Research in and on the Palestinian Occupied Territories

Chapter 5 critically engages with the opportunities and challenges that arise from doing fieldwork in Palestine. It discusses the various terms used to refer to Palestine and the consequences these terms have. To deal with these different layers of “Palestine,” the chapter recommends avoiding short-term analyses and foregrounding historical analyses instead. It also proposes to concentrate on the study of flows (of population, ideas, or money) to make sure that Palestinian polity is not studied in isolation. It focuses both on the practical difficulties, such as entering the Occupied Territories and checkpoints, and on the ethical dilemmas. It highlights the rich local research institutions that must be consulted when carrying out research in Palestine.