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Copyright of Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal is the property of World Health Organization and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

David Marshall examines the case of Maqam Yusuf (the Shrine of Joseph, commonly referred to as Joseph's Tomb in English), a contested religious site near the northern West Bank city of Nablus. Often called a "microcosm" of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, the shrine has long been viewed as a site of religious intolerance, marked by regular violent confrontations between Palestinian youths and Israeli soldiers. Such a view obscures deeply rooted traditions of multireligious shrine visitation and veneration practiced by Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Samaritans at Maqam Yusuf and other sites throughout Palestine, traditions that themselves predate the arrival of Abrahamic monotheism. This article presents an alternative perspective, namely, that conflict over the shrine is not one of inherent religious rivalry but is rather a conflict of settler-colonial acquisition and resistance. Going further, this paper considers the violence of erasure, and the politics of forgetting as a form of resistance. Drawing on multigenerational oral histories, Marshall charts the shifting meanings of Maqam Yusuf against the changing geopolitical dynamics of the Israeli occupation, highlighting the silences and gaps in generational memory that surround the site. In particular, the article demonstrates how Maqam Yusuf transformed from a site where women practiced and fashioned their social and religious selves, to a site where young men perform a resistant masculinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal is the property of World Health Organization and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Formed in the mid-1990s, the Popular Services Committees (PSC) in West Bank refugee camps have played a dual role: on the one hand, they are a liaison body between the camps and UNRWA and the Palestinian Authority (PA), and on the other, they perceive themselves as a political body and guardian of the right of return. In this article, Ala Alazzeh ethnographically historicizes the formation and position of the PSCs within the Palestinian political field. The author shows the role of the camp Youth Centers in the formation of PSCs, the post-Oslo tension between camp residents and the PA, and the camp residents' capitalization on the PLO's legacy and authority. He also points out the tension between self-representation of PSCs as a political body versus their de facto practice as municipallike mediators between refugee camp communities and UNRWA, and the PA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal is the property of World Health Organization and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present study was undertaken to characterize the prevalence and molecular distinguishing of Brucella melitensis field and vaccine Rev1 strains isolated from milk among the sheep and goat population. The study was carried out on flocks of sheep and goats suffering from Brucella infection outbreaks. A total of 171 milk samples were collected from different districts of the West Bank, part of Palestine, and isolated on Brucella agar. 86 cultures were confirmed by standard biochemical methods and screened for Brucella melitensis 16M of IS711 element by a conventional PCR technique. All these samples were also amplified for the omp2 gene to identify differences between field and Rev 1 strains in an infected flock. The results obtained from the PstI restriction enzyme pattern revealed that only 2 (4.5%) samples have specific polymorphism accomplished with the Brucella melitensis Rev1 strain. All other samples were restricted according to the Brucella melitensis 16M polymorphism pattern and originated from nonvaccinated flocks. Despite the adverse side effects of the Brucella melitensis vaccine, only a well-organized whole-flock vaccination and awareness campaign may inhibit the virulence of the field strain and, subsequently, reduce the prevalence of brucellosis infection among animals and humans in Palestine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• "Slow urbicide" captures the specificity of violence against urbanity in the West Bank. • Slowness signals a chronic condition of emerging harm. • Such policy is implemented through means associated with development rather than destruction. • Both space and time are weaponized in the Israeli colonial project in the West Bank. • Slow urbicide produces radical displacement, generating chronic spatial trauma. The article explores the conceptual affinities of slow violence and urbicidal policies in the context of the ongoing Israeli colonization of the West Bank. It investigates the processes of the systematic degeneration of Palestinian urban tissue, triggered by state-supported intentional developments connected to the Israeli settlement project. Building on recent scholarship on slow violence, on the one hand, and urbicidal policies, on the other, the article proposes the concept of "slow urbicide" to account for the shifting temporalities of urbicidal violence as much as for its reliance on, or activation of, human and more-than-human agencies and forces. Engaging briefly with scholarly work on urban trauma connected to dispossessions and deliberate destructions, the analysis also draws attention to the effects of slow urbicide. On a more general level, the article aims to contribute to enhanced understanding of problems situated at the overlap of urban studies and investigations of state-sponsored violence, focusing specifically on issues related to urban warfare. It suggests that the different speeds at which urbicide is perpetuated should be taken into consideration in order to better capture the character of violence against the built environment and to expose its complex multitemporal operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author