains and items within each domain, and evaluate issues pertinent to the Palestinian population's understanding of life quality in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted with individuals living in the Gaza Strip and Ramallah District of the West Bank. Participants were asked if they understood the term QOL; and about the determinants of their own QOL, using open-ended questions. Participants were then presented with the WHOQOL-Bref questions and requested to assess their relevance and importance in determining their own QOL, and encouraged to suggest additional ones. A total of 150 men and women of various ages and socioeconomic classes participated in 13 FGD. A major finding is the all-encompassing impact of the political context on Palestinians' QOL assessment. The study demonstrates that political freedom, self-determination, participation in democratic processes and feeling involved in political decision-making are considered important contributors to people's QOL. The study raises the option of adding a new domain to the WHOQOL-Bref, allowing the study of its psychometric properties and its relationship to the rest of the instrument. This contribution should be particularly relevant to societies and cultures in conflict-affected zones and locales where violence and insecurity constitute an important part of life. The documentation of QOL, beyond fatal and non-fatal health outcomes, must remain an important objective of all evaluations in order to guide policy and resource allocation decisions directed towards improving peoples' lives in general and their health in particular.

A glance into the hidden burden of maternal morbidity and patterns of management in a Palestinian governmental referral hospital.

PubMed

Hassan, Sahar J; Wick, Laura; DeJong, Jocelyn

2015-12-01

Little is known about the burden and patterns of maternal morbidity during childbirth, particularly in the Middle East Region. Investigating the patterns of maternal morbidity can be useful in guiding improvement in the quality of maternal services, and informing policy debates on women's health. To examine the incidence, types and patterns of management of severe and non-severe maternal morbidities of Palestinian women during pregnancy, labour, delivery and up to seven days postpartum in one Palestinian hospital. A prospective hospital-based study was conducted for a 3-month period in 2011-2012, reviewing hospital records for all pregnant women (1.583) admitted to the governmental hospital in Ramallah, Palestine. Of all pregnant women included in this analysis (1.558), 419 (26.9%) women experienced one or more maternal morbidities and 15 (0.96%) women survived a life-threatening complication (near miss). Of all women who suffered morbidities, 69 (16.5%) had vaginal deliveries, 61 (14.6%) had cesarean sections, 179 (42.7%) had abortions/miscarriage, and 110 (26.3%) experienced complications during pregnancy or the post-partum. Hemorrhage during pregnancy, birth or postpartum was the most common morbidity. Of those who gave birth, women who gave birth by cesarean sections were three times more likely to suffer from morbidities than those who had vaginal delivery. The burden of maternal morbidity for Palestinian women between the ages of 16 and 48 is high. In Palestine, maternal morbidity can be prevented by promoting a rational use of cesarean section, avoiding unnecessary medicalization, reducing unwanted pregnancies and updating practices of providers related to abortion/miscarriage care. Copyright © 2015 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pharmacists' knowledge of issues in pharmacotherapy of epilepsy using antiepileptic drugs: A cross-sectional study in Palestinian pharmacy practice.

PubMed

Shawahna, Ramzi; Atrash, Ahlam; Jebril, Aman; Khalaf, Areen; Shaheen, Eman; Tahboosh, Hala

2017-02-01

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are mainstay in controlling epileptic seizures. As experts in medications, pharmacists should be able to ensure accuracy of dosing regimens, explain adverse effects, and screen for and alert people with epilepsy (PWE) and their physicians to possible drug-drug interactions (DDIs). The aim of this study was to evaluate pharmacists' knowledge of issues in pharmacotherapy of epilepsy using AEDs. This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted in the Palestinian pharmacy practice. A 10-item case-based questionnaire was used to determine actions taken by pharmacists in theoretical situations in pharmacotherapy of epilepsy. Demographic and practice details of the study participants were also collected. Scores were calculated as percentage of correct answers for each participant. The number of participants was 394. The majority (approximately 75%) identified themselves as community pharmacists. The median score was 33.4% with an IQR of 33.3. Pharmacists who received training on epilepsy and AEDs during their pharmacy degree program were 4.78-fold (95% C.I. of 1.82-12.60) more likely to score ≥50% in the test than those who did not receive training on epilepsy and AEDs. Despite gaps in knowledge, pharmacists tended to perform the necessary action in cases of adverse effects and aggravated seizures associated with AEDs. Pharmacists can play a crucial role in providing essential information on AEDs to patients and prescribers. There are many knowledge gaps that need to be filled. Specifically designed pedagogic and/or training interventions might be helpful in filling these gaps. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Assessment of medical waste management in a Palestinian hospital].

PubMed

Al-Khatib, I A; Khatib, R A

2006-01-01

We studied medical waste management in a Palestinian hospital in the West Bank and the role of municipality in this management. In general, "good management practices" were inadequate; there was insufficient separation between hazardous and non-hazardous wastes, an absence of necessary rules and regulations for the collection of wastes from the hospital wards and the on-site transport to a temporary storage location inside and outside the hospital and inadequate waste treatment and disposal of hospital wastes along with municipal garbage. Moreover, training of personnel was lacking and protective equipment and measures for staff were not available. No special landfills for hazardous wastes were found within the municipality.

How Personality Affects Vulnerability among Israelis and Palestinians following the 2009 Gaza Conflict

PubMed Central

Canetti, Daphna; Kimhi, Shaul; Hanoun, Rasmiyah; Rocha, Gabriel A.; Galea, Sandro; Morgan, Charles A.

2016-01-01

Can the onset of PTSD symptoms and depression be predicted by personality factors and thought control strategies? A logical explanation for the different mental health outcomes of individuals exposed to trauma would seem to be personality factors and thought control strategies. Trauma exposure is necessary but not sufficient for the development of PTSD. To this end, we assess the role of personality traits and coping styles in PTSD vulnerability among Israeli and Palestinian students amid conflict. We also determine whether gender and exposure level to trauma impact the likelihood of the onset of PTSD symptoms. Five questionnaires assess previous trauma, PTSD symptoms, demographics, personality factors and thought control strategies, which are analyzed using path analysis. Findings show that the importance of personality factors and thought control strategies in predicting vulnerability increases in the face of political violence: the higher stress, the more important the roles of personality and thought control strategies. Thought control strategies associated with introverted and less emotionally stable personality-types correlate positively with higher levels of PTSD symptoms and depression, particularly among Palestinians. By extension, because mental health is key to reducing violence in the region, PTSD reduction in conflict zones warrants rethinking. PMID:27391240

Association of a common variant in TCF7L2 gene with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Palestinian population.

PubMed

Ereqat, Suheir; Nasereddin, Abedelmajeed; Cauchi, Stéphane; Azmi, Kifaya; Abdeen, Ziad; Amin, Riyad

2010-12-01

Recent genome-wide association studies have provided an important resource for furthering our understanding of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) disease mechanisms. Most of these T2DM gene loci affect insulin secretion. We examined the association of rs7903146 variant in the transcription factor 7 like 2 gene (TCF7L2) with T2DM in 333 Palestinian subjects (219 were type 2 diabetic patients and 114 normoglycemic subjects). The rs7903146 variant of TCF7L2 significantly increased T2DM risk with an allelic odds ratio of 3.34 (95% CI [1.99-5.60], P < 0.0001). No significant association was observed between TCF7L2 genotypes and covariates of age, gender and BMI or any tested metabolic trait (total cholesterol and fasting plasma glucose) in both diabetic and nondiabetic individuals (P > 0.05). Among the diabetic group, the TT genotype carrier have earlier age at diagnosis compared with CC and CT carriers (P = 0.013). This is the first study conducted on this gene in the Palestinian population and provides valuable information for comparison with other ethnic groups.

Antimicrobial and free radical scavenging activities of five Palestinian medicinal plants.

PubMed

Qabaha, Khaled Ibraheem

2013-01-01

Extracts from five indigenous Palestinian medicinal plants including Rosmarinus officinalis, Pisidium guajava, Punica granatum peel, grape seeds and Teucrium polium were investigated for antimicrobial and free radical scavenging activities against eight microorganisms, using well diffusion method. The microorganisms included six bacterial isolates (i.e. Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginos, Klebsiella pneumonia, Bacillus subtilis and Micrococcus luteus) and two fungal isolates (i.e. Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger). A standard antioxidant assay was performed on the plant extracts to assess their capability in scavenging 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Of the five tested plant extract, only Rosmarinus offcinalis extract contained significant antimicrobial activity against all eight microbial isolates including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Extracts from other four plants exhibited a variable antimicrobial activity against all microorganisms, except Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Significant antioxidant activity was detected in all plant extracts. However, extracts from Pisidium guajava leaves contained significantly higher antioxidant activity compared to the other extracts tested. The antimicrobial and scavenging activities detected in this in vitro study in extracts from the five Palestinian medicinal plants suggest that further study is needed to identify active compounds to target diseases caused by a wide-spectrum pathogens.

How Personality Affects Vulnerability among Israelis and Palestinians following the 2009 Gaza Conflict.

PubMed

Canetti, Daphna; Kimhi, Shaul; Hanoun, Rasmiyah; Rocha, Gabriel A; Galea, Sandro; Morgan, Charles A

2016-01-01

Can the onset of PTSD symptoms and depression be predicted by personality factors and thought control strategies? A logical explanation for the different mental health outcomes of individuals exposed to trauma would seem to be personality factors and thought control strategies. Trauma exposure is necessary but not sufficient for the development of PTSD. To this end, we assess the role of personality traits and coping styles in PTSD vulnerability among Israeli and Palestinian students amid conflict. We also determine whether gender and exposure level to trauma impact the likelihood of the onset of PTSD symptoms. Five questionnaires assess previous trauma, PTSD symptoms, demographics, personality factors and thought control strategies, which are analyzed using path analysis. Findings show that the importance of personality factors and thought control strategies in predicting vulnerability increases in the face of political violence: the higher stress, the more important the roles of personality and thought control strategies. Thought control strategies associated with introverted and less emotionally stable personality-types correlate positively with higher levels of PTSD symptoms and depression, particularly among Palestinians. By extension, because mental health is key to reducing violence in the region, PTSD reduction in conflict zones warrants rethinking.

Evaluation of the validity of osteoporosis and fracture risk assessment tools (IOF One Minute Test, SCORE, and FRAX) in postmenopausal Palestinian women.

PubMed

Kharroubi, Akram; Saba, Elias; Ghannam, Ibrahim; Darwish, Hisham

2017-12-01

The need for simple self-assessment tools is necessary to predict women at high risk for developing osteoporosis. In this study, tools like the IOF One Minute Test, Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX), and Simple Calculated Osteoporosis Risk Estimation (SCORE) were found to be valid for Palestinian women. The threshold for predicting women at risk for each tool was estimated. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the validity of the updated IOF (International Osteoporosis Foundation) One Minute Osteoporosis Risk Assessment Test, FRAX, SCORE as well as age alone to detect the risk of developing osteoporosis in postmenopausal Palestinian women. Three hundred eighty-two women 45 years and older were recruited including 131 women with osteoporosis and 251 controls following bone mineral density (BMD) measurement, 287 completed questionnaires of the different risk assessment tools. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were evaluated for each tool using bone BMD as the gold standard for osteoporosis. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was the highest for FRAX calculated with BMD for predicting hip fractures (0.897) followed by FRAX for major fractures (0.826) with cut-off values ˃1.5 and ˃7.8%, respectively. The IOF One Minute Test AUC (0.629) was the lowest compared to other tested tools but with sufficient accuracy for predicting the risk of developing osteoporosis with a cut-off value ˃4 total yes questions out of 18. SCORE test and age alone were also as good predictors of risk for developing osteoporosis. According to the ROC curve for age, women ≥64 years had a higher risk of developing osteoporosis. Higher percentage of women with low BMD (T-score ≤-1.5) or osteoporosis (T-score ≤-2.5) was found among women who were not exposed to the sun, who had menopause before the age of 45 years, or had lower body mass index (BMI) compared to controls. Women who often fall had lower BMI and approximately 27% of the recruited postmenopausal Palestinian women had accidents that caused fractures. Simple self-assessment tools like FRAX without BMD, SCORE, and the IOF One Minute Tests were valid for predicting Palestinian postmenopausal women at high risk of developing osteoporosis.

The correlation between exposure to neighborhood violence and perpetration of moderate physical violence among Arab-Palestinian youth: Can it be moderated by parent-child support and gender?

PubMed

Massarwi, Adeem Ahmad

2017-01-01

In the current study, we examined the role of parent-child support as a protective factor that moderates the correlation between exposure to neighborhood violence and perpetration of moderate physical violence among 3,187 Arab-Palestinian adolescents who live in Israel (aged 12 to 18), from 21 different schools who were selected randomly. The probability sampling method was a nonproportional multistage stratified cluster sample. We also examined gender differences across this protective process. Participants completed a structured, anonymous self-report questionnaire. The findings of the study reveal that 47.3% of the adolescents had perpetrated moderate physical violence against others at least once during the month preceding the study. Moreover, exposure of adolescents to violence in their neighborhood correlated significantly and positively with perpetration of moderate physical violence. A moderation analysis was tested and found that this correlation was stronger among adolescents who had poor parent-child support than among those who had strong parent-child support. Furthermore, the findings reveal that the correlation of exposure to neighborhood violence with perpetration of moderate physical violence was not moderated by gender. However, parent-child support correlated strongly with lower levels of perpetration of moderate physical violence among males than females. The findings of the study highlight the critical role of parental factors in decreasing violent behaviors among adolescents (especially boys) as well as among adolescents who are at risk for exposure to violence in their neighborhoods. In light of the findings, we recommend that practitioners working with these adolescents include parents in intervention programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

An assessment of diabetes care in Palestinian refugee camps in Syria

PubMed Central

Alabed, Samer; Guul, Aisha; Crighton, Claire; Alahdab, Fares; Fares, Munes; Morad, Mohammad; Sonbol, Mohamad B; Madmani, Mohammed E; Sasa, Anas; Unwin, Nigel

2014-01-01

Background: Palestinian refugees have been a displaced group of people since 1948, many of whom are living in refugee camps in the Middle East. They are entitled to free health care from the United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA). They show a higher prevalence of diabetes than the population in their host countries in the Middle East. This study examined the realities of care for diabetic patients in UNRWA health clinics in Damascus, Syria. The aim was three-fold: To investigate the level of diabetes care, to probe patients’ level of general understanding of their disease and its management, and to search for areas of potential improvement. Methods: Data on patient education and care was gathered over a 1 month period from August 4, 2008 to September 4, 2008 using questionnaires and direct observation of the workflow at the clinics. Clinic-led care was observed by the study team using checklists during patient visits. All of the clinic staff and sampled patients were interviewed. The main areas of care assessed were: Patient follow-up; examination of eyes and feet; availability of medications; and patient education. A total of 154 people with diabetes were sampled from three refugee camps situated around Damascus. Results: A total of 154 patients, three doctors and seven nurses composed the sample of the study. Foot examinations were almost always neglected by health staff and eye examinations were not offered by the UNRWA clinics. Interviews with patients showed that: 67% (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.59-0.70) had to buy their medication at their own expense at least once due to medication shortage in the UNRWA clinics, 48% (95% CI: 0.40-0.55) displayed poor knowledge regarding the cause and exacerbating factors of diabetes, 65% (95% CI: 0.56-0.72) had not heard of insulin, and 43% (95% CI: 0.35-0.51) did not know for how long they needed to take their medications. PMID:24982827

An assessment of diabetes care in Palestinian refugee camps in Syria.

