This research paper discusses the influence of tribal mentality on Palestinian religious elites. It is hard to say that there are tribes in Palestine that adopt certain religious trends of their own, but tribal mentality is present, and it reflects itself in thinking and public behavior. Religious elites are no exception.

This paper makes a general review of the behavior of Palestinian religious elites, and concludes that these elites are not strictly religious, but strongly show tribal thinking and tribal chauvinism. They don’t adhere to the teachings of Islam, rather they mix Islamic teachings with tradition. They always try to find Islamic justifications for their un-Islamic behavior.