examines Palestinian oral history from the end of the British Occupation or Mandate (14 May 1948) to the present in terms of the traumatic memory of the Nakba and its impact both on immigrants in the Palestinian Diaspora, and on Palestinians living in the Occupied Territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In light of more recent research into "traumatic memories," it is now apparent that beyond the remembrances of specific autobiographic and personal events that Palestinians experienced, there are other important aspects of traumatic memories: the impact on peoples' feelings and emotions not only affects the memories of material and personal losses such as homes and gardens, land, photographs, family artifacts, and loved ones, but the intensity of those losses at the time of the trauma affects the emotions over time, more than "snap shot' or first-time memories of the past. Along with the much studied factual information of the Nakba, we now learn that the traumatic memory perpetuates the losses creating a condition of continuous actions or endless memories for those who suffered through the Nakba. Furthermore, comparative studies of global massacres or disasters find that many parallel effects exist contrary to earlier findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic medicine in Palestine is a new branch of medicine compared with other medical specialties and is still at a nascent stage. Only 6 medical doctors specializing in forensic medicine are currently practicing in Palestine, including only one female specialist (the author). Palestine has adopted a system that combines clinical forensic medicine and forensic pathology. Forensic doctors can deal with both the living and the dead and deal with cases of physical and sexual assault, gender-based violence, and domestic violence. In different courts, such as civil, military, and shariah, Palestinian judicial decisions depend primarily on forensic medical reports and the testimonies that forensic doctors provide for the court to explain their reports. Forensic medicine has a significant role and crucial impact on achieving justice for victims of all types of abuse, either dead or alive. However, the role of forensic medicine in achieving justice for victims, and hence fighting and eradicating violence, is underestimated and not fully understood by the general population. This paper introduces to the reader the status of forensic medicine in Palestine, focusing on the challenges and obstacles faced by both the victims and forensic doctors. Meeting these challenges and overcoming obstacles is essential for fighting all types of violence, including violence against women in Palestinian society. The current provision of forensic medical services in Palestine is less than satisfactory, being considerably hampered by the lack of legislation and regulations. Palestine is in great need of continued international support for forensic medicine and forensic services. Two projects supported by the United Nations put the country on the road, but there are still many miles to go toward the aim. • This paper highlights forensic medicine in westbank Palestine. • Aimed to clarify the role of forensic medicine in establishing justice and the faced challenges. • Forensic medicine in Palestine combines between clinical forensic medicine and forensic pathology. • Nine forensic medicine specialists in Westbank Palestine among them only one female, who became the first in Palestine. • Palestine needs continued international support for forensic medicine and forensic services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Hydro-hegemony' typically refers to the power-related tactics and strategies used by stronger states in transboundary water disputes that prioritise their access to water and compel weaker entities to submit to these conditions. Such asymmetrical power relations also have a bearing on the nature of water governance, and thereby, the water and human security of vulnerable water users, as detailed in the conceptual framework of this article. Our analysis of the case of the West Bank, and more specifically the Jordan Valley, shows how Israeli control over the region - most visibly manifested in superior weaponry along with greater economic and technological capacities - influences the institutions of water governance as well as decision-making and implementation processes in favour of Israel while deliberately generating water and human insecurity for Palestinians. During fieldwork in 2019, we interviewed Palestinian water users in the Jordan Valley as well as representatives of water governance and other related institutions in the West Bank. Their 'voices' highlight the different dimensions that lead to water insecurity being structural, systemic, and pervasive in the daily lives of Palestinians. Their water insecurity in the context of military occupation is linked to their overall human insecurity. As a result, Palestinians are denied not only their right to water but potentially also their right to life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines Hebrew language education amongst Palestinian students in East Jerusalem with a focus on student perceptions and rationales for learning Hebrew. Findings are based on a survey conducted in 2019 amongst 387 students aged 12–14 at an intermediate Palestinian public girl’s school in the Al-‘Issawiyya village of East Jerusalem. The study uncovered two primary motivations for mastering Hebrew; both are practical as opposed to political. Firstly, the students pointed to difficulties in overcoming the physical and economic barrier which separates East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank – particularly in light of the separation wall. Secondly, the students believe that Hebrew proficiency has practical value in integration into the Israeli labor market. These practical motivations are driven by the need to work in Israel in order to survive and the fact that the Israeli