The eruption of a popular uprising in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1987 surprised Israel, the PLO, and the world. No less astounding was the cohesion that the revolt made manifest. From Ramallah, Joost Hiltermann exclaimed that it was “remarkable … that the entire population could be mobilized simultaneously, and that a support structure needed to sustain the uprising’s momentum came into being and functioned efficiently, with a leadership that was promptly accepted as legitimate by the population.” Don Peretz similarly marveled that the unrest “within days … developed into an organized movement; within weeks a coherent set of objectives was articulated.”

These and other scholars note the unity behind what became known as the Intifada, a grassroots effort to “shake off” the Israeli occupation. Yet none have systematically analyzed how this unity affected the processes or forms of protest. Most studies document the Intifada’s causes and consequences and do not craft theory about why it had the character it did. This chapter demonstrates how leadership and institutional networks, bolstered by society’s sense of collective purpose, gave Palestinians an organizational structure that sustained an uprising based largely on nonviolent protest. The chapter proceeds in four sections. The first traces the organizational development of the Palestinian national movement in the West Bank and Gaza during the first two decades under occupation. The second section examines movement cohesion during the Intifada and the mechanisms through which it facilitated nonviolent protest. The third section considers how the toll of extended rebellion and repression increased both fragmentation and violent protest during the uprising’s waning years. The fourth section concludes the discussion.