In the previous chapter we discussed the collective identity and socio-economic status of the Arab minority in Israel. We argued that despite the heterogeneity of Arab society, Arabs in Israel are a singular minority with a shared collective identity that differs from that of Israeli Jews as well as from that of Palestinians outside Israel – they are “Palestinians in Israel.” Thus, a self-identified Palestinian minority has come into existence since 1948, as Palestinians in Israel have reconstituted themselves from being part of a national majority in Mandatory Palestine to being a distinct national minority in Israel. Compared with Israel's Jewish majority, the Palestinian minority has always been and remains to this day inferior in many important respects. Although Palestinians in Israel have achieved a great deal of progress over the years, as a group they still lag far behind Israeli Jews and suffer from a lot of material hardship.

In this chapter we will examine the political behavior of the Palestinian minority, especially its major political demands. Dramatic and important shifts have taken place in Palestinian politics in Israel over the years, as Palestinians have adjusted to new circumstances, opportunities, and challenges.