labor market is the most viable option for them. Notably, participation in Israeli society was not a motivation for learning Hebrew. While explicating motivations for studying Hebrew, this article will also analyze and shed light on what this indicates about the status of East Jerusalem Palestinians vis-à-vis Israeli society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Biology is the property of Instituto Internacional de Ecologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An attempt to implement new charcoal-production technology in Palestinian villages in the West Bank, Jenin area, is examined in this research. The 'retort' system avoided air pollution associated with traditional kilns by recycling flue gases. The attempt was made against the backdrop of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict and life under Israeli military rule. The study analyzes the relationship between supporters and opponents of the new technology and the moves leading to rural development. Based on a survey, in-depth interviews and field observations, the research identifies environmental, political, socio-cultural and economic interests, power relations and the interdependence between conflicting parties. The findings reveal the leading hamulas' (extended families) use of resistance tactics against the technology to preserve their dominant status within the socio-cultural structure, while traditional kiln usage was prevented by Israel. As a consequence, new strategies were adopted by various parties. Flexible negotiation led to an agreed resolution that opened new opportunities of social mobility and brought economic and environmental prosperity to the rural area. The study contributes to the resistance to innovation theory in traditional rural communities. • Palestinian opposition to Israeli rule expressed by resistance to new technology. • Resistance tactics used to preserve leading hamulas' dominance of social structure. • Tobacco farming opened new opportunities of social mobility for the disadvantaged. • Flexible negotiation between conflicting parties led to sustainable rural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Old City of Jerusalem is likely the most hotly contested geographical location in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The linguistic landscape in the Old City, including street names and signs, can shed light on power relations and political agendas within the conflict. This article examines the linguistic landscape of the Old City after the Israeli occupation of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) in 1967. It focuses on five different areas: four quarters (Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Armenian) and al-Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount compound. Based on an examination of several hundred street signs, the authors' findings indicate a clear dominance of Hebrew in signage throughout the Old City, evident in different linguistic aspects. Two linguistic behaviors were also obvious: firstly, in the Jewish quarter, the linguistic landscape promotes an Israeli nationalistic discourse including physical erasure of the Arabic language and Palestinian existence; secondly, all other areas lack national Palestinian content and aspirations. This indicates the official Israeli view that there is an exclusive Jewish right to national identity while Palestinians must make do with religious identity only. Our analysis of signs in the Old City indicates two Israeli-oriented, complementary features: pro-active Jewish-Israeli nationalization, and an Orientalist, British-inspired, colonial and religious-centered attempt to de-politicize the East. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radiographer is one of the most important and needful components of the workforce in the health care system. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and explore its associated risk factors among radiographers working in the West Bank hospitals. A cross-sectional design was used for the study. Beck's depression inventory-II Arabic version was administered to respondents and Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS v 21) was used for the data analysis. The prevalence of depressive symptoms among radiographers was (66.9%). The results showed a significant association between gender and depression; men were at higher odds of having higher depression categories as than women by 9.6 times (95% CI 3.65-22.4). In addition, radiographers who had no children were at higher odds to report higher depression categories than radiographers who had from one to more than five children by 8.9 times (95% CI 1.55- 52.02). In addition, the results showed that the radiographers who had bachelor degree were at higher odds of having higher depression categories than diploma and master or more radiographers by 2.4 times (95% CI 1.04-5.78). To work in private hospitals had lower odds of having higher depression categories than radiographers who work in government hospitals by 0.24 times (95% CI 0.17-0.51). The results showed a significant association between monthly salary and depression categories; radiographers who took monthly salary 1000-1199$ were at higher odds of having higher depression categories than radiographers who took more than 2000US $ by 2.5 times (95% CI 1.24-5.33). The radiographers who smoke were at higher odds of having higher depression categories than radiographers who did not smoke by 2 times (95% CI 1.08-4.18). Other variables showed no significant association with depression categories among radiographers. Depressive symptoms among radiographers were found to be prevalent. Gender, number of children, education level, monthly salary, smoking cigarettes, work experience, and working sector were associated with the generation of depressive symptoms. • Prevalence of depression symptoms among radiographers was not investigated before in the West Bank of Palestine. • Gender, number of children, education level, type of hospital, monthly