PubMed

Alabed, Samer; Guul, Aisha; Crighton, Claire; Alahdab, Fares; Fares, Munes; Morad, Mohammad; Sonbol, Mohamad B; Madmani, Mohammed E; Sasa, Anas; Unwin, Nigel

2014-07-01

Palestinian refugees have been a displaced group of people since 1948, many of whom are living in refugee camps in the Middle East. They are entitled to free health care from the United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA). They show a higher prevalence of diabetes than the population in their host countries in the Middle East. This study examined the realities of care for diabetic patients in UNRWA health clinics in Damascus, Syria. The aim was three-fold: To investigate the level of diabetes care, to probe patients' level of general understanding of their disease and its management, and to search for areas of potential improvement. Data on patient education and care was gathered over a 1 month period from August 4, 2008 to September 4, 2008 using questionnaires and direct observation of the workflow at the clinics. Clinic-led care was observed by the study team using checklists during patient visits. All of the clinic staff and sampled patients were interviewed. The main areas of care assessed were: Patient follow-up; examination of eyes and feet; availability of medications; and patient education. A total of 154 people with diabetes were sampled from three refugee camps situated around Damascus. A total of 154 patients, three doctors and seven nurses composed the sample of the study. Foot examinations were almost always neglected by health staff and eye examinations were not offered by the UNRWA clinics. Interviews with patients showed that: 67% (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.59-0.70) had to buy their medication at their own expense at least once due to medication shortage in the UNRWA clinics, 48% (95% CI: 0.40-0.55) displayed poor knowledge regarding the cause and exacerbating factors of diabetes, 65% (95% CI: 0.56-0.72) had not heard of insulin, and 43% (95% CI: 0.35-0.51) did not know for how long they needed to take their medications.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and bone turnover markers in Palestinian postmenopausal osteoporosis and normal women.

PubMed

Kharroubi, Akram; Saba, Elias; Smoom, Riham; Bader, Khaldoun; Darwish, Hisham

2017-12-01

This study evaluated the association of vitamin D and bone markers with the development osteoporosis in Palestinian postmenopausal women. Even though vitamin D deficiency was very high for the recruited subjects, it was not associated with osteoporosis except for bones of the hip. Age and obesity were the strongest determining factors of the disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of bone mineral density (BMD) with serum vitamin D levels, parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium, obesity, and bone turnover markers in Palestinian postmenopausal women. Three hundred eighty-two postmenopausal women (≥45 years) were recruited from various women clinics for BMD assessment (131 women had osteoporosis and 251 were normal and served as controls). Blood samples were obtained for serum calcium, PTH, 25(OH)D, bone formation (N-terminal propeptide (PINP)), and bone resorption (serum C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX1)) markers. Women with osteoporosis had statistically significant lower mean weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and serum calcium (p < 0.05) compared to controls. No significant differences were detected between the mean values of bone turnover markers (CTX and PINP), 25(OH)D, and PTH of the two groups. Women with vitamin D deficiency (severe and insufficiency) represented 85.9% of the study subjects. Multiple and logistic regression showed that age and BMI significantly affected BMD and vitamin D had a significant association with BMD only at the lumbar spine. BMI was positively correlated with BMD and PTH but negatively correlated with vitamin D. Logistic regression showed that the odds ratio (OR) for having osteoporosis decreased with increasing BMI (overweight OR = 0.11, p = 0.053; obese OR = 0.05, p = 0.007). There was no direct correlation between BMD and PTH, bone turnover markers, and vitamin D except at the lumbar spine. A negative correlation between BMD and age and a positive correlation with BMI were observed. The protective effect of obesity on osteoporosis was complicated by the effect of obesity on vitamin D and PTH.

Humiliation: the invisible trauma of war for Palestinian youth.

PubMed

Giacaman, Rita; Abu-Rmeileh, Niveen M E; Husseini, Abdullatif; Saab, Hana; Boyce, William

2007-08-01

To investigate the influence of exposure to humiliation in war-like conditions on health status in 10th- and 11th-grade students living in the Ramallah District, West Bank, Occupied Palestinian Territory. A stratified single-stage cluster sample of 3415 students from cities, towns, villages and refugee camps of the Ramallah District. Survey questions were derived from the World Health Organization's Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Survey, the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme Traumatic Event Checklist, and focus group discussions with young people. The survey questionnaire was completed by students in their classrooms, under the supervision of a trained field worker. There was a significant association between a high number of subjective health complaints and demographic variables, particularly for females compared with males, and refugee camp dwellers compared with village dwellers. In addition, exposure to humiliation was significantly associated with an increased number of subjective health complaints. Students experiencing three forms of humiliation were found to be 2.5 times more likely to report a high number of subjective health complaints compared with those who had never been exposed to humiliation (52% vs 21%), while those experiencing four forms of humiliation were three times more likely to report a high number of subjective health complaints (62% vs 21%). A multiple logistic regression model revealed that humiliation was significantly associated with a high number of subjective health complaints, even after adjusting for sex, residence and other measures of exposure to violent events. The odds ratio of reporting a high number of subjective health complaints increased as the number of forms of humiliation increased, with values of 1.69, 2.67, 4.43 and 7.49 for reporting a high number of subjective health complaints when exposed to one, two, three or four forms of humiliation, respectively, compared with those who had never been exposed to humiliation. The results of this study demonstrate that humiliation induced by conflict and war-like conditions constitutes an independent traumatic event that is associated with negative health outcomes in its own right, regardless of exposure to other violent/traumatic events. Based on these findings, it is proposed that humiliation should be included as an indicator of mental health status in research that investigates the consequences of war and conflict on the health of populations.

Starting from scratch.

PubMed

Christina, R

1999-11-01

This paper highlights the work of the Early Childhood Resource Center (ECRC) in promoting changes in gender-role stereotypes in Jerusalem. Established in 1985, ECRC provides training and advocacy in early childhood care, education, and development for the Palestinian Territories and East Jerusalem. In collaboration with other nongovernmental organizations and the New Palestinian Authority, ECRC promoted an integrated system of early childhood programs for Palestine. The Center helps people who work with young children, particularly those in rural villages and refugee camps. Central to the work of ECRC is the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in which freedom from discrimination (including gender discrimination) is a basic right. Components of the training program of ECRC are summarized and program results are presented.

Screening of some Palestinian medicinal plants for antibacterial activity.

PubMed

Essawi, T; Srour, M

2000-06-01

Antibacterial activity of organic and aqueous extracts of 15 Palestinian medicinal plants were carried against eight different species of bacteria: Bacillus subtilis, two Escherichia coli species, Staphylococcus aureus (methicillin resistant), two S. aureus (methicillin sensitive) species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus fecalis. Of the 15 plants tested, eight showed antibacterial activity. Each plant species has unique against different bacteria. The most active antibacterial plants against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria were Thymus vulgaris and Thymus origanium. The organic and aqueous extract from the same plants showed different activities; the organic extract showed the same or greater activity than the aqueous extract. Finally, the hole-plate diffusion method showed larger activity than the disc diffusion method.

Challenges of urban planning in Palestine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moghayer, Taher J. T.; Tesmamma Daget, Yidnekachew; Wang, Xingping

2017-08-01

For the last two centuries, Palestinian territory had faced several changes. This is due to historical precedents and the unstable political situation in the area. This has resulted in mutli-faced challenges in Palestine. The objective of this paper is to analyse and understand the major factors that had impacted the urban planning, urban form and urban development of the Palestinian territory. The findings showed that the lack of available land, rapid urban population growth, failure in urban planning policy decisions, the unstable political situation on the ground, fragmented urban developments in the west bank area, and also diffusion of urban sprawls within the landscapes and around the cities are the major factors that caused challenges in Palestine’s cities.

Unfreezing cognitions during an intractable conflict: Does an external incentive for negotiating peace and (low levels of) collective angst increase information seeking?

PubMed

Wohl, Michael J A; Porat, Roni; Halperin, Eran

2016-03-01

A core feature of intractable conflicts is the tendency to cognitively freeze on existing, pro-ingroup beliefs. In three experiments, conducted in the context of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, we tested the idea that an external incentive for negotiating peace helps unfreeze cognitions. In Experiment 1, making salient that peace with the Palestinians would reduce the Iranian nuclear threat (an external incentive) led to a process of unfreezing. In Experiment 2, we examined whether collective angst as an emotional sentiment (i.e., concern for the ingroup's future vitality as a temporally stable emotional disposition) moderated the aforementioned external incentive-cognitive unfreezing link. As predicted, external incentive salience promoted cognitive unfreezing, but only among people low in collective angst (i.e., people who are not concerned for the ingroup's future). In Experiment 3, we sought to replicate the results of Experiment 2. However, socio-political forces (i.e., a significant upswing in tensions between Palestinians and Israelis) likely served to freeze cognitions to such an extent that thawing was not possible by the means demonstrated in Experiments 1 and 2. The importance of confidence in a peace process is discussed in the context of efforts to unfreeze cognitions during an intractable conflict. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

Politics drives human functioning, dignity, and quality of life.

PubMed

Barber, Brian K; Spellings, Carolyn; McNeely, Clea; Page, Paul D; Giacaman, Rita; Arafat, Cairo; Daher, Mahmoud; El Sarraj, Eyad; Mallouh, Mohammed Abu

2014-12-01

Too little is known about human functioning amidst chronic adversity. We addressed that need by studying adult Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt), a population that has experienced longstanding economic and political hardships. Fourteen group interviews were conducted in February, 2010 in Arabic by local fieldworkers with 68 participants representing the main stratifications of Palestinian society: gender, region, refugee status, and political affiliation. Interview tasks included each participant: describing someone doing well and not well, free listing domains of functioning, and prioritizing domains to the three most important. Thematic analyses highlighted the dominating role of the political domain of functioning (e.g., political structures, constraints, effects, identity, and activism) and the degree to which political conditions impacted all other realms of functioning (economic, education, family, psychological, etc.). The discussion links the findings to relevant theory and empirical work that has called attention to the need to include the political in frameworks of quality of life. It also emphasized that values, such as justice, rights, dignity and self-determination, that underlie political structures and policies, are key elements of human functioning. This is the case not only in the oPt, but in any society where power imbalances marginalize segments of the population. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality of life, human insecurity, and distress among Palestinians in the Gaza Strip before and after the Winter 2008-2009 Israeli war.

PubMed

Hammoudeh, Weeam; Hogan, Dennis; Giacaman, Rita

2013-11-01

This study investigates changes in the quality of life (QoL) of Gaza Palestinians before and after the Israeli winter 2008-2009 war using the World Health Organization's WHOQOL-Bref; the extent to which this instrument adequately measures changing situations; and its responsiveness to locally developed human insecurity and distress measures appropriate for context. Ordinary least squares regression analysis was performed to detect how demographic and socioeconomic variables usually associated with QoL were associated with human insecurity and distress. We estimated the usual baseline model for the three QoL domains, and a second set of models including these standard variables and human insecurity and distress to assess how personal exposure to political violence affects QoL. No difference between the quality of life scores in 2005 and 2009 was found, with results suggesting lack of sensitivity of WHOQOL-Bref in capturing changes resulting from intensification of preexisting political violence. Results show that human insecurity and individual distress significantly increased in 2009 compared to 2005. Results indicate that a political domain may provide further understanding of and possibly increase the sensitivity of the instrument to detect changes in the Qol of Palestinians and possibly other populations experiencing intensified political violence.

Equity in health care financing in Palestine: the value-added of the disaggregate approach.

PubMed

Abu-Zaineh, Mohammad; Mataria, Awad; Luchini, Stéphane; Moatti, Jean-Paul

2008-06-01

This paper analyzes the redistributive effect and progressivity associated with the current health care financing schemes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, using data from the first Palestinian Household Health Expenditure Survey conducted in 2004. The paper goes beyond the commonly used "aggregate summary index approach" to apply a more detailed "disaggregate approach". Such an approach is borrowed from the general economic literature on taxation, and examines redistributive and vertical effects over specific parts of the income distribution, using the dominance criterion. In addition, the paper employs a bootstrap method to test for the statistical significance of the inequality measures. While both the aggregate and disaggregate approaches confirm the pro-rich and regressive character of out-of-pocket payments, the aggregate approach does not ascertain the potential progressive feature of any of the available insurance schemes. The disaggregate approach, however, significantly reveals a progressive aspect, for over half of the population, of the government health insurance scheme, and demonstrates that the regressivity of the out-of-pocket payments is most pronounced among the worst-off classes of the population. Recommendations are advanced to improve the performance of the government insurance schemes to enhance its capacity in limiting inequalities in health care financing in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Oral health status among children and adolescents in governmental and private schools of the Palestinian Territories.

PubMed

Abuhaloob, Lamis; Petersen, Poul Erik

2018-04-01

Political conflicts in the Palestinian Territories (PT) have resulted in systematic deterioration of socio-economic conditions and health. The World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasised the negative impacts of social crisis on children' oral health and quality of life. To assess the prevalence and trends in dental caries and poor gingival health of schoolchildren in the PT through the scholastic years 1998/1999 to 2012/2013. This is a retrospective study. Prevalence data on dental caries of primary and permanent dentitions among children 6, 12 and 16 years of age were gathered from annual oral health reports of the School Dental Health Programme (SDHP)-Ministry of Health. Caries was recorded according to WHO methods and criteria. Decayed, missing and filled teeth indices for primary (dmft) and permanent (DMFT) teeth were calculated. Gingival health status was examined according to the Community Periodontal Index (scores 1 and 2). Statistical analysis used SPSS. In 2012/2013, dental caries prevalence rates and the index scores among schoolchildren were as follows, respectively: 56.4% and 2.7 dmft at age 6; 42.0% and 1.4 DMFT at age 12; and 38.7% and 1.7 DMFT at age 16. For all age groups, the d/D-component of the caries indices was high. Trends of dental-caries prevalence, caries experience and gingival bleeding were fairly constant over time from 1998/1999. The SDHP was established in order to prevent and control oral diseases among schoolchildren in the PT. The Programme is fairly passive and the survey indicates an urgent need for reorientation of activities towards population-based prevention and health promotion. The application of the WHO Health Promoting Schools concept is highly recommended. © 2017 FDI World Dental Federation.

The practice of humanitarianism: a village birthing clinic in Palestine.

PubMed

Wick, Livia

2011-01-01

Discourses and practices surrounding humanitarian organisations have changed over time. This is certainly the case for Palestinian non-governmental organisations, which have followed the structural and ideological transformations observed in local, regional and international contexts. There have been three successive but interlocking generations of groups active in health in Palestine: charitable societies, popular committees, and donor-based entities. Against this background, a village clinic in the West Bank is seen to have gone through various incarnations in the context of an emerging neo-liberal economic, administrative and political environment. Despite the critiques justifiably addressed towards them, non-governmental organisations may in some cases be functionally fluid. Communities and people continue to use them strategically in their relations with states, political groups, individuals and receivers of aid, making them potential networking sites in the context of an ongoing occupation.

