Palestinian Youth Groups: Organizations


Figure 1.--The major youth group in Mandate Palestine was the Scouts. The YMCA was also active. This was because thre was a Christian population in Palestine, nostly Christian Arabs. Also the Y was interested because of the many Bilical sites. We have not yet been able to find historical information on the Y in Palestine. There was also a YWCA. Here we see the Jerusalem YMCA swimming pool during the Mandate era (1938).

The pricipal youth group in Palestine as the Boy Scouts and to a lesser extent the Girl Guides. A major factor here was the impressive expansion of the public school system by the British. Scouting activity began during the Ottoman era, but we do not see really large numbers of Plestinian Scouts until the British Mandate because of the huge expansion of schooling by the British. Quite a number of these schools sponsored Scout ad Guide troops. Another factor here was the very active youth group programs pursued by the Jews in Palestine. We have some limited information about Palestinian Scouts. Scouting comtinues in Palestine, although perhaps not with the same enthusism of the Mandate era. The YMCA and YWCA were also active and still are in both Plestine (West Bank) and Israel. (We are not sure about Hamas dominated Gaza.) We do not have much historical information on the Palstinin YMCA. The Y in Israel today promotes reconcilition between religious groups. The Y in the West Bank does some good work, but is highly politicized with internet postings promoting the standard Palestinian issues. Its activities are limited by the seadily falling Christian presence on the West Bank as aesult of Islamic militancy. It is largely supported by the Interntional YMCA which has taken anti-Israel positions, despite the Y's general practice of refraining from political involvement. The International YMCA based in Geneva both finances the Paestinian Y and sharply criticizes Israeli violence and simply ignores Arab violence and astonishly the plight of Christians in Palestine and the Arab world in general.

Boy Scouts

The pricipal youth group in Palestine as the Boy Scouts and to a lesser extent the Girl Guides. A major factor here was the impressive expansion of the public school system by the British. Scouting activity began during the Ottoman era, but we do not see really large numbers of Plestinian Scouts until the British Mandate because of the huge expansion of schooling by the British. Quite a number of these schools sponsored Scout ad Guide troops. Another factor here was the very active youth group programs pursued by the Jews in Palestine. We have some limited information about Palestinian Scouts. Scouting comtinues in Palestine, although perhaps not with the same enthusism of the Mandate era.

YMCA

The YMCA and YWCA were also active and still are in both Plestine (West Bank) and Israel. (We are not sure about Hamas dominated Gaza.) We do not have much historical information on the Palstinin YMCA. The Y in Israel today promotes reconcilition between religious groups. The Y in the West Bank does some good work, but is highly politicized with internet postings promoting the standard Palestinian issues. Its activities are limited by the seadily falling Christian presence on the West Bank as aesult of Islamic militancy. It is largely supported by the Interntional YMCA which has taken anti-Israel positions, despite the Y's general practice of refraining from political involvement. The International YMCA based in Geneva both finances the Paestinian Y and sharply criticizes Israeli violence and simply ignores Arab violence and astonishly the plight of Christians in Palestine and the Arab world in general.







HBU





Navigate the Historic Boys' Uniform Web Site:
[Return to the Main Palestinian youth group organizations page]
[Return to the Main Middl-East and North African youth group country pages]
[Activities] [Biographies] [Chronologies] [Countries] [Essays] [Garments] [Organizations] [Religion] [Other]
[Introduction] [Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Questions] [Unknown images]
[Boys' Uniform Home]




Created: 1:14 PM 11/7/2017
Last updated: 1:14 PM 11/7/2017