Bargaining for the Colonial Model of Conditional Citizenship: The Local Civic Discourse among Palestinian Citizens in Israel over the Last Decade

Over the last decade, a new trend has been developing among the Palestinian citizens of Israel—an attempt to instrumentalize Israeli conditional citizenship and the civic opportunities offered by the political regime to advance the local affairs of Palestinians and improve their living conditions. What can be called ‘the local civic discourse’ finds its expression in various contexts, such as in support for joining governmental coalitions, enlisting in the national or civil service, or integrating into other civil institutions. The development of this discourse is an instance of bargaining for colonial conditional citizenship or for a kind of rational acceptance of conditional citizenship. However, attempting to use the opportunities offered by the governing structure does not signify inherent acceptance of the state’s ideological base, identification with its values, or voluntary acceptance of its Jewish character. This is a process of selective civil integration minus any identification with, or recognition of, the legitimacy of the current sovereign state.