Factors Influencing Arab Nursing Students' Attitudes toward Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability and their Inclusion in Nursing Curricula.

PubMed

Cruz, Jonas Preposi; Felicilda-Reynaldo, Rhea Faye D; Alshammari, Farhan; Alquwez, Nahed; Alicante, Jerico G; Obaid, Khamees B; Rady, Hanan Ebrahim Abd El Aziz; Qtait, Mohammad; Silang, John Paul Ben T

2018-05-17

To assess the factors influencing the attitudes of Bachelor of Science in Nursing students toward climate change and environmental sustainability and the inclusion of these concepts in the nursing curricula of four Arab countries. A convenience sample of 1,059 students from four Arab countries was surveyed using the Environmental Sustainability Attitudes in Nursing Survey-2 (SANS-2) questionnaire in this descriptive-comparative study. The majority of the respondents exhibited positive attitudes toward the five items of SANS-2, with "Environmental sustainability is an important issue for nursing" receiving the lowest mean score and "Issues about climate change should be included in the nursing curriculum" receiving the highest mean score. Saudi students had more positive attitudes toward environmental sustainability in health care compared with students from Iraq, Egypt, and the Palestinian Territories. Country of residence, type of community, and knowledge about environmental issues and their impact on health in any nursing course were significant factors that influenced attitudes toward environmental sustainability. The inclusion of climate change and environmental sustainability in nursing curricula in the Arab region was emphasized by the findings. Including environmental sustainability practices in nursing education will help student nurses develop critical thinking and skills in the adaptive delivery of health care, especially when resources are scarce. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Assessing the nutritional status of Palestinian adolescents from East Jerusalem: a school-based study 2002-03.

PubMed

Jildeh, Christine; Papandreou, Christopher; Abu Mourad, Tayser; Hatzis, Christos; Kafatos, Anthony; Qasrawi, Radwan; Philalithis, Anastas; Abdeen, Ziad

2011-02-01

In Palestine, there is a little information about nutrition of adolescents compared to other age groups. This study was designed to assess the nutritional status of Palestinian school-aged children (11-16 years) in East Jerusalem during 2002-03. A school-based cross-sectional study targeted randomly 313 adolescents from public and private schools. A previously validated and reliable questionnaire was administered through interviews that included anthropometric and hemoglobin measurements, 24-h dietary intake recall and physical activity questionnaire. It was found that being overweight (24.3%) or obese (9.9%) coexisted with being underweight (4.8%) and/or anemic (23.3%). Only 22.4% of the study subject had physical activity for ≥5 days a week with boys being more physically active than girls (p < 0.01). Inadequate energy intake had 55.66% of boys and 64.81% of girls; inadequate protein intake was reported by 15.07% of boys and 43.08% of girls. The majority of them met <80% of the recommended daily allowances for most micronutrients. The whole sample and especially boys consumed more total, saturated fat, less monounsaturated fat and carbohydrates than what is advised. Obese and overweight adolescents had lower energy intake (p < 0.05) and a lower trend in being physically active than normal weight counterparts. School health education programs targeted at adolescents and parents need to be developed as part of overweight-obesity, malnutrition and anemia prevention.

Domestic violence against women during pregnancy: the case of Palestinian refugees attending an antenatal clinic in Lebanon.

PubMed

Hammoury, N; Khawaja, M; Mahfoud, Z; Afifi, R A; Madi, H

2009-03-01

To determine the factors associated with domestic violence against pregnant Palestinian refugee women residing in Lebanon and currently using the United Nation Relief and Work Agency's (UNRWA) primary healthcare services. This was a cross-sectional study conducted at a polyclinic of primary healthcare of the UNRWA in South Lebanon during the years 2005-2006. The sample was 351 pregnant women who were 15-42 years of age and not accompanied by their husbands or relatives. All women were invited by the midwife to participate in the study during their visit to the clinic for their first checkup or during a follow-up visit. The Abuse Assessment Screen instrument was used to screen for past and recent history of physical and emotional abuse among the participants. Domestic violence was significantly associated with education, gestational age, fear of husband or someone else in the house, and unintended pregnancy. The odds of abuse for women with an elementary or lower education were 6.86 (95% CI 1.2-38.1) and for women with an intermediate or secondary education 6.84 (95% CI 1.4-33.3) compared with women with a university education. The odds of abuse during pregnancy for women whose husbands did not desire their pregnancy were 3.80 (95% CI 1.5-9.7) compared with other women. Domestic violence against women in Lebanon was associated with educational level, gestational age, fear of husband or someone else in the house, and unintended pregnancy.

Attention deficit-hyperactivity symptoms among Palestinian children.

PubMed

Thabet, A M; Al Ghamdi, H; Abdulla, T; Elhelou, M-W; Vostanis, P

2010-05-01

We aimed to establish the prevalence and distribution of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and other associated comorbid mental health problems in Palestinian schoolchildren. Thus 349 children aged 6-15 years were randomly selected from 23 schools in Gaza and the West Bank and were rated by their parents and teachers using both the ADHD DSM-IV Checklist and the Strengths and the Difficulties Questionnaire, which also measures conduct and emotional problems. There was a significant agreement between parents and teachers, with 4.3% of the children rated above the established cut-off scores on both the parent and teacher DSM-IV Checklist. Male gender, family size and living in an area of socioeconomic deprivation were independently associated with ADHD symptoms.

A social neuroscience approach to conflict resolution: Dialogue intervention to Israeli and Palestinian youth impacts oxytocin and empathy.

PubMed

Influs, Moran; Pratt, Maayan; Masalha, Shafiq; Zagoory-Sharon, Orna; Feldman, Ruth

2018-06-12

The rapid increase in terror-related activities, shift of battlefield into civilian locations, and participation of youth in acts of violence underscore the need to find novel frameworks for youth interventions. Building on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and social neuroscience models we developed an eight-week dialogue group-intervention for youth growing up amidst intractable conflict. Eighty-eight Israeli-Jewish and Arab-Palestinian adolescents (16-18years) were randomly assigned to intervention or control groups. Before (T1) and after (T2) intervention, one-on-one conflict interaction with outgroup member were videotaped, oxytocin levels assayed, attitudes self-reported, and youth interviewed regarding national conflict. We tested the hypothesis that dialogue intervention would enhance empathic behavior and increase oxytocin levels following interaction with outgroup member. Intervention increased youth perspective-taking on national conflict. Oxytocin increased from T1 to T2 only for adolescents undergoing intervention who improved perspective taking in the process. Structural equation modelling charted three pathways to behavioral empathy toward outgroup member at T2; via endogenous oxytocin, empathic cognitions, and dialogue intervention; however, an alternative model without the intervention arm was non-significant. Our findings highlight the important role of empathy in programs for inter-group reconciliation and support evolutionary models on the precarious balance between the neurobiology of affiliation and the neurobiology of outgroup derogation.

Measuring and decomposing socioeconomic inequality in healthcare delivery: A microsimulation approach with application to the Palestinian conflict-affected fragile setting.

PubMed

Abu-Zaineh, Mohammad; Mataria, Awad; Moatti, Jean-Paul; Ventelou, Bruno

2011-01-01

Socioeconomic-related inequalities in healthcare delivery have been extensively studied in developed countries, using standard linear models of decomposition. This paper seeks to assess equity in healthcare delivery in the particular context of the occupied Palestinian territory: the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, using a new method of decomposition based on microsimulations. Besides avoiding the 'unavoidable price' of linearity restriction that is imposed by the standard methods of decomposition, the microsimulation-based decomposition enables to circumvent the potentially contentious role of heterogeneity in behaviours and to better disentangle the various sources driving inequality in healthcare utilisation. Results suggest that the worse-off do have a disproportinately greater need for all levels of care. However with the exception of primary-level, utilisation of all levels of care appears to be significantly higher for the better-off. The microsimulation method has made it possible to identify the contributions of factors driving such pro-rich patterns. While much of the inequality in utilisation appears to be caused by the prevailing socioeconomic inequalities, detailed analysis attributes a non-trivial part (circa 30% of inequalities) to heterogeneity in healthcare-seeking behaviours across socioeconomic groups of the population. Several policy recommendations for improving equity in healthcare delivery in the occupied Palestinian territory are proposed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Motive attribution asymmetry for love vs. hate drives intractable conflict.

PubMed

Waytz, Adam; Young, Liane L; Ginges, Jeremy

2014-11-04

Five studies across cultures involving 661 American Democrats and Republicans, 995 Israelis, and 1,266 Palestinians provide previously unidentified evidence of a fundamental bias, what we term the "motive attribution asymmetry," driving seemingly intractable human conflict. These studies show that in political and ethnoreligious intergroup conflict, adversaries tend to attribute their own group's aggression to ingroup love more than outgroup hate and to attribute their outgroup's aggression to outgroup hate more than ingroup love. Study 1 demonstrates that American Democrats and Republicans attribute their own party's involvement in conflict to ingroup love more than outgroup hate but attribute the opposing party's involvement to outgroup hate more than ingroup love. Studies 2 and 3 demonstrate this biased attributional pattern for Israelis and Palestinians evaluating their own group and the opposing group's involvement in the current regional conflict. Study 4 demonstrates in an Israeli population that this bias increases beliefs and intentions associated with conflict intractability toward Palestinians. Finally, study 5 demonstrates, in the context of American political conflict, that offering Democrats and Republicans financial incentives for accuracy in evaluating the opposing party can mitigate this bias and its consequences. Although people find it difficult to explain their adversaries' actions in terms of love and affiliation, we suggest that recognizing this attributional bias and how to reduce it can contribute to reducing human conflict on a global scale.

Motive attribution asymmetry for love vs. hate drives intractable conflict

PubMed Central

Waytz, Adam; Young, Liane L.; Ginges, Jeremy

2014-01-01

Five studies across cultures involving 661 American Democrats and Republicans, 995 Israelis, and 1,266 Palestinians provide previously unidentified evidence of a fundamental bias, what we term the “motive attribution asymmetry,” driving seemingly intractable human conflict. These studies show that in political and ethnoreligious intergroup conflict, adversaries tend to attribute their own group’s aggression to ingroup love more than outgroup hate and to attribute their outgroup’s aggression to outgroup hate more than ingroup love. Study 1 demonstrates that American Democrats and Republicans attribute their own party’s involvement in conflict to ingroup love more than outgroup hate but attribute the opposing party’s involvement to outgroup hate more than ingroup love. Studies 2 and 3 demonstrate this biased attributional pattern for Israelis and Palestinians evaluating their own group and the opposing group’s involvement in the current regional conflict. Study 4 demonstrates in an Israeli population that this bias increases beliefs and intentions associated with conflict intractability toward Palestinians. Finally, study 5 demonstrates, in the context of American political conflict, that offering Democrats and Republicans financial incentives for accuracy in evaluating the opposing party can mitigate this bias and its consequences. Although people find it difficult to explain their adversaries’ actions in terms of love and affiliation, we suggest that recognizing this attributional bias and how to reduce it can contribute to reducing human conflict on a global scale. PMID:25331879

Americans and Palestinians judge spontaneous facial expressions of emotion.

PubMed

Kayyal, Mary H; Russell, James A

2013-10-01

The claim that certain emotions are universally recognized from facial expressions is based primarily on the study of expressions that were posed. The current study was of spontaneous facial expressions shown by aborigines in Papua New Guinea (Ekman, 1980); 17 faces claimed to convey one (or, in the case of blends, two) basic emotions and five faces claimed to show other universal feelings. For each face, participants rated the degree to which each of the 12 predicted emotions or feelings was conveyed. The modal choice for English-speaking Americans (n = 60), English-speaking Palestinians (n = 60), and Arabic-speaking Palestinians (n = 44) was the predicted label for only 4, 5, and 4, respectively, of the 17 faces for basic emotions, and for only 2, 2, and 2, respectively, of the 5 faces for other feelings. Observers endorsed the predicted emotion or feeling moderately often (65%, 55%, and 44%), but also denied it moderately often (35%, 45%, and 56%). They also endorsed more than one (or, for blends, two) label(s) in each face-on average, 2.3, 2.3, and 1.5 of basic emotions and 2.6, 2.2, and 1.5 of other feelings. There were both similarities and differences across culture and language, but the emotional meaning of a facial expression is not well captured by the predicted label(s) or, indeed, by any single label.

Pain, Sleep Disturbance, and Quality of Life Among Palestinian Patients Diagnosed with Cancer.

PubMed

Dreidi, Mu'taz M; Hamdan-Mansour, Ayman M

2016-12-01

The objective of this descriptive study is to explore the relationships between pain, sleep disturbance, and quality of life among Palestinian patients diagnosed with cancer in the West Bank. A cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational design was used to collect data from 184 patients with cancer. The quality of life questionnaire, visual analogue pain scale, and physical health status were used in data collection. The results showed that the mean score for pain was 5, the best functioning was for cognitive scale (M = 75, SD = 29), the worst symptoms experienced by patients was appetite loss (M = 47, SD = 35), a moderate global health status (M = 53, SD = 27), and the mean for sleep disturbance was 43 (SD = 35). Pain and sleep disturbance showed high negative correlations with functional scales of quality of life and positive with symptom scales. The findings showed that the co-occurrence of pain and sleep disturbance was negatively correlated with quality of life (QoL) and positively with symptom scales. The regression analysis revealed that pain and sleep disturbance accounted for a significant proportion of variance in the QoL (p < 0.001), and the highest proportion was in predicting global health status (41.9 %). The findings of this study give evidence about the importance of assessing pain and sleep quality among Palestinian patients with cancer.

Attachment organization in Arabic-speaking refugees with post traumatic stress disorder.

PubMed

Riber, Karin

2016-01-01

As a part of an ongoing clinical study of refugees with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the primary objective of the current study was to examine and describe the distribution of adult attachment patterns as assessed by the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) in Arabic-speaking refugees. A total of 43 adult male and female refugees with Iraqi and Palestinian backgrounds completed the AAI. Sixty-seven percent of the sample was classified as Unresolved with respect to loss or trauma and a substantial proportion of insecure attachment representations (14% Secure-Autonomous, 39% Dismissing, 42% Preoccupied, 5% Cannot Classify) was found, in addition to high intake levels of post traumatic stress symptoms and comorbidity. Findings are compared with AAI studies of other PTSD or trauma samples, and the paper elaborates upon the methodological challenges in administering the AAI in a context of simultaneous translation.

