An article published on July 1, 2026, examines the historical and ongoing role of Palestinian elites in suppressing popular resistance movements. It argues that from the early 20th century to the present, sections of the Palestinian upper class have collaborated with colonial powers, Zionist settlers, and later with the Palestinian Authority (PA) under Mahmoud Abbas to weaken grassroots resistance. The piece traces this pattern from the British Mandate period, when elite families in Jerusalem and Jaffa sided with colonial administrators, to the current PA’s alleged cooperation with Israeli forces in the West Bank.

The article recounts how early resistance movements led by farmers, workers, and middle-class intellectuals, such as the 1932 Independence Party, faced repression from both British authorities and elite Palestinian factions. It draws parallels between the suppression of the 1930s anti-colonial uprisings and the 2007 events involving the PA, Israel, and the United States. The author concludes that despite a century of elite collaboration, popular support among ordinary Palestinians continues to favor resistance movements.

The report situates these developments amid ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon, portraying them as part of a long struggle between popular resistance and elite complicity.