income, work experience, and cigarette smoking were related to the development of depression categories. • The West Bank Palestinian radiographers had a significant prevalence of depression symptoms when compared of others working in different countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to the bloodstained battle in Lebanon, the closing years of the 1970s also saw the Israelis at loggerheads with the Palestinians on the diplomatic "battlefield." While the Israeli representatives continued to refuse any idea of negotiation with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), arguing that it was a terrorist group whose main aim was to destroy Israel; the PLO representatives struggled to assure world leaders that they were ready to accept a diplomatic settlement of the conflict based on mutual compromise. The hopes that the American president Jimmy Carter had given to the Palestinians at the beginning of his office were not fulfilled. Carter's 1977 idea of a "Palestinian homeland" had not been realized. In contrast, the occupation of Palestinian territory and the construction of new illegal Israeli settlements intensified. Therefore, Yāsir cArafāt, the PLO chairman, needed to search for international support elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jordan, a close ally of the United States and Israel, has a particular set of security concerns, challenges, and threats. Since its founding as the Emirate of Transjordan in 1921, many predicted that a kingdom with artificial borders, a tiny population, and lack of natural resources was an unlikely viable state. However, Jordan's pragmatic policies and wise leadership, cordial ties with Arab states, and commitment to a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has helped Jordan navigate many difficult challenges. The kingdom proved more resilient than its neighbors during the Arab Spring uprisings, but it is not immune from conflict. As 2021 continues to unfold, Jordan has five major security challenges, some new and some lingering from the Cold War of the 20th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moshe Dayan remains a popular personality who devoted most of his life to the Israeli state and whose military contributions have overshadowed his illegal activities in the field of archaeology. This article offers the first examination of Dayan's impact on archaeology in the West Bank during his tenure as Israel's defence minister (1967–74). Dayan moulded the military government in the West Bank in its early years and was involved in appointing the staff officers charged with managing civil affairs. His approach of granting rights to the Palestinians also found expression in his administration of the military government, and most workers in archaeological contexts were Palestinians. However, in parallel to his establishment of local order, Dayan conducted illegal excavations in plain sight of local residents and illegally acquired antiquities in the region. Upon catching antiquities thieves in the Hebron Hills, he purchased their findings and encouraged them to continue excavating, undoubtedly contributing to the high number of illicit excavations. During its early years, the antiquities department he established sought to reduce these thefts; however, Dayan, who held overall responsibility for its operations, sometimes acted in direct contravention of this policy, creating local anarchy whose impact is still felt today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay examines the difficulties for children and youth in attaining an education while living under Israeli military occupation. It focuses on three Palestinian students in the West Bank who shared their experiences with the author about their trials of getting to and staying in school, their limited opportunities for gaining higher education, and their sense of well-being, to demonstrate the impact of military occupation on their daily student life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of general equilibrium models are sensitive to model parameterization and specification. The role of macroeconomic closures and the effect of trade elasticities are documented in the literature, but there is no systematic analysis of the implications of different labor supply specifications for the effect of shocks to labor markets. This study analyzes these implications, using data for the West Bank economy and a general equilibrium model with four different labor market specifications. The findings indicate that increased Palestinian employment in Israel leads to changes in real GDP in the range of −1.8% to ＋3.4%, depending on the model specification. This wide range of effects on macroeconomic aggregates stems from the definition of the production boundary, the implicit assumptions on the opportunity cost of labor in activities outside the production boundary, and the conditions for a transfer of labor across the boundary. Economic theory indicates that the labor-leisure trade-off specification is the most consistent framework for modeling labor supply decisions. However, in the absence of data for activities outside the production boundary of the system of national accounts, the fixed labor supply (full-employment) assumption may be the second-best alternative, although it risks overstating the changes in real wage rates. The surplus labor and upward-sloping labor supply curve specifications both tend to understate the increases in wage rates and overstate the welfare gains. • Simulation results in CGE models are sensitive to labor supply specifications. • The labor-leisure trade-off is the most consistent framework for modeling labor supply decisions. • In the absence of data for activities outside the SNA boundary, the full-employment assumption may be the second-best alternative. • The surplus labor and upward-sloping labor supply curve specifications both tend to understate the increases in wage rates and overstate the welfare gains. • Adopting the surplus labor or upward-sloping labor supply curve specifications requires case specific arguments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review of two Palestinian guides to Jerusalem and its environs, as well as sites in the West Bank, Gaza and historic Palestine: Wujood: The Grassroots Guide to Jerusalem (2019) and Pilgrimage, Sciences and Sufism: Islamic Art in the West Bank and Gaza (2004). The review explores the fate of Palestinian guides to Jerusalem amid the well-financed marketing campaigns of both the Israeli government and right-wing settler organizations like the Ir David Foundation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its establishment in 1991, Riwaq has recognized the challenging complexities of preserving Palestinian collective memory through projects that document and restore architectural heritage sites across the West Bank and Gaza. Riwaq is distinguished by its focus on rural areas in Palestine, where tens of historic buildings were restored as community and cultural centers, mainly for marginalized groups. Because of the huge demand for restoration and the scarcity of human and financial resources, Riwaq has been prioritizing and implementing "The 50-Village Rehabilitation Project" in which rehabilitation and safeguarding of heritage in Palestine function as a tool for socio-economic and political development. Throughout its life span, Riwaq has turned to the field of heritage as a medium of thinking about urgent and emergent social-economic-cultural-political concerns. In this paradigm, heritage is not only a field for knowledge production but also for change. See . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countersurveillance has been acknowledged as an empowering act of civil society that can keep the government in check. With its increasing popularity in academic and popular circles comes a need to better understand when countersurveillance brings a positive outcome and when it backfires. This question is particularly important when countersurveillance is used to bring about a change in policy implementation. Using data from interviews, peace organizations' reports, and open sources, this paper examines peace movements' countersurveillance of West Bank checkpoints, exploring the intended and unintended consequences of countersurveillance in this setting. This paper argues that when countersurveillance breaks powerholders' understanding of social order, it can trigger a harsh response that can render it counterproductive. Contrarily, when countersurveillance operates within the boundaries of this understanding of order, the likelihood of a successful outcome increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current science books for Palestinian elementary schools essentially consist of picture-based activities. Each lesson features images which students are asked to reflect on, and provide oral and written answers to questions linked to each image. This rich curriculum is being delivered in traditional methods, and few teachers have to date ventured into utilizing modern technologies that can be easily accessible. The present research effort measures the affordances of augmented reality in delivering the science curriculum to elementary grades in the West Bank. An interaction analysis study was used, in which activities from the third grade science textbook were demonstrated using AR technologies to identify their role in enhancing learners' interaction with pictures in the science school books. A sample of 50 third grade female students, from a West Bank basic school for girls, was drawn from the study population (all third grade students in the West Bank). The 50 students were divided evenly into homogeneous control and intervention groups. Seven activities were delivered conventionally for the former and with augmented reality technologies for the latter. The findings suggest that students taught with augmented reality-enhanced procedures were particularly engaged and effectively responsive, both orally and in written tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate both caries prevalence and clinical consequences experienced by deprived children in the West Bank, using a child-centred approach. Materials and methods: Children were invited by their social workers to attend free dental screening sessions held across clinics in the north of the West Bank. Data were collected using the dmft/DMFT and pufa/PUFA indices. Dental pain was reported by children using the Wong-Baker FACES® pain scale. Data were analysed using SPSS Version 22.0. Results: Data were collected for 177 children aged 4 to 18 years. Caries prevalence was 95.5% with only eight children presenting clinically caries-free. The sample had a dmft of 3.88, and DMFT of 3.44. The Care Index was calculated at 0.1 (mft/dmft). Clinical consequences of caries were identified in 64% of the sample, with a mean pufa score of 2.12, and a PUFA score of 0.55. Dental pain was experienced by 45% of children. Conclusion: Deprived children living in the West Bank experience high levels of untreated dental caries, with significant clinical consequences and self-reported pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TT 209 was built in a wadi, a location that means it has been affected by flash floods since ancient times. The team in charge of its study and conservation has initiated a systematic programme of environmental data collection (temperature and relative humidity) in order to understand the natural conditions of the tomb and any transformations caused by archaeological work in its underground chambers, as well as to inform future conservation. These statistics can also be useful for excavation and conservation programmes in nearby tombs whose architectonic structure is similar and have also suffered from exposure to water damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Yearbook of International Relations is the property of Ankara Universitesi, Faculty of Political Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)