THE DEFENSIVE NATURE OF BENEFIT FINDING DURING ONGOING TERRORISM: AN EXAMINATION OF A NATIONAL SAMPLE OF ISRAELI JEWS

PubMed Central

HALL, BRIAN J.; HOBFOLL, STEVAN E.; CANETTI, DAPHNA; JOHNSON, ROBERT J.; GALEA, SANDRO

2011-01-01

A study examining the effects of terrorism on a national sample of 1,136 Jewish adults was conducted in Israel via telephone surveys, during the Second Intifada. The relationship between reports of positive changes occurring subsequent to terrorism exposure (i.e., Benefit finding), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, and negative outgroup attitudes toward Palestinian citizens of Israel (PCI) was examined. Benefit finding was related to greater PTSD symptom severity. Further, Benefit finding was related to greater threat perception of PCI and ethnic exclusionism of PCI. Findings were consistent with hypotheses derived from theories of outgroup bias and support the anxiety buffering role of social affiliation posited by terror management theory. This study suggests that benefit finding may be a defensive coping strategy when expressed under the conditions of ongoing terrorism and external threat. PMID:22058603

Characteristics of calls to the Israeli hotline during the Intifada.

PubMed

Gilat, Itzhak; Latzer, Yael

2007-08-01

The present study examined the help-seeking characteristics of callers to the ten Israeli hotline centers during the Intifada - the Palestinian uprising in the Israeli administered territories. The research method combined quantitative and qualitative analyses of the volunteers' written reports. The quantitative analysis was conducted on a sample of 21,315 structured forms, and the qualitative content analysis was carried out on a sample of 498 verbal descriptions of calls. The quantitative analysis revealed a U-shaped curve illustrating the frequency of Intifada-related calls in relation to the time of the study. The qualitative analysis showed that the main complaints of the callers were focused on direct and masked manifestations of anxiety and feelings of helplessness. The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of understanding the unique psychological response to a new kind of stress, as seen from the perspective of calls to a hotline.

Primary healthcare reform in the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

PubMed

Santoro, A; Abu-Rmeileh, N; Khader, A; Seita, A; McKee, M

2016-09-25

Palestinian refugees served by the United Nation Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) are experiencing increasing rates of diagnosis of non-communicable diseases. In response, in 2011 UNRWA initiated an Agency-wide programme of primary healthcare reform, informed by the Chronic Care Model framework. Health services were reorganized following a family-centred approach, with delivery by multidisciplinary family health teams supported by updated technical advice. An inclusive clinical information system, termed e-Health, was implemented to collect a wide range of health information, with a focus on continuity of treatment. UNRWA was able to bring about these wide-ranging changes within its existing resources, reallocating finances, reforming its payment mechanisms, and modernizing its drug-procurement policies. While specific components of UNRWA's primary healthcare reform are showing promising results, additional efforts are needed to empower patients further and to strengthen involvement of the community.

Workplace aggression, psychological distress, and job satisfaction among Palestinian nurses: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Jaradat, Yousef; Nielsen, Morten Birkeland; Kristensen, Petter; Nijem, Khaldoun; Bjertness, Espen; Stigum, Hein; Bast-Pettersen, Rita

2016-11-01

Nurses can be exposed to aggressive behavior from patients, patient's relatives, colleagues and visitors. To determine the prevalence of workplace aggression among Palestinian nurses in the Hebron district and to examine cross-sectional associations between exposure to workplace aggression and the occurrence of psychological distress and job satisfaction. Of 372 nurses eligible for the study, 343 were included (response rate of 92.2%). The sample comprised 62% females and 38% males. The participants responded to questions about their socio-demographic status, workplace aggression (WHO questionnaires), psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire, GHQ-30), and job satisfaction (Generic Job Satisfaction Scale). Ninety-three (27.1%) of the respondents reported exposure to workplace aggression of any kind. Seventeen (5%) reported exposure to physical aggression, 83 (24.2%) reported exposure to verbal aggression, and 25 (7.3%) reported exposure to bullying. The patients and the patients' relatives were the main sources of physical and verbal aggression, whereas colleagues were the main source of bullying. Males reported a higher prevalence of bullying than females. Younger nurses reported a higher prevalence of exposure to physical aggression, verbal aggression and bullying. Verbal aggression was associated with more psychological distress. Bullying was associated with lower job satisfaction. More than a quarter of the nurses reported that they had been subject to some sort of aggression at the workplace. Verbal aggression was associated with higher psychological distress. Workplace bullying was associated with lower job satisfaction. Increased awareness and preventive measures to address this problem among health care workers are warranted. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A cross-sectional study to assess the patient safety culture in the Palestinian hospitals: a baseline assessment for quality improvement.

PubMed

Elsous, Aymen; Akbari Sari, Ali; Rashidian, Arash; Aljeesh, Yousef; Radwan, Mahmoud; AbuZaydeh, Hatem

2016-12-01

To measure and establish a baseline assessment of the patient safety culture in the Palestinian hospitals. A cross-sectional descriptive study using the Arabic version of the Safety Attitude Questionnaire (Short Form 2006). A total of 339 nurses and physicians returned the questionnaire out of 370 achieving a response rate of 91.6%. Four public general hospitals in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Nurses and physicians were randomly selected using a proportionate random sampling. Data analysis performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 20, and p value less than 0.05 was statistically significant. Current status of patient safety culture among healthcare providers and percentage of positive attitudes. Male to female ratio was 2.16:1, and mean age was 36.5 ± 9.4 years. The mean score of Arabic Safety Attitude Questionnaire across the six dimensions on 100-point scale ranged between 68.5 for Job Satisfaction and 48.5 for Working Condition. The percentage of respondents holding a positive attitude was 34.5% for Teamwork Climate, 28.4% for Safety Climate, 40.7% for Stress Recognition, 48.8% for Job Satisfaction, 11.3% for Working Conditions and 42.8% for Perception of Management. Healthcare workers holding positive attitudes had better collaboration with co-workers than those without positive attitudes. Findings are useful to formulate a policy on patient safety culture and targeted a specific safety culture dimension to improve the safety of patients and improve the clinical outcomes within healthcare organisations.

KSC-03PD-1393

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - John Cassanto of ITA looks at the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS) experiment that was carried on mission STS-107 as part of the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload. He is part of a recovery team transferring experiments to alternate containers. GOBBSS was a Planetary Society-sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team also includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC, and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

KSC-03pd1393

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - John Cassanto of ITA looks at the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS) experiment that was carried on mission STS-107 as part of the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload. He is part of a recovery team transferring experiments to alternate containers. GOBBSS was a Planetary Society-sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team also includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC, and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

Anaemia prevalence and associated sociodemographic and dietary factors among Palestinian adolescents in the West Bank.

PubMed

Mikki, N; Abdul-Rahim, H F; Stigum, H; Holmboe-Ottesen, G

2011-03-01

Anaemia still persists among children and women of childbearing age in Palestine. We investigated the prevalence of anaemia and associated factors among Palestinian school adolescents (aged 13-15 years) in Ramallah and Hebron governorates. Haemoglobin levels were measured to assess the prevalence of anaemia. The prevalence of anaemia was significantly higher in Hebron than in Ramallah among boys (22.5% versus 6.0% respectively), while among girls the figures were similar (9.2% and 9.3% respectively). Linear binomial regression analysis showed that among boys, anaemia was independently associated with residence in Hebron and higher standard of living, while among girls, anaemia was associated with higher father's education. Consumption of iron-rich foods, as recorded in food frequency questionnaires, had no significant effects on anaemia prevalence in both boys and girls.

Negative Stereotypes of Ethnic Out-groups: A Longitudinal Examination Among Palestinian, Israeli Jewish, and Israeli Arab Youth.

PubMed

Niwa, Erika Y; Boxer, Paul; Dubow, Eric F; Huesmann, L Rowell; Landau, Simha; Shikaki, Khalil; Gvirsman, Shira Dvir

2016-03-01

Ethno-political conflict impacts thousands of youth globally and has been associated with a number of negative psychological outcomes. Extant literature has mostly addressed the adverse emotional and behavioral outcomes of exposure while failing to examine change over time in social-cognitive factors in contexts of ethno-political conflict. Using cohort-sequential longitudinal data, the present study examines ethnic variation in the development of negative stereotypes about ethnic out-groups among Palestinian ( n =600), Israeli Jewish ( n =451), and Israeli Arab ( n =450) youth over three years. Age and exposure to ethno-political violence were included as covariates for these trajectories. Findings indicate important ethnic differences in trajectories of negative stereotypes about ethnic out-groups, as well as variation in how such trajectories are shaped by prolonged ethno-political conflict.

Negative Stereotypes of Ethnic Out-groups: A Longitudinal Examination Among Palestinian, Israeli Jewish, and Israeli Arab Youth

PubMed Central

Niwa, Erika Y.; Boxer, Paul; Dubow, Eric F.; Huesmann, L. Rowell; Landau, Simha; Shikaki, Khalil; Gvirsman, Shira Dvir

2014-01-01

Ethno-political conflict impacts thousands of youth globally and has been associated with a number of negative psychological outcomes. Extant literature has mostly addressed the adverse emotional and behavioral outcomes of exposure while failing to examine change over time in social-cognitive factors in contexts of ethno-political conflict. Using cohort-sequential longitudinal data, the present study examines ethnic variation in the development of negative stereotypes about ethnic out-groups among Palestinian (n=600), Israeli Jewish (n=451), and Israeli Arab (n=450) youth over three years. Age and exposure to ethno-political violence were included as covariates for these trajectories. Findings indicate important ethnic differences in trajectories of negative stereotypes about ethnic out-groups, as well as variation in how such trajectories are shaped by prolonged ethno-political conflict. PMID:27019573

Teaching nursing in a situation of conflict: encounters between Palestinian-Israeli and Jewish-Israeli nursing students.

PubMed

Arieli, D; Hirschfeld, M J

2010-09-01

This research examines the ways Palestinian-Israeli and Jewish-Israeli nursing students, who study together in one group in an academic school of nursing situated in northern Israel, perceive each other and the relationships among them. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students. The cohort consists of 46 students, 20 of whom participated in the study. The students perceive themselves as divided into two separate groups according to nationality. Cooperation between the groups related to their study duties is described as generally satisfying, but little expressive communication and scarce social relations occur across these two groups. Students provided their perceptions of 'the others' to explain this social distance. We discuss the challenges of the situation for nursing educators and some strategies for coping with these challenges.

Correlation between serum levels of vitamin B12 and anti-Helicobacter pylori IgA antibodies in vitamin B12 deficient Palestinian patients.

PubMed

Abu Hilu, Rasmi; Dudeen, Osama; Barghouthi, Sameer Abdullatif

2015-01-01

H. pylori infection and vitamin B12 (vB12) deficiency have high prevalence rates among Palestinians. It was observed that most people who suffered from vB12 deficiency were positive for H. pylori. The correlation between H. pylori infection and vB12 deficiency was investigated in a representative segment of the Palestinian population. ELISA was used to determine levels of vitamin B12 (vB12) and anti-H. pylori IgA in sera from 238 participants from Al-Khalil district (Hebron), Palestine. There was a strong negative Pearson's correlation coefficient (r = -0.45; P = 0.00001) between levels of anti-H. pylori IgA and vB12 levels in sera drawn from 238 participants (133 patients and 105 control subjects). Two important contaminating variables were identified in this study: healthy control subjects with elevated anti-H. pylori IgA titers and vB12-deficient patients testing negative for anti-H. pylori IgA antibodies. The exclusion of the sources of contamination resulted in a stronger negative correlation; r = -0.58 (P = 0.00001). The study provided a good screening system that may predict vB12 deficiency before its actual manifestation. If not treated, asymptomatic subjects showing increased anti-H.pylori IgA titers (> 15 NTU/mL) are likely to be at risk of developing vB12 deficiency.

Ethnopharmacological survey about medicinal plants utilized by herbalists and traditional practitioner healers for treatments of diarrhea in the West Bank/Palestine.

PubMed

Jaradat, Nidal Amin; Ayesh, Ola Ibrahim; Anderson, Cynthia

2016-04-22

Folk herbal medicine knowledge and its utilization by aboriginal cultures are not only useful for conservation of cultural traditions and biodiversity, but also useful for community healthcare and drug discovery in the present and in the future. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, an ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants used for treatment of diarrhea in the West Bank/Palestine was investigated. Information about fifty medicinal plants used for treatment of diarrhea, including the names of plants, parts used, mode and methods of preparation was obtained from 100 traditional healers and herbalists. This research is the first scientific work in the Middle East to collect data about plants used by traditional healers for treatments of diarrhea and their evidence based effects against this disease. The fidelity levels were 97% for Salvia fruticosa, Teucrium polium and Musa paradisiaca, 95% for Camellia sinensis and Aegle marmelos, 79% for Oryza sativa and Solanum tuberosum, 77% for Quercus boissieri, 66% for Psidium guajava, 56% for Anthemis palestina, 54% for Solanum nigrum and 52% for Juglans regia while the highest use and choice values were for S. fruticosa, T. polium and M. paradisiaca as well as the factor of informant's consensus for medicinal plants used for treatment of diarrhea was 0.505.The leaves were the most commonly used parts, followed by fruits, roots and rhizomes, while decoctions and infusions are the preferred methods of preparation. The Palestinian traditional medicine is rich with herbal remedies for treatment of diarrhea in comparison with other countries, but most of these herbal remedies lack standard in-vitro and in-vivo evaluations to establish their antidiarrheal effects. Therefore, the information obtained can serve as a basis for further phytochemical and pharmacological studies to determine their efficacy and safety which might contribute to a better integration of Palestinian traditional medicine into the national health system in the future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

31 CFR 597.509 - Transactions with entities under the control of the Palestinian President and certain other...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Office, the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF), the Border Crossings Administration, and the Palestine Broadcasting Corporation (including the Voice of Palestine, Wafa News Agency, and the General Public...

31 CFR 597.509 - Transactions with entities under the control of the Palestinian President and certain other...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Office, the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF), the Border Crossings Administration, and the Palestine Broadcasting Corporation (including the Voice of Palestine, Wafa News Agency, and the General Public...

31 CFR 597.509 - Transactions with entities under the control of the Palestinian President and certain other...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Office, the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF), the Border Crossings Administration, and the Palestine Broadcasting Corporation (including the Voice of Palestine, Wafa News Agency, and the General Public...

Attitudes toward Arab ascendance: Israeli and global perspectives.

PubMed

Pratto, Felicia; Saguy, Tamar; Stewart, Andrew L; Morselli, Davide; Foels, Rob; Aiello, Antonio; Aranda, María; Cidam, Atilla; Chryssochoou, Xenia; Durrheim, Kevin; Eicher, Veronique; Licata, Laurent; Liu, James H; Liu, Li; Meyer, Ines; Muldoon, Orla; Papastamou, Stamos; Petrovic, Nebojsa; Prati, Francesca; Prodomitis, Gerasimos; Sweetman, Joseph

2014-01-01

Arab nations are decades behind many other previously colonized nations in developing stronger economies, more democratic institutions, and more autonomy and self-government, in part as a result of external interference. The year 2011 brought the potential for greater Arab autonomy through popular uprisings against autocratic governments in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen, and through the Palestinian request for state recognition by the United Nations. We examined the psychology of support for Arab ascendancy among adults in 14 nations in the Balkans, the Middle East, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and North America. We predicted and found that people low on social dominance orientation endorsed forming an independent Palestinian state and desired that the Arab uprisings succeed. Rejection of ideologies that legitimize outside interference with Arabs mediated this support. Measures and model results were robust across world regions. We discuss theoretical implications regarding the advent of new ideologies and extending social dominance theory to address international relations.

