Palestinian Feminism in Israel and the Power of Public Urban Space

In January 1991, some Palestinian citizens of Israel (formerly Israeli Arabs), mostly young women who came to the city of Haifa from different villages together with some Haifa residents, met to discuss feminism, the status of Palestinian women in Israel, and the need for a feminist organization. Following this meeting, al-Fanar was born as the Palestinian Feminist Organization. During the eight years of its existence, 1991–8, al-Fanar had a dual mission to oppose all the laws and traditions that oppress women and to fight laws discriminating against the Palestinian people. Its ability to act stemmed from its foundation as an urban movement outside the control of the patriarchal familial system. In its activities, al-Fanar exposed the connection between state control, patriarchy, and the reactionary leadership of Arab society in Israel. The climax of this control is the “murder of women in the name of family honor,” against which the al-Fanar’s members fought.