The Palestinian/Israeli Conflict: a geopolitical identity disorder.

PubMed

Brenner, Ira

2009-03-01

In this paper, the author considers that the large-group dynamics in certain war-torn, hot spots throughout the world are symptoms of a "geopolitical identity disorder." He extrapolates from the model of the severely traumatized psyche in dissociative identity disorder in which there is so much intolerable emotion, destructive aggression and conflict that different selves with different identities develop which are unable to recognize how interdependent and related they actually are. In the most extreme cases, one dissociated self tries to kill off "the other" in order to gain exclusive control of the body and make it comply with his or her wishes and vision. In actuality, however, such an attempt is a dissociated suicide plan with lethal implications. This model is applied to the Palestinian/Israeli situation where there is a deadly battle over the land. A clinical vignette is offered to illustrate these ideas and offer possibilities for help.

"I need you to listen to what happened to me": personal narratives of social trauma in research and peace-building.

PubMed

Chaitin, Julia

2014-09-01

This article explores the uses of personal narratives of massive social trauma in conflict, most specifically as they relate to the Palestinian-Israeli context. It is asserted that there are types of narratives, fixated on persecution, hatred, and fear, that can obstruct peace, and different types that encourage peace and reconciliation. The article discusses the impacts of sharing personal narratives on the victims and others in society, the connections between personal and master narratives, and ways in which dialogue that incorporates personal narratives can encourage peace. A theoretical categorization of 4 types of personal narratives of massive social trauma is proposed: narratives of vengeance, victimhood, confusion, and embracing the other. Examples from Israelis and Palestinians that reflect this conceptualization are discussed. It is concluded that a more nuanced understanding of types of personal narratives is needed when engaged in peace-building endeavors in an ongoing conflict.

Examining health care spending trends over a decade: the Palestinian case.

PubMed

Hamidi, S; Narcı, H Ö; Akinci, F; Nacakgedigi, O

2016-03-15

An analysis was made of recent health care spending patterns in the occupied Palestinian territory, in order to inform future health policy-making and planning. Data were obtained from the national health accounts for the period 2000-2011. The current level of resource allocation to the health care sector is higher than in many developed countries and is not sustainable. The private sector represents the largest source of health financing (61%) and the burden falls disproportionally on individual households, who account for 63% of private health care expenditure. Key recommendations include: building capacity in the government sector to reduce the outsourcing of health services; modifying inequitable financing mechanisms to reduce the burden on households; and allocating more resources for health promotion and disease prevention programmes. Reorientation of the health system is also needed in terms of reducing the share of spending on inpatient services in favour of more day surgery, outpatient and home-based services.

Appraising the methodological quality of the clinical practice guideline for diabetes mellitus using the AGREE II instrument: a methodological evaluation.

PubMed

Radwan, Mahmoud; Akbari Sari, Ali; Rashidian, Arash; Takian, Amirhossein; Abou-Dagga, Sanaa; Elsous, Aymen

2017-02-01

To evaluate the methodological quality of the Palestinian Clinical Practice Guideline for Diabetes Mellitus using the Translated Arabic Version of the AGREE II. Methodological evaluation. A cross-cultural adaptation framework was followed to translate and develop a standardised Translated Arabic Version of the AGREE II. Palestinian Primary Healthcare Centres. Sixteen appraisers independently evaluated the Clinical Practice Guideline for Diabetes Mellitus using the Translated Arabic Version of the AGREE II. Methodological quality of diabetic guideline. The Translated Arabic Version of the AGREE II showed an acceptable reliability and validity. Internal consistency ranged between 0.67 and 0.88 (Cronbach's α). Intra-class coefficient among appraisers ranged between 0.56 and 0.88. The quality of this guideline is low. Both domains 'Scope and Purpose' and 'Clarity of Presentation' had the highest quality scores (66.7% and 61.5%, respectively), whereas the scores for 'Applicability', 'Stakeholder Involvement', 'Rigour of Development' and 'Editorial Independence' were the lowest (27%, 35%, 36.5%, and 40%, respectively). The findings suggest that the quality of this Clinical Practice Guideline is disappointingly low. To improve the quality of current and future guidelines, the AGREE II instrument is extremely recommended to be incorporated as a gold standard for developing, evaluating or updating the Palestinian Clinical Practice Guidelines. Future guidelines can be improved by setting specific strategies to overcome implementation barriers with respect to economic considerations, engaging of all relevant end-users and patients, ensuring a rigorous methodology for searching, selecting and synthesising the evidences and recommendations, and addressing potential conflict of interests within the development group.

The water crisis in the gaza strip: prospects for resolution.

PubMed

Weinthal, E; Vengosh, A; Marei, A; Kloppmann, W

2005-01-01

Israel and the Palestinian Authority share the southern Mediterranean coastal aquifer. Long-term overexploitation in the Gaza Strip has resulted in a decreasing water table, accompanied by the degradation of its water quality. Due to high levels of salinity and nitrate and boron pollution, most of the ground water is inadequate for both domestic and agricultural consumption. The rapid rate of population growth in the Gaza Strip and dependence upon ground water as a single water source present a serious challenge for future political stability and economic development. Here, we integrate the results of geochemical studies and numerical modeling to postulate different management scenarios for joint management between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The chemical and isotopic data show that most of the salinity phenomena in the Gaza Strip are derived from the natural flow of saline ground water from Israel toward the Gaza Strip. As a result, the southern coastal aquifer does not resemble a classic "upstream-downstream" dispute because Israel's pumping of the saline ground water reduces the salinization rates of ground water in the Gaza Strip. Simulation of different pumping scenarios using a monolayer, hydrodynamic, two-dimensional model (MARTHE) confirms the hypothesis that increasing pumping along the Gaza Strip border combined with a moderate reduction of pumping within the Gaza Strip would improve ground water quality within the Gaza Strip. We find that pumping the saline ground water for a source of reverse-osmosis desalination and then supplying the desalinated water to the Gaza Strip should be an essential component of a future joint management strategy between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Salivary levels of mutans streptococci and Lactobacilli among Palestinian school children in East Jerusalem.

PubMed

Steinberg, Doron; Eskander, Lana; Zini, Avraham; Sgan-Cohen, Harold; Bajali, Musa

2014-04-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the distribution of oral cariogenic bacteria among 12-year-old Palestinian children attending schools in East Jerusalem. Salivary levels of mutans streptococci (MS) and Lactobacilli (LB) were examined by semi-quantitative commercial kits and then correlated to social-demographic parameters. Overall, 52.1 % of the examined children presented the highest possible ranking score categories for MS bacteria, with only 5.4 % in the lowest category. Only 12.6 % of the school children presented the highest LB score, while 25 % had the lowest ranking score. Salivary MS levels in children attending private schools were lower than those of children in government schools and United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) schools. Conversely, levels of LB were lowest in children attending UNRWA schools compared to government and private schools. Girls had significantly higher amounts of MS and LB than boys (p = 0.001). Lower MS levels were significantly related to the following socioeconomic variables: higher father's education level (p = 0.037), higher mother's education level (p = 0.063), mother's employment status (p = 0.012), and lower home density (p = 0.001). For LB, the only significant socioeconomic variable was higher father's employment level, which was related to lower LB level (p = 0.025). Levels of MS and LB were found to be strongly related with socioeconomic status among Palestinian children in East Jerusalem. The relatively high prevalence of cariogenic bacteria suggests that oral care prevention and treatment demands special attention from the health care institutions and authorities.

Trajectories of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) after major war among Palestinian children: Trauma, family- and child-related predictors.

PubMed

Punamäki, Raija-Leena; Palosaari, Esa; Diab, Marwan; Peltonen, Kirsi; Qouta, Samir R

2015-02-01

Research shows great individual variation in changes in posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs) after major traumas of terrorist attacks, military combat, and natural disasters. Earlier studies have identified specific mental health trajectories both in children and adults. This study aimed, first, to identify potential PTSS-related trajectories by using latent class growth analyses among children in a three-wave assessment after the 2008/2009 War on Gaza, Palestine. Second, it analyzed how family- and child related factors (e.g., attachment relations, posttraumatic cognitions (PTCs), guilt, and emotion regulation) associate with the trajectory class membership. The sample consisted of 240 Palestinian children (49.4% girls and 50.6% boys) of 10-13 years of age (M=11.29, SD=0.68), who completed PTSS (CRIES) assessments at 3 (T1), 5 (T2), and 11 (T3) months after the war. Children reported their personal exposure to war trauma, attachment style, cognitive trauma processing, and emotion regulation, and their parents reported family war trauma exposure and attachment style. Results revealed a three-trajectory solution, a majority of children belonging to the Recovery trajectory (n=183), and a minority belonged either to Resistant trajectory (n=29) or to Increasing symptoms trajectory (n=28). Low levels of negative posttraumatic cognitive appraisals, feelings of guilt and emotion regulation were characteristic of children in the Resistant trajectory as compared to Increasing symptoms trajectory. Father׳s attachment security was further associated with the Resistant trajectory membership. Children׳s attachment avoidance and high parental trauma were typical to children in Recovery trajectory (as compared to the Increasing symptoms trajectory). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Compliance with the national palestinian infection prevention and control protocol at governmental paediatric hospitals in gaza governorates.

PubMed

Eljedi, Ashraf; Dalo, Shareef

2014-08-01

Nosocomial infections are a significant burden for both patients and the healthcare system. For this reason, infection prevention and control (IPC) practices are extremely important. The Palestinian Ministry of Health adopted the national IPC Protocol in 2004. This study aimed to assess the compliance of healthcare providers (HCPs) with the Protocol in three governmental paediatric hospitals in Gaza governorates. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from February to November 2010. Data were collected from a sample of doctors, nurses and physiotherapists (N = 334) using a self-administered questionnaire and observation checklists to record HCP practices and assess the hospital environment. The response rate was 92%. The most important reasons for non-compliance with the IPC Protocol were the absence of an education programme (61.5%), lack of knowledge (52.4%) and the scarcity of required supplies (46.9%). Only 2.3% of respondents had a copy of the IPC Protocol, while 65.8% did not know of its existence. Only 16.9% had participated in training sessions regarding general IPC practices. The observation checklist regarding HCP practices revealed low levels of compliance in hand washing (45.9%), wearing gloves (40.7%) and using antiseptics/disinfectants (49.16%). The health facilities checklist indicated that there was a lack of certain essential equipment and materials, such as covered waste containers and heavy-duty gloves. Due to the lack of HPC knowledge, the authors recommend that the IPC Protocol be made available in all hospitals. In addition, a qualified team should implement intensive IPC education and training programmes and facilities should provide the required equipment and materials.

The Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Related Factors among Adults in Palestine: A Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

El Bilbeisi, Abdel Hamid; Shab-Bidar, Sakineh; Jackson, Diane; Djafarian, Kurosh

2017-01-01

Metabolic syndrome (MetS)is increasingly becoming a challenging public health issue in Palestine. The current burden of MetS in the country is unknown. There has been limited research on the prevalence of MetS. This meta-analysis is the first to estimate the population prevalence of MetS and its related factors among adults in Palestine. A PRISMA systematic search appraisal and meta-analysis were conducted. A systematic literature search of PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar was conducted in December 2014 up to February 2015. Generic, methodological and statistical data was extracted from the eligible studies which reported MetS prevalence. A random effect meta-analysis was conducted on crude MetS prevalence rates. Heterogeneity was assessed by Cochran's Q and I 2 tests. Subgroup analyses were also performed according to the predefined criteria. The literature search yielded a total of 49 studies. Eight papers were included in the final analysis with sample size ranging 163 to 992. In addition, 2937 cases with MetS among people aged 15 years or more were estimated in Palestine between 2001 and 2014. There was high heterogeneity among studies (I 2 = 95.8% p<0.001). The prevalence of MetS was 37.0% among adult Palestinians population ranging from 17 to 59.5%. Subgroup analysis did not show source of heterogeneity based on subject's health status and MetS criteria. Our meta-analysis clearly demonstrates that MetS is highly prevalent (37.0%) among Palestinian adults. The high prevalence of MetS in Palestine should be seriously considered and planners should take steps to reduce it.

KSC-03PD-1396

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - John Cassanto of ITA points to an area of the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS) experiment that was carried on mission STS- 107 as part of the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload. He is part of a recovery team transferring experiments to alternate containers. GOBBSS was a Planetary Society-sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team also includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC, and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

KSC-03PD-1395

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - John Cassanto of ITA moves part of the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS) experiment that was carried on mission STS-107 as part of the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload. He is part of a recovery team transferring experiments to alternate containers. GOBBSS was a Planetary Society-sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team also includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC, and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

KSC-03PD-1397

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - John Cassanto of ITA takes photos of the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS) experiment that was carried on mission STS-107 as part of the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload. He is part of a recovery team transferring experiments to alternate containers. GOBBSS was a Planetary Society-sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team also includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC, and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

KSC-03PD-1391

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload retrieved from debris of Columbia is being dismantled at KSC. Inside are several experiments carried on mission STS-107 that will be removed and transferred to alternate containers. One experiment, the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), was a Planetary Society- sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC, John Cassanto of ITA, and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

KSC-03PD-1398

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - John Cassanto of ITA and his daughter Valerie stand next to the table holding the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS) experiment that was carried on mission STS-107 as part of the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload. He is part of a recovery team transferring experiments to alternate containers. GOBBSS was a Planetary Society-sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team also includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC, and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

KSC-03pd1396

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - John Cassanto of ITA points to an area of the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS) experiment that was carried on mission STS-107 as part of the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload. He is part of a recovery team transferring experiments to alternate containers. GOBBSS was a Planetary Society-sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team also includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC, and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

KSC-03pd1391

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload retrieved from debris of Columbia is being dismantled at KSC. Inside are several experiments carried on mission STS-107 that will be removed and transferred to alternate containers. One experiment, the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), was a Planetary Society-sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC, John Cassanto of ITA, and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

KSC-03pd1398

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - John Cassanto of ITA and his daughter Valerie stand next to the table holding the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS) experiment that was carried on mission STS-107 as part of the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload. He is part of a recovery team transferring experiments to alternate containers. GOBBSS was a Planetary Society-sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team also includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC, and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

KSC-03pd1395

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - John Cassanto of ITA moves part of the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS) experiment that was carried on mission STS-107 as part of the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload. He is part of a recovery team transferring experiments to alternate containers. GOBBSS was a Planetary Society-sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team also includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC, and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

KSC-03pd1392

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload retrieved from debris of Columbia is being dismantled at KSC. Inside are several experiments carried on mission STS-107 that will be removed and transferred to alternate containers. One experiment, the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), was a Planetary Society-sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC, John Cassanto of ITA, and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

KSC-03pd1394

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A member of the recovery team examines with a magnifier the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS) experiment that was carried on mission STS-107 as part of the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload. He is part of a recovery team transferring experiments to alternate containers. GOBBSS was a Planetary Society-sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

KSC-03pd1397

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - John Cassanto of ITA takes photos of the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS) experiment that was carried on mission STS-107 as part of the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload. He is part of a recovery team transferring experiments to alternate containers. GOBBSS was a Planetary Society-sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team also includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC, and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

KSC-03PD-1392

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload retrieved from debris of Columbia is being dismantled at KSC. Inside are several experiments carried on mission STS-107 that will be removed and transferred to alternate containers. One experiment, the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), was a Planetary Society- sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC, John Cassanto of ITA, and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

KSC-03PD-1394

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A member of the recovery team examines with a magnifier the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS) experiment that was carried on mission STS-107 as part of the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload. He is part of a recovery team transferring experiments to alternate containers. GOBBSS was a Planetary Society-sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

3 CFR - Waiver of Restriction on Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Memorandum for the Secretary of State By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the... publish the determination in the Federal Register.BARACK OBAMATHE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, October 6, 2010. ...

Pathogens Assessment in Reclaimed Effluent Used for Industrial Crops Irrigation

PubMed Central

Al-Sa’ed, R.

2007-01-01

Reuse of treated effluent is a highly valued water source in Palestine, however with limited success due to public health concerns. This paper assesses the potential pathogens in raw, treated and reclaimed wastewater at Albireh urban wastewater treatment facility, and provides scientific knowledge to update the Palestinian reuse guidelines. Laboratory analyses of collected samples over a period of 4 months have indicated that the raw wastewater from Albireh city contained high numbers of fecal coliforms and worm eggs while 31% of the samples were Salmonella positive. Treated effluent suitable for restricted irrigation demonstrated that the plant was efficient in removing indicator bacteria, where fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci removal averaged 99.64% and 93.44%, respectively. Although not disinfected, treated effluent was free of Salmonella and parasites, hence safe for restricted agricultural purposes. All samples of the reclaimed effluent and three samples of irrigated grass were devoid of microbial pathogens indicating a safe use in unrestricted agricultural utilization. Adequate operation of wastewater treatment facilities, scientific updating of reuse guidelines and launching public awareness campaigns are core factors for successful and sustainable large-scale wastewater reuse schemes in Palestine. PMID:17431318

HIV and HCV prevalence and incarceration-related risks among injecting drug users in three West Bank governorates.

PubMed

Štulhofer, Aleksandar; Jwehan, Isam; AbuRabie, Randa

2016-09-01

In the Middle East, the HIV epidemic among injecting drug users (IDUs) seems to be in an early phase, which increases the importance of prevention and systematic risk surveillance. To gain information about HIV and HCV infection rates among IDUs in the West Bank, a biobehavioral survey was conducted using time-location sampling in the Ramallah, Hebron, and Bethlehem governorates in 2013. The researchers recruited 288 Palestinian IDUs ages 16-64 (Mage = 39.2, SD = 11.11). While no HIV cases were found in the sample, 41% of participants tested positive for HCV. Imprisonment was common among participants (83%), so we explored the association of incarceration experience with HCV infection and HIV testing. In multivariate assessments, incarceration was shown to increase the odds of being infected with HCV and ever tested for HIV. HIV prevention should be strengthened in West Bank prisons and correctional facilities, and imprisonment for drug use re-examined.

Dynamics of soil organic carbon and microbial activity in treated wastewater irrigated agricultural soils along soil profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jüschke, Elisabeth; Marschner, Bernd; Chen, Yona; Tarchitzky, Jorge

2010-05-01

Treated wastewater (TWW) is an important source for irrigation water in arid and semiarid regions and already serves as an important water source in Jordan, the Palestinian Territories and Israel. Reclaimed water still contains organic matter (OM) and various compounds that may effect microbial activity and soil quality (Feigin et al. 1991). Natural soil organic carbon (SOC) may be altered by interactions between these compounds and the soil microorganisms. This study evaluates the effects of TWW irrigation on the quality, dynamics and microbial transformations of natural SOC. Priming effects (PE) and SOC mineralization were determined to estimate the influence of TWW irrigation on SOC along soil profiles of agricultural soils in Israel and the Westbank. The used soil material derived from three different sampling sites allocated in Israel and The Palestinian Authority. Soil samples were taken always from TWW irrigated sites and control fields from 6 different depths (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-50, 50-70, 70-100 cm). Soil carbon content and microbiological parameters (microbial biomass, microbial activities and enzyme activities) were investigated. In several sites, subsoils (50-160 cm) from TWW irrigated plots were depleted in soil organic matter with the largest differences occurring in sites with the longest TWW irrigation history. Laboratory incubation experiments with additions of 14C-labelled compounds to the soils showed that microbial activity in freshwater irrigated soils was much more stimulated by sugars or amino acids than in TWW irrigated soils. The lack of such "priming effects" (Hamer & Marschner 2005) in the TWW irrigated soils indicates that here the microorganisms are already operating at their optimal metabolic activity due to the continuous substrate inputs with soluble organic compounds from the TWW. The fact that PE are triggered continuously due to TWW irrigation may result in a decrease of SOC over long term irrigation. Already now this could be detected at some agricultural fields by SOC measurements (Jüschke 2009). Therefore attention has to be drawn especially on the carbon content and quality of the used TWW for irrigation purposes.

JPRS Report, Near East & South Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-20

development came in the form of an exchange of ideas and letters arranged by the Palestinian businessmen, Hasib al-Sabbagh, Basil ’Aqil and Walid al...throughout the year and better availability of subsidised fertilizers, pesticides , etc., and concessional credit to finance these inputs improved

A Selective Chronology of Terrorist and Counter-Terrorist Incidents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Totten, Sam

1986-01-01

Beginning with the July 22, 1966, Palestinian hijacking of an El Al airliner and ending with the April 5, 1986, bombing raid on Libya by the United States, this chronology details 56 terrorist events which were covered in the world press. (JDH)

Changing Consciousness: Autoethnographic Mapping in a Dialog Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hager, Tamar; Mazali, Rela

2013-01-01

This article introduces a pedagogical tool for raising critical consciousness and nurturing resistance to discrimination. "Autoethnographic mapping," integrating guided cognitive mapping and autoethnographies, has been implemented for a decade now within the framework of a college course occasioning dialogue between Palestinian Arab and…

High prevalence of three prothrombotic polymorphisms among Palestinians: factor V G1691A, factor II G20210A and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T.

PubMed

Hussein, Ayman S

2012-10-01

Factor V leiden G1691A/R506Q (FVL), prothrombin G20210A (FII) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T are related genetic risk factors for venous thromboembolism. Analysis for those mutations is increasingly being performed on patients exhibiting hypercoagulability. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of FVL, FII-G20210A and MTHFR-C677T polymorphisms and their coexistence among apparently healthy Palestinians. After institutional approval, 303 apparently healthy students from An-Najah University representative to North and South regions of West Bank with no previous history of cardiovascular diseases participated in this study. A uniform questionnaire was used to collect relevant information through personal interview with the subjects. The collected information included gender, age, smoking habits, weight and height, diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular and family history of CVD. The frequencies of allelic distribution of the three prothrombotic polymorphisms factor V G1691A/R506Q), prothrombin G2010A, and MTHFR-C677T were 0.114, 0.050 and 0.071, respectively. The prevalence of the three thrombotic polymorphisms (FVL, FII G20210A and MTHFR-C677T) were 20.1, 9.1 and 13.8 %, respectively. Statistical analysis for factor V leiden showed no significant association between place of residence (P value = 0.953) and gender (P value >0.082). The data presented in this study showed the highest prevalence of FVL among healthy Palestinians compared to other populations and this important finding should be followed in terms of clinical significance.

Increasing disability-free life expectancy among older adults in Palestine from 2006 to 2010.

PubMed

Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik; Duraidi, Mohammed; Qalalwa, Khaled; Jeune, Bernard

2015-04-01

The population of Palestine comprises almost 200 000 Palestinians aged 60 or older. The purpose of the study was to estimate disability-free life expectancy for Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and to evaluate changes from 2006 to 2010. The study combined mortality data and prevalence of activity limitation derived from the Palestinian Family Health Surveys carried out in 2006 and 2010. Based on questions about the ability to perform five basic daily activities, disability-free life expectancy was estimated. Changes between 2006 and 2010 were decomposed into contributions from changes in mortality and disability. Life expectancy at age 60 increased from 17.1 years in 2006 to 17.3 years in 2010 for men and from 18.7 years to 19.0 years for women. Disability-free life expectancy increased significantly, by 1.3 years for 60-year-old men (from 12.8 years to 14.1 years) and 1.8 years for 60-year-old women (from 12.6 years to 14.4 years). This increase was seen in the Gaza Strip as well as in the West Bank. While the modest contribution of the mortality effect did not differ between gender and regions, the strong contributions from the disability effects varied, being greatest for women in the Gaza Strip. The significant increase in disability-free life expectancy for both genders is remarkable and, to our knowledge, not seen in other low-income countries. This change may be due to decreasing incidence of disability and greater recovery from disability as a result of better prevention, care and rehabilitation of chronic diseases. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Comparing disciplinary methods used by mothers in Palestine and Qatar.

PubMed

Kamal, Madeeha; Halileh, Samia; Dargham, Soha; Alyafei, Khalid A; Giacaman, Rita; Imseeh, Sawsan; Eldeeb, Nehal; Nasr, Shiraz; Korayem, Mona; Abu-Rmeileh, Niveen; Mahfoud, Ziyad; Tawfik, Hassan; Mahmoud, Mohamed H; Mian, Marcellina; Lynch, Margaret A

2018-05-03

This paper explores child disciplinary methods used by parents in Qatar and Palestine. In this study ICAST-P, an internationally recognized tool, was used with mothers reporting on one of their children up to their 12th birthday. It questions about disciplinary methods: nonviolent; physical: moderate and severe; and psychological methods that had been used in the previous year on the index child in the family. A comparative national cross-sectional household survey of mothers aged 25-50 years old was conducted in both Qatar and Palestine, both Arabic Muslim states, but with very different socio-economic and political contexts that place Qataris in a much more advantageous position. Our results show that the 1299 Palestinian mothers interviewed were younger, had more children and less education compared to the 1018 Qatari mothers. Fewer mothers from Palestine were working. The index child in Palestine tended to be younger with 60% being under 5 years, while 73.7% of Qatari children were over 5 years of age. Severe physical disciplinary methods were reported significantly more often, in Palestine, e.g. Kicking the child (P value < 0.001), using hand or pillow to prevent breathing (P value < 0.001) and hitting child with object or fist (P value < 0001). Moderate as well as psychological disciplinary methods were also significantly higher among Palestinian mothers (P value < 0.001). Our results suggest that challenging circumstances that Palestinian mothers experience, as compared to their Qatari peers, are associated with greater prevalence of the harsher forms of discipline. Our findings have policy implications and preventative strategies for child maltreatment in both countries. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Separation Wall and the right to healthcare.

PubMed

Borgo, Melania; Picozzi, Mario

2016-12-01

Nowadays, the concepts of soldier and war have changed due to terrorism and the war on terrorism. According to the literature, to prevent terrorism, it is possible to use more violence, but how can we grant the safety of many versus the dignity of a few? In Israel, in order to protect civilians against possible terrorist attacks, Palestinian ambulances that would reach the Israeli hospitals (or the Palestinian hospitals in East Jerusalem) must be quickly controlled. However, many times, at the checkpoint, patients have to wait for an Israeli vehicle that will take them to Israel. This procedure causes many delays in medical emergency. How to avoid that terrorists may receive better care than Palestinian civilians may just because they are already on the Israeli side of the Separation Wall? How is it possible to ensure the life and safety of many, without denying the right to healthcare to somebody? How to decide when the State requirements conflict with traditional medical duties? Is it acceptable to provide health care to a terrorist? What should be done when it is uncertain whether the ambulance transports weapons besides patients? These questions call upon the core role of the doctor and of the medical profession: taking care of all sick persons. The care is the starting point of ethics. If we do not care about other human beings we do not have a real moral comprehension of any human ideal or action. For this reason we can say that the care is the premise of morality. The rights of all citizens, including the claim to public security, grounds on the care for each individual who needs help.

A study of psychological symptoms, family function, marital and life satisfactions of polygamous and monogamous women: the Palestinian case.

PubMed

Al-Krenawi, Alean

2012-01-01

Polygamy is defined as a marriage in which a spouse of either gender has more than one mate at the same time. Polygamy is considered a valid form of marriage in many countries and communities around the globe. The purpose of this study is to examine the psychological symptoms, family function, marital satisfaction, life satisfaction and the degree of agreement with the practice of polygamy among 'senior wives' - the first wife in the polygamous marriage - and women in monogamous marriages in the West Bank, Palestine. A convenience sample of 309 women, 187 from polygamous and 122 from monogamous families, participated in this study. All women from polygamous families were senior wives. The following instruments were deployed: the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD), the ENRICH marital satisfaction questionnaire, the SCL-90 mental health symptoms checklist, the Rosenberg self-esteem (SE) scale, the Diener et al. (1985), a life satisfaction scale, and a basic socio-demographic scale, including the degree of agreement of the practice of polygamy. The findings revealed significant differences between senior wives in polygamous marriages and wives in monogamous marriages with regard to family functioning, marital satisfaction, self-esteem and life satisfaction. Likewise, many of the mental health symptoms were different. Particularly noteworthy were somatization, depression, hostility psychotism and the General Severity Index (a global index of distress). More women in polygamous marriages agreed with the practice of polygamy than their monogamous counterparts. Practitioners and policy makers need to be aware of the consequences of polygamy on first wives and on society as whole.

31 CFR 542.201 - Prohibited transactions involving blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY SYRIAN SANCTIONS... reasons, including, but not limited to, Hamas, Hizballah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, and...

Exposure to Family Violence, Perceived Psychological Adjustment of Parents, and the Development of Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Among Palestinian University Students.

PubMed

Haj-Yahia, Muhammad M; Bargal, David

2015-10-01

The article presents the results of a study on the relationship between exposure to (i.e., witnessing and experiencing) different patterns and types of family violence during childhood, during adolescence, and during young adulthood, on one hand, and adult post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), on the other. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,969 Palestinian students using a self-administered questionnaire. The results reveal that the more the participants witnessed and experienced psychological aggression (PS) and physical violence (PH) in their families of origin, the more they exhibited PTSS. Furthermore, the results indicate that a significant amount of the variance in the participants' PTSS could be attributed to their exposure to family violence, over and above the amounts of variance that were explained by their sociodemographic characteristics and by their perceptions of their parents' psychological adjustment. The limitations of the study and implications for future research are discussed. © The Author(s) 2014.

Enhanced solid waste management by understanding the effects of gender, income, marital status, and religious convictions on attitudes and practices related to street littering in Nablus - Palestinian territory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Al-Khatib, Issam A.; Arafat, Hassan A.; Daoud, Raeda

Litter is recognized as a form of street pollution and a key issue for solid waste managers. Nablus district (West Bank, Palestinian Territory), which has an established network of urban and rural roads, suffers from a wide-spread litter problem that is associated with these roads and is growing steadily with a well-felt negative impact on public health and the environment. The purpose of this research was to study the effects of four socio-economic characteristics (gender, income, marital status, and religious convictions) of district residents on their attitudes, practices, and behavior regarding street litter generation and to suggest possible remedial actions.more » All four characteristics were found to have strong correlations, not only with littering behavior and practices, but also with potential litter prevention strategies. In particular, the impact of religious convictions of the respondents on their littering habits and attitudes was very clear and interesting to observe.« less

Solid health care waste management status at health care centers in the West Bank - Palestinian Territory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Al-Khatib, Issam A.; Sato, Chikashi

Health care waste is considered a major public health hazard. The objective of this study was to assess health care waste management (HCWM) practices currently employed at health care centers (HCCs) in the West Bank - Palestinian Territory. Survey data on solid health care waste (SHCW) were analyzed for generated quantities, collection, separation, treatment, transportation, and final disposal. Estimated 4720.7 m{sup 3} (288.1 tons) of SHCW are generated monthly by the HCCs in the West Bank. This study concluded that: (i) current HCWM practices do not meet HCWM standards recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) or adapted by developedmore » countries, and (ii) immediate attention should be directed towards improvement of HCWM facilities and development of effective legislation. To improve the HCWM in the West Bank, a national policy should be implemented, comprising a comprehensive plan of action and providing environmentally sound and reliable technological measures.« less

Harboring illnesses: On the association between disease and living conditions in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon

PubMed Central

HABIB, RIMA R.; BASMA, SHIRAZ H.; YERETZIAN, JOUMANA S.

2007-01-01

This research examined the association between the domestic built environment in a Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon, and the presence of illness among household members. Data on the domestic built environment, socio-demographics and health were collected in 860 households. The association between the presence of illness among household members and three environmental indices, namely infrastructure and services, housing conditions, and crowding was evaluated. These indices were based on a number of items that reflected the existing problems in the domestic built environment. The main finding was the positive association between poor housing conditions and the presence of illness among household members. Households with 8-15 housing problems were twice more likely to report the presence of illness than those with less than four housing problems (OR = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.40-3.11). This research contributes to the understanding of the influence of the built environment on the health of a refugee population. PMID:16546804

Young Children in Intractable Conflicts: The Israeli Case.

PubMed

Nasie, Meytal; Diamond, Aurel Harrison; Bar-Tal, Daniel

2015-10-08

The article examines the political socialization of young Jewish-Israeli children who live under the Israeli-Palestinian intractable conflict. It proposes arguments and presents empirical evidence to suggest that the way in which political socialization of young children happens in this context contributes to the development of conflict-supporting narratives of ethos of conflict and collective memory by the youngest generation. As a result, the conflict solidifies adherence to these narratives in adulthood, thereby serving as a major obstacle to the processes of peace-making and peace-building. Specifically, as evidence for showing how the political socialization works in Israel, a series of studies conducted in Israeli kindergartens and elementary schools are presented. These studies recount the contents acquired by young children, as well as contents delivered by teachers, related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This indicates the serious consequences of acquiring conflict-supporting narratives at an early age in societies involved in intractable conflict. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Sacred values in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: resistance to social influence, temporal discounting, and exit strategies.

PubMed

Sheikh, Hammad; Ginges, Jeremy; Atran, Scott

2013-09-01

Conflicts over sacred values may be particularly difficult to resolve. Because sacred values are nonfungible with material values, standard attempts to negotiate, such as offering material incentives to compromise, often backfire, increasing moral outrage and support for violent action. We present studies with Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza demonstrating three other ways sacred values may make conflict more intractable, focusing on what we call devoted actors, people who regard issues central to the Israel-Palestine conflict as sacred values. We show that devoted actors (1) were less amenable to social influence, (2) perceived conflict-related events in the past as well as expected events in the future to be temporally closer, and (3) were blind to individual opportunities to escape the conflict. These results suggest that sacred values may affect decision making in a number of ways, which, when combined, contribute to common defense and continuation of conflict. © 2013 New York Academy of Sciences.

Psychosomatic symptoms among Palestinian nurses exposed to workplace aggression.

PubMed

Jaradat, Yousef; Nielsen, Morten Birkeland; Bast-Pettersen, Rita

2018-06-01

The study examined associations between workplace aggression (WPA) and psychosomatic symptoms in Palestinian nurses. The 341 nurses, (62% females and 38% males), answered a WHO questionnaire and a psychosomatic symptoms checklist. A total of 27.3% of the nurses reported exposure to WPA of any kind within the last 12 months. After adjusting for covariates, female nurses exposed to WPA of any kind and those exposed to verbal aggression reported a higher symptom score: (1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.3, 2.7), and (1.4; 95%CI 0.2, 2.6), respectively, than unexposed females. Male nurses exposed to bullying reported a higher symptom score: (3.2; 95%CI 1.0, 5.5) than unexposed males. Exposure to WPA was associated with higher occurrences of psychosomatic symptoms for both sexes. The female nurses reacted most strongly to verbal aggression or to WPA of any type, while bullying was associated with the male nurses' symptoms. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Enhanced solid waste management by understanding the effects of gender, income, marital status, and religious convictions on attitudes and practices related to street littering in Nablus - Palestinian territory.

PubMed

Al-Khatib, Issam A; Arafat, Hassan A; Daoud, Raeda; Shwahneh, Hadeel

2009-01-01

Litter is recognized as a form of street pollution and a key issue for solid waste managers. Nablus district (West Bank, Palestinian Territory), which has an established network of urban and rural roads, suffers from a wide-spread litter problem that is associated with these roads and is growing steadily with a well-felt negative impact on public health and the environment. The purpose of this research was to study the effects of four socio-economic characteristics (gender, income, marital status, and religious convictions) of district residents on their attitudes, practices, and behavior regarding street litter generation and to suggest possible remedial actions. All four characteristics were found to have strong correlations, not only with littering behavior and practices, but also with potential litter prevention strategies. In particular, the impact of religious convictions of the respondents on their littering habits and attitudes was very clear and interesting to observe.

Remembering historical victimization: collective guilt for current ingroup transgressions.

PubMed

Wohl, Michael J A; Branscombe, Nyla R

2008-06-01

The authors examined the consequences of remembering historical victimization for emotional reactions to a current adversary. In Experiment 1, Jewish Canadians who were reminded of the Holocaust accepted less collective guilt for their group's harmful actions toward the Palestinians than those not reminded of their ingroup's past victimization. The extent to which the conflict was perceived to be due to Palestinian terrorism mediated this effect. Experiment 2 illustrated that reminding Jewish people, but not non-Jewish people, of the Holocaust decreased collective guilt for current harm doing compared with when the reminder concerned genocide committed against another group (i.e., Cambodians). In Experiments 3 and 4, Americans experienced less collective guilt for their group's harm doing in Iraq following reminders of either the attacks on September 11th, 2001 or the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor compared with a historical victimization reminder that was irrelevant to the ingroup. The authors discuss why remembering the ingroup's past affects responses to outgroups in the present. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved).

KSC-03PD-1399

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Valerie Cassanto holds a piece of the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload that was carried on mission STS-107 and recently recovered. She is the daughter of John Cassanto of ITA, who is part of a recovery team transferring experiments to alternate containers. One of the experiments was the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), a Planetary Society-sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team also includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC, and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

KSC-03PD-1400

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Valerie Cassanto holds a piece of the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload that was carried on mission STS-107 and recently recovered. She is the daughter of John Cassanto of ITA, who is part of a recovery team transferring experiments to alternate containers. One of the experiments was the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), a Planetary Society-sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team also includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC, and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

KSC-03pd1400

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Valerie Cassanto holds a piece of the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload that was carried on mission STS-107 and recently recovered. She is the daughter of John Cassanto of ITA, who is part of a recovery team transferring experiments to alternate containers. One of the experiments was the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), a Planetary Society-sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team also includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC, and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

KSC-03pd1399

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Valerie Cassanto holds a piece of the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload that was carried on mission STS-107 and recently recovered. She is the daughter of John Cassanto of ITA, who is part of a recovery team transferring experiments to alternate containers. One of the experiments was the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), a Planetary Society-sponsored astrobiology experiment developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and the Johnson Space Center Astrobiology Center, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student. The recovery team also includes Eran Schenker of the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute; David Warmflash of JSC, and Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. The GOBBSS material will be sent to JSC where the science team will analyze the samples, studying the effects of spaceflight on bacterial growth.

The scope of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse in a Bedouin-Arab community of female adolescents: The interplay of racism, urbanization, polygamy, family honor, and the social marginalization of women.

PubMed

Elbedour, Salman; Abu-Bader, Soleman; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J; Abu-Rabia, Aref; El-Aassam, Salman

2006-03-01

This is an exploratory study of the abuse-especially sexual-of female adolescents in a conservative and traditional Bedouin-Arab community in southern Israel. The objectives were (1) to examine the rate of sexual abuse, (2) to examine the rate of physical and psychological abuse, and (3) to develop regression models to predict these forms of abuse. : A self-administered survey that measured demographic characteristics and psychological abuse was distributed to 217 female high-school students (aged 14-18 years). Sexual and physical abuse were measured via the Finkelhor's scale [Finkelhor, D. (1979). Sexually victimized children. New York: Free Press]. Sixty-nine percent of the participants (n=149) reported no sexual abuse experiences, 16% reported one or two experiences, 11% reported three or four, and 4% reported more than four. Most participants indicated that they had been physically abused at least once by their father (37.1%), mother (43.7%), or siblings (44%) during the previous month. More than 50% of the participants reported being psychologically abused by members of their immediate families. Mother's age and closeness to mother significantly predicted physical abuse, and marital satisfaction and mother's age significantly predicted psychological abuse. This study addresses a topic that has never before been fully investigated--the maltreatment of females in a conservative, tribal Arab community. Although this was an exploratory study, the results attest that female abuse is a serious social problem in this community, and that the rate of abuse exceeds that of other Palestinian groups. These findings demonstrate an immediate need for professional intervention and prevention to address this problem.

Honey Antibacterial Effect Boosting Using Origanum vulgare L. Essential Oil

PubMed Central

Imtara, Hamada; Elamine, Youssef

2018-01-01

The appearance of new bacterial strains which cause pathogenic diseases and which are resistant to the most used antibiotics requires probing new antibacterial agents sources. Therefore, the main aim of the present work was to follow the antibacterial activity of honey samples from Palestine and Morocco, after the combination with Origanum vulgare L. essential oil, and figure out whether the honey physicochemical parameters and geographic origin influence the final activity. The results of this study showed good geographical discrimination between the Palestinians and Moroccan honey samples. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities showed a significant correlation with honey color, melanoidins, and phenolic and flavonoids contents. Furthermore, the possible effect of honey physicochemical parameters on the gained antimicrobial activities was assessed using the principal component analysis (PCA). Some parameters showed a promising effect and seem to be important in the process of honey samples selection. Namely, melanoidins content, phenolic content, electrical conductivity, and mineral content were shown to be positively influencing the gained antibacterial activity after the combination with essential oil against the tested strains, although a significant negative correlation was seen with the FIC only in the case of Escherichia coli (ATB: 57). PMID:29736180

Honey Antibacterial Effect Boosting Using Origanum vulgare L. Essential Oil.

PubMed

Imtara, Hamada; Elamine, Youssef; Lyoussi, Badiâa

2018-01-01

The appearance of new bacterial strains which cause pathogenic diseases and which are resistant to the most used antibiotics requires probing new antibacterial agents sources. Therefore, the main aim of the present work was to follow the antibacterial activity of honey samples from Palestine and Morocco, after the combination with Origanum vulgare L. essential oil, and figure out whether the honey physicochemical parameters and geographic origin influence the final activity. The results of this study showed good geographical discrimination between the Palestinians and Moroccan honey samples. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities showed a significant correlation with honey color, melanoidins, and phenolic and flavonoids contents. Furthermore, the possible effect of honey physicochemical parameters on the gained antimicrobial activities was assessed using the principal component analysis (PCA). Some parameters showed a promising effect and seem to be important in the process of honey samples selection. Namely, melanoidins content, phenolic content, electrical conductivity, and mineral content were shown to be positively influencing the gained antibacterial activity after the combination with essential oil against the tested strains, although a significant negative correlation was seen with the FIC only in the case of Escherichia coli (ATB: 57).

Lebanon: Blaming the Victims.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Esseff, John A.

1987-01-01

Traces the history of Lebanon and its involvement with Syria, Israel, and the Palestinians. Provides a commentary on living conditions and political factions within Lebanon. States that external forces have intruded upon the Lebanese people, compounding their own problems, and confusing private issues with the political and religious struggles of…

U.S. Foreign Aid to the Palestinians

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-04-29

article by five Members of Congress: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, John A. Boehner, Eric Cantor , Mike Pence, and Thaddeus McCotter, “Ros-Lehtinen et al.: Cut...continued commitment to a two-state solution, and has appointed former Senator George Mitchell as its Special Envoy for Middle East Peace

Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of stunting, underweight, and overweight among Palestinian school adolescents (13-15 years) in two major governorates in the West Bank

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background There is little information about height and weight status of Palestinian adolescents. The objective of this paper was to assess the prevalence of stunting, underweight, and overweight/obesity among Palestinian school adolescents (13-15 years) and associated sociodemographic factors in 2 major governorates in the West Bank. Methods A Cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2005 comprising 1942 students in 65 schools in Ramallah and Hebron governorates. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires from students and parents. Weights and heights were measured. Overweight and obesity were assessed using the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reference and the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria. Stunting and underweight were assessed using the 2000 CDC reference. Results Overweight/obesity was more prevalent in Ramallah than in Hebron and affected more girls than boys. Using the 2000 CDC reference, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Ramallah among boys was 9.6% and 8.2%, respectively versus 15.6% and 6.0% among girls (P < 0.01). In Hebron, the corresponding figures were 8.5% and 4.9% for boys and 13.5% and 3.4% for girls (P < 0.01). Using the IOTF criteria, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among boys in Ramallah was 13.3% and 5.2%, respectively versus 18.9% and 3.3% for girls. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among boys in Hebron was 10.9% and 2.2%, respectively versus 14.9% and 2.0% for girls. Overweight/obesity was associated with high standard of living (STL) among boys and with the onset of puberty among girls. More boys were underweight than girls, and the prevalence was higher in Hebron (12.9% and 6.0% in boys and girls, respectively (P < 0.01)) than in Ramallah (9.7% and 3.1% in boys and girls, respectively (p < 0.01)). The prevalence of stunting was similar in both governorates, and was higher among boys (9.2% and 9.4% in Ramallah and Hebron, respectively) than among girls (5.9% and 4.2% in Ramallah and Hebron, respectively). Stunting was negatively associated with father's education among boys and with urban residence, medium STL and onset of puberty among girls. Conclusion Under- and overnutrition co-exist among Palestinian adolescents, with differences between sexes. Region, residence, STL, and onset of puberty were associated factors. PMID:20030822

"On the Sidelines": Access to Autism-Related Services in the West Bank

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dababnah, Sarah; Bulson, Kathleen

2015-01-01

We examined access to autism-related services among Palestinians (N = 24) raising children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the West Bank. Using qualitative methods, we identified five primary interview themes. Poor screening, diagnostic, and psychoeducational practices were prevalent, as parents reported service providers minimized parental…

Simulating the Camp David Negotiations: A Problem-Solving Tool in Critical Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMahon, Sean F.; Miller, Chris

2013-01-01

This article reflects critically on simulations. Building on the authors' experience simulating the Palestinian-Israeli-American Camp David negotiations of 2000, they argue that simulations are useful pedagogical tools that encourage creative--but not critical--thinking and constructivist learning. However, they can also have the deleterious…

A Call to Lead

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Kendra

2006-01-01

Imam Yahya Hendi came from afar--the occupied Palestinian Territories--to become, in 1999, the first full-time Muslim chaplain serving at a university in the United States. He is now the chaplain at Georgetown University. Rumee Ahmed, appointed earlier this year as Brown University's first Muslim chaplain, had a significantly shorter trip, moving…

CNN Newsroom Classroom Guides. May 2-31, 1994.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cable News Network, Atlanta, GA.

These classroom guides for the daily CNN (Cable News Network) Newsroom broadcasts for the month of May provide program rundowns, suggestions for class activities and discussion, student handouts, and a list of related news terms. Topics covered by the guides include: (1) the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Palestine, Hawaiian…

Climate and Motivation for Women Athletes in Palestine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Younes, Shima; Ciccomascolo, Lori; Shim, Minsuk

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that motivate women athletes to participate in sport in Palestine and the motivational climate created by coaches and parents. Additionally, participants' commitment to sport was investigated as well as the social constraints that Palestinian women athletes face. Participants (n = 107)…

Perspectives on ... Multiculturalism and Library Exhibits: Sites of Contested Representation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reece, Gwendolyn J.

2005-01-01

This article analyzes a multicultural library exhibit presenting the Palestinian/Israeli conflict as a site of contested representation. Qualitative methodology is used to interrogate the exhibit and its audience reception. Drawing on insights from critical pedagogy, implications for libraries arising from this case study are given and suggestions…

The Gendered Nature of Education under Siege: A Palestinian Feminist Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shalhoub-Kevorkian, Nadera

2008-01-01

Military occupation affects educational space and places, transforming them into politicized, sexed, gendered, and racialized ones. The uncontrolled political violence in conflict zones causes psychological trauma, internal displacement and economic stagnation, and intersect to shape the gendered nature of education. This article is based on data…

Aerospace Power Journal. Volume 16, Number 2, Summer 2002

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

Muslimeen (the Islamic Brotherhood), founded in 1928 by Has­ san al- Banna as a sociopolitical party in Egypt. This organization is the blueprint... peels back the Palestinian movement’s different factions, many of whom espouse different views on how to gain independence. The discus­ sion of the

Alternative Education for the 21st Century: Philosophies, Approaches, Visions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woods, Philip A., Ed.; Woods, Glenys J., Ed.

2008-01-01

This is a unique collection of leading examples of education grounded in alternative philosophies and cultures--from initiatives to create more democratic schools, through Quaker, Buddhist, Islamic, Montessori and Steiner/Waldorf schools, to Maori and First Nations education in Canada and Palestinian Jewish schools in Israel. Aimed at educational…

Virtual Peace Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Firer, Ruth

2008-01-01

This article is based on the convictions that peace education is the basis for any sustainable non-violent relations between parties in a conflict, and that virtual peace education is almost the only feasible way to practise peace education in an open violent conflict as is the current Israeli/Palestinians one. Moreover, virtual peace education…

Curriculum Wars: National Identity in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Helen

2008-01-01

This paper explores the politics of education in countries affected by conflict. Drawing particularly on the Palestinian experience, it looks at the power relations among internal and external actors that shape the curriculum-building process. In the increasingly politicised world of international aid, especially in the Middle East, it challenges…

Acculturation Attitudes and Perceptions of Collective Narratives: The Case of Israeli Arab Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ayalon, Ariel; Sagy, Shifra

2011-01-01

The relationship between acculturation attitudes and attitudes toward collective narratives is explored in the context of Palestinian adolescents, citizens of the State of Israel. Employing Berry's acculturation framework, we expected that approaching the hegemonic Israeli Jewish culture would be related to higher acceptance of its collective…

A Problem Masked

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levinson, Ralph

2013-01-01

While Ester Aflalo's conclusions for teaching the nature of science seem uncontentious her analysis of degree of religiosity and its relationship to perceptions of the nature of science among Palestinian Muslim and Jewish Israelis fails to take into account complex affiliations to religion such as history, the nature of identity and…

Not Just Location: Attitudes and Functioning of Arab Local Education Administrators in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arar, Khalid; Abu-Asbah, Khaled

2013-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to provide useful insights into educational under-achievement among Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel (PAI), investigating the perceptions of local educational administrators (LEAs) towards the education system and its "modus vivendi", to uncover difficulties and suggest directions to improve the processes and…

Dreaming of Shakespeare in Palestine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hazou, Rand T.

2015-01-01

In September 2011, I travelled to the Palestinian Occupied Territories to participate in an internship with the Al Kasaba Theatre in Ramallah. As part of my internship I was invited to attend rehearsals of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with students of the Drama Academy Ramallah. Directed by Samer Al-Saber, with movement and choreography…

Educational Research in Palestine: Epistemological and Cultural Challenges--A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khalifah, Ayman A.

2010-01-01

This study investigates the prevailing epistemological and cultural conditions that underlie educational research in Palestine. Using a case study of a major Palestinian University that awards Masters Degrees in Education, the study analyzes the assumptions and the methodology that characterizes current educational research. Using an analysis of…

31 CFR 594.513 - Transactions with entities under the control of the Palestinian President and certain other...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Intelligence Apparatus, Governors and Governorate staff, the Attorney General's Office, the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF), the Border Crossings Administration, and the Palestine Broadcasting Corporation (including the Voice of Palestine, Wafa News Agency, and the General Public Information Agency/State...

31 CFR 594.513 - Transactions with entities under the control of the Palestinian President and certain other...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Intelligence Apparatus, Governors and Governorate staff, the Attorney General's Office, the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF), the Border Crossings Administration, and the Palestine Broadcasting Corporation (including the Voice of Palestine, Wafa News Agency, and the General Public Information Agency/State...

31 CFR 594.513 - Transactions with entities under the control of the Palestinian President and certain other...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Intelligence Apparatus, Governors and Governorate staff, the Attorney General's Office, the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF), the Border Crossings Administration, and the Palestine Broadcasting Corporation (including the Voice of Palestine, Wafa News Agency, and the General Public Information Agency/State...

31 CFR 595.511 - Transactions with entities under the control of the Palestinian President and certain other...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Intelligence Apparatus, Governors and Governorate staff, the Attorney General's Office, the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF), the Border Crossings Administration, and the Palestine Broadcasting Corporation (including the Voice of Palestine, Wafa News Agency, and the General Public Information Agency/State...

31 CFR 595.511 - Transactions with entities under the control of the Palestinian President and certain other...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Intelligence Apparatus, Governors and Governorate staff, the Attorney General's Office, the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF), the Border Crossings Administration, and the Palestine Broadcasting Corporation (including the Voice of Palestine, Wafa News Agency, and the General Public Information Agency/State...

31 CFR 595.511 - Transactions with entities under the control of the Palestinian President and certain other...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Intelligence Apparatus, Governors and Governorate staff, the Attorney General's Office, the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF), the Border Crossings Administration, and the Palestine Broadcasting Corporation (including the Voice of Palestine, Wafa News Agency, and the General Public Information Agency/State...

An ecological approach to children's rights and participation: interrelationships and correlates of rights in different ecological systems.

PubMed

Ben-Arieh, Asher; Attar-Schwartz, Shalhevet

2013-01-01

Current knowledge emphasizes either a developmental or a cultural/contextual theoretical framework for understanding children's approaches to the concepts of rights and participation. This study, carried out among 1,753 Israeli adolescents (ages 15-17), uses a socioecological perspective instead to understand children's rights and participation. It examines adolescents' approaches to their rights and participation at 4 ecological levels-family, school, community, and the larger sociopolitical system-as well as a number of possible child, family, and societal correlates. It also looks at the interactions between some of these correlates. The findings show that different correlates have different links with various ecological circles. For example, girls reported higher levels of participation in the family and at school, but no significant differences were found between boys and girls in their participation in the community and at civic-political levels. Israeli Palestinians reported higher levels of participation in their schools and at the civic-political level but lower levels of participation in the family and the community compared with their Jewish counterparts. The significant interaction effect between nation and gender showed that, among Arab students, there were larger gaps between boys and girls in the different participation domains than there were among Jewish students. Furthermore, higher rates of participation in the family and lower rates of civic participation were found among students from single-parent families. This study shows that employing an ecological framework to the efforts to understand children's approaches to rights and participation is a first step in the right direction for fostering children's rights and participation. © 2013 American Orthopsychiatric Association.

Trauma complexity and child abuse: A qualitative study of attachment narratives in adult refugees with PTSD.

PubMed

Riber, Karin

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to identify trauma types over the life course among adult refugees and to explore their accounts of childhood maltreatment. A sample of 43 Arabic-speaking refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) attending a treatment context in Denmark were interviewed. Using a "Trauma Coding Manual" developed for this study, trauma types were identified in interview transcripts. In both men and women with Iraqi and Palestinian-Lebanese backgrounds, high levels of trauma complexity and high rates of childhood maltreatment were found (63%, n = 27). A number of concepts and categories emerged in the domains childhood physical abuse (CPA), childhood emotional abuse (CEA), and neglect. Participants articulated wide personal impacts of child abuse in emotional, relational, and behavioral domains in their adult lives. These narratives contribute valuable clinical information for refugee trauma treatment providers.

Reconstructing Druze population history

PubMed Central

Marshall, Scarlett; Das, Ranajit; Pirooznia, Mehdi; Elhaik, Eran

2016-01-01

The Druze are an aggregate of communities in the Levant and Near East living almost exclusively in the mountains of Syria, Lebanon and Israel whose ~1000 year old religion formally opposes mixed marriages and conversions. Despite increasing interest in genetics of the population structure of the Druze, their population history remains unknown. We investigated the genetic relationships between Israeli Druze and both modern and ancient populations. We evaluated our findings in light of three hypotheses purporting to explain Druze history that posit Arabian, Persian or mixed Near Eastern-Levantine roots. The biogeographical analysis localised proto-Druze to the mountainous regions of southeastern Turkey, northern Iraq and southeast Syria and their descendants clustered along a trajectory between these two regions. The mixed Near Eastern–Middle Eastern localisation of the Druze, shown using both modern and ancient DNA data, is distinct from that of neighbouring Syrians, Palestinians and most of the Lebanese, who exhibit a high affinity to the Levant. Druze biogeographic affinity, migration patterns, time of emergence and genetic similarity to Near Eastern populations are highly suggestive of Armenian-Turkish ancestries for the proto-Druze. PMID:27848937

Reconstructing Druze population history.

PubMed

Marshall, Scarlett; Das, Ranajit; Pirooznia, Mehdi; Elhaik, Eran

2016-11-16

The Druze are an aggregate of communities in the Levant and Near East living almost exclusively in the mountains of Syria, Lebanon and Israel whose ~1000 year old religion formally opposes mixed marriages and conversions. Despite increasing interest in genetics of the population structure of the Druze, their population history remains unknown. We investigated the genetic relationships between Israeli Druze and both modern and ancient populations. We evaluated our findings in light of three hypotheses purporting to explain Druze history that posit Arabian, Persian or mixed Near Eastern-Levantine roots. The biogeographical analysis localised proto-Druze to the mountainous regions of southeastern Turkey, northern Iraq and southeast Syria and their descendants clustered along a trajectory between these two regions. The mixed Near Eastern-Middle Eastern localisation of the Druze, shown using both modern and ancient DNA data, is distinct from that of neighbouring Syrians, Palestinians and most of the Lebanese, who exhibit a high affinity to the Levant. Druze biogeographic affinity, migration patterns, time of emergence and genetic similarity to Near Eastern populations are highly suggestive of Armenian-Turkish ancestries for the proto-Druze.

Political violence and mental health of Bedouin children in the West Bank, Palestine: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Massad, Salwa; Khammash, Umaiyeh; Shute, Rosalyn

2017-09-01

The Bedouin population is among the most vulnerable in Palestine, subject to forced relocation and lacking basic necessities, including water and electricity. To our knowledge, there are no studies on the mental health of Palestinian Bedouin children. A cross-sectional household survey was conducted examining exposures to traumatic events and mental health among 455 refugee children between the ages of 5-16 years old, and randomly selected from 18 Bedouin communities throughout the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Mental health status was measured using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. Based on reports by mothers, teachers and children, 44% of the participants in the study had a probable psychiatric disorder. Exposure to traumatic events, fair/poor maternal self-rated mental health, and younger age were positively associated with child mental health problems. The findings highlight the importance of maternal mental health as a contributing factor affecting children's vulnerability. Bedouin mothers and their children need immediate psychosocial intervention, as well as the protection of their basic human rights.

Mental health needs and services in the West Bank, Palestine.

PubMed

Marie, Mohammad; Hannigan, Ben; Jones, Aled

2016-01-01

Palestine is a low income country with scarce resources, which is seeking independence. This paper discusses the high levels of mental health need found amongst Palestinian people, and examines services, education and research in this area with particular attention paid to the West Bank. CINAHL, PubMed, and Science Direct were used to search for materials. Evidence from this review is that there is a necessity to increase the availability and quality of mental health care. Mental health policy and services in Palestine need development in order to better meet the needs of service users and professionals. It is essential to raise awareness of mental health and increase the integration of mental health services with other areas of health care. Civilians need their basic human needs met, including having freedom of movement and seeing an end to the occupation. There is a need to enhance the resilience and capacity of community mental health teams. There is a need to increase resources and offer more support, up-to-date training and supervision to mental health teams.

Teaching Islam and Arabic over the Internet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nissim, Chaim

2004-01-01

Arabic is the language of the Arab minority in Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the neighbors of Israel (Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon). Hence, learning Arabic and Arab culture is very important to promoting understanding between Arabs and Jews. The concept of using the internet to promote learning and communication between students in…

Using Thinking Routines as a Pedagogy for Teaching English as a Second Language in Palestine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dajani, Majida

2016-01-01

This study examined the results of promoting Palestinian students' engagement and fostering their understanding in addition to their inquiry skills through the application of thinking routines. Six teachers teaching fourth and fifth grades participated voluntarily in this action research project during the school year 2014-2015. The researcher…

Internationalization of Secondary Education--Lessons from Israeli Palestinian-Arab Schools in Tel Aviv-Jaffa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yemini, Miri

2014-01-01

Cosmopolitan capital became an integral ingredient in the set of competencies considered to provide a competitive edge for effective citizenship in the 21st century. Recently, internationalization of education became a more common phenomenon in secondary schools, serving as a tool to provide youth with cosmopolitan